Her descent down the stairs can be likened to a descent to madness.

The fact that everyone has their eyes fixated on her is what Gillis refers to as life’s mercy, see Life, which can be strangely merciful, had taken pity. She is getting what she wants, although probably not in the way she expects, much like the difference between people laughing with you and people laughing at you.

The rest of the scene is probably more for dramatic effect, but there is an interesting reversal here, in the sense that Norma has spent the last 20 years stuck in the past, while everyone has moved on. However, in this scene we see the opposite — she is moving while everyone else is eerily still. This is more of a niche point though, as it doesn’t readily tie into any of the themes.