The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Two more pertinent points are made by the author, in regards to the grandmother, follow in quick succession; both allude to further yet-to-be seen gloom within the story. O’Connor writes of the grandmother “[s]he didn’t intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself” (1043) and of the way she is dressed “[i]n case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (1043). These two observations are innocent enough on the surface but provide true intent on the foreshadowing that O’Connor uses throughout the story. It is these two devices, irony and foreshadowing, that I feel are prominent and important aspects of the story and are evidenced in my quest to decipher this story.

O’Connor introduces the grandma immediately to the story and right away the readers can tell that the grandma is very irritating. “’Now look here, Bailey,’ she said, ‘see here, read this,’ and she stood with one hand on her thin hip and the other rattling the newspaper at his bald head” (O’Connor, 405). Throughout the story the grandma continues her exasperating ways by ignoring her son’s orders to not bring the cat in the car and manipulating her grandkids and son to get what she wants. Bailey, the son is portrayed as uptight and easily upset, throughout the story Bailey seems to just ignore the grandma and all her comments “She asked Bailey if he would like to dance but he only glared at her” (O’Connor, 408). And later in the car he explodes after the grandma and children keep nagging to go to an old plantation she use to go to.

In this reading the main character, Granny, is easy to pick out. Granny is dying but she refuses to believe that she is actually dying. On her deathbed she is thinking about keeping the house clean and orderly. She was also thinking about the love letters that she has in the attic from her ex-fiancé, John. Granny did not want her daughter, Cornelia, to find them. Grannys last thought was that she had been jilted. Honestly, I did not find this story very interesting because I think it was a boring topic. It is sad that the Granny dies in the end, but how they organized it was boring. They organized it just like a normal reading would be. I think it could have been more interesting if they organized it a different way.

The Grandma is prim and proper and self-acclaimed to be very ‘lady like’ yet is extremely crass in her mannerisms. From the very beginning of the story the grandmother begins to show her selfish ways. “…and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did." (O’Connor 1). Though the grandmother is not specific in her selfishness, it seems her indirectness is what gets her nowhere in her statements. As a result of this, neither her children nor her grandchildren do not show reverence for her. Without the parents respect for the Grandmother, there is no possibility for her to gain the grandchildren’s respect. Here again we have another character whose role was not the main role, but one who has a lesson to teach if the reader is willing to dig deep enough to find

Not everyone’s life is filled with happiness. Granny Weatherall, in “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” by Katherine Anne Porter, and Addie Bundren, in “from As I Lay Dying ‘Darl’,” by William Faulkner, are two dying poor women who recall their lives in their minds when they are laying in beds. Their tough and harsh lives are similar in several ways. Granny Weatherall and Addie Bundren both had two men in their life. Granny loves her husband, John, and George.

The grandmother hid her cat in a basket, which she puts in the car with her on the day of the trip. The grandmother wears a floral hat and dress, because if she were to get into a car accident people would know she is “a lady”. The two kids June Star and John Wesley clearly dislike their grandmother, it is very clear because they often make remarks to suggest this. The family makes their way through Georgia and they Grandma reminisces about an old suitor she had back in the day when the family passes

The tone of this story seems to portray Granny’s bitterness, which is seen during a part of her consciousness when she hears her daughter and the doctor whispering, “Wait, wait, Cornelia,

The following passage is an excerpt from Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.” Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how such choices as figurative language, imagery, and dialogue develop the complex emotions the character is feeling.

The is also probably the first time Granny has ever been in a "life or death" situation, which accounts for her lie. This life-saving lie that has just occurred is a little hint as to what will become of the Southern Code at the end of the novel.

Freedom and Independence from Our Struggles In the book Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, there are many themes that are represented and some that are hidden and undetermined. One theme that was represented nicely was that even though loss is horrible and unmentionable, freedom and independence from that sadness and those losses can still be found and appreciated with time. In this book the main character, Grandpa Blakeslee, has lost his wife to sickness and is stuck in a rut for a little while, but he needs help with his housework so he marries a woman many years his junior.

Faulkner’s character of Granny shows the intelligence of women, especially when protecting one’s family. Even though it would be considered immoral, Granny used stolen papers “stamped with the official letterhead” and the signature of Colonel Dick that “Ringo had learned to copy” to forge letters so that they could make a profit from receiving orders of mules and selling them back. Although this act was immoral, Granny was doing it so that she could protect her family since they would have money to live from. Granny was shown as attentive to details by being “careful about what general's name was on the letter” and taking note of the recipient of each order. Faulkner portrays a different side of Southern women through Granny.

This theme of social facade and hypocrisy is seen throughout The Jilting of Granny Weatherall in the character of the grandmother. For example, the grandmother had an illegitimate child,

A literal interpretation of the grandmother portrays an elderly southern woman attempting to maintain the proper and genteel values of the South. The grandmother places great importance on her appearance and the opinions of others. This importance is revealed at the beginning of their journey when the story compares the grandmother, a reflection of the past, to the daughter-in-law, a reflection of the present:

After escaping slavery Nanny raised her daughter in poverty. Because she was never financially secure, she also aspired for her daughter to become financially secure. When Nanny’s daughter was raped by her school teacher, she became pregnant with Janie. After she had Janie, she left and never came back. Because of this, Nanny’s dream of financial security transferred onto Janie. While Nanny’s hopes for Janie do come off harsh, she means nothing but well. “Ah don’t want yo’ feathers always crumpled by folks throwin’ up things in yo face. And Ah can’t die easy thinkin’ maybe de menfolks white or black is makin’ a spit cup outta you: Have some sympathy fuh me. Put me down easy, Janie, Ah’m a cracked plate” (Hurston 20). This quote shows the readers that Nanny ultimately just wants the best for Janie, she does not want to worry about how Janie will provide for herself once she dies. Janie had a relatively good upbringing. She was raised by her Nanny in the backyard a white couple, Mr. and Mrs. Washburn, whom Nanny works for. Janie grew up as a very independent child who enjoys her freedom. Janie was between the ages of 16 and 17 when she was first married. She struggled a lot with letting go of

Once left alone with only her thoughts, Granny is forced to accept reality. “For the second time there was no sign,” (61) and Granny was “jilted” for a second time, by God. Just as George left her standing alone at the altar, God did not give her a sign in death. The ending makes a full circle with the middle of the story when Granny finally realizes the relationship between the two situation: in death, just as on her wedding day, there was “no bridegroom,” and she was left alone with a priest. The connective structure shows the reader that because Granny continued to deny the truth, she would be forced to suffer in death. “She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away.” (61) Granny could not continue to hold