Analytical Essay

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Analytical Essay

Analytical Essay

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall is a short story written by Katherine Anne Portier about an
elderly woman on her deathbed. Granny Weatherall is a very interesting character and the story
describes her last thoughts and memories as she lies there taking her last breaths. Granny
Weatherall is perceived as an independent and strong-willed character that has lived a full life.
As she lies on her deathbed, she drifts in and out of consciousness and seems to not have a full
grasp on reality. As she nears the end of her life, the reader is able to understand her thoughts and
feelings, and feels how the elderly woman is struggling with coming to terms with dying. The
themes in this short story have a deep and meaningful relation with death. The writer seems to
intertwine the characters struggles with the themes of betrayal, religion, memories, and death.
The main setting for the story is in a bedroom, although there are many other settings that
take place in her mind. As she lays on her deathbed, memories of her life fill her head, including
one from about 60 years prior when an old lover jilted her at the alter. This is the first of the
themes: betrayal. Granny seems to have gained much of her strength from those who have
betrayed her. Her ex-lover, George, left her at the alter, which leads the reader to believe that she
never heard from him again. Her memories showed to not been able to be repressed any longer.
For sixty years she had prayed against remembering him and against losing her soul in the deep
pit of hell, and now the two things were mingled in one and the thought of him was a smoky
cloud from hell that moved and crept in her head.. It seems that these memories surfaced as
she realizes that she is dying and feels betrayed and jilted by Jesus as well, which leads us to the
second theme of religion.
When the priest is called to her bedside, the visit seems to strike up many feelings from 60
years earlier when she was jilted at the alter and yet she felt easy about her soul. The final
paragraph in the story references the bible in which Christ seems to be compared to a bridegroom

Analytical Essay

and Granny is a bit reluctant in accepting spiritual salvation. Granny was left alone with the
priest on her wedding day, and now, on her deathbed, is left alone with the priest again and faces
death alone.
The third theme is death; in her final hours, Granny is forced to evaluate her life and how she
has lived it. Early in the story she seems to be at peace with it, she had spent so much time
preparing for death there was no need for bringing it up again. The truth is she is struggling with
death. She is too weak to get out of bed, yet denies the fact that she is truly ill. The story ends
with her blowing out the light, which leads the reader to understand how her life has come to an
end.
The final theme of memory is shown as Granny weaves in and out of reality and memories of
her past. She seems to find strength from being left at the alter and then finds comfort in the
memories of her late husband, John, and her children. The memories of the other man make her a
bit uneasy with thoughts that her children would find the letters in the attic. There is one moment
that she actually wants to tell her daughter to find George and be sure and tell him I forgot
him.
The tone of this story seems to portray Grannys bitterness, which is seen during a part of her
consciousness when she hears her daughter and the doctor whispering, Wait, wait, Cornelia, till
your own children whisper behind your back! These voices and her memories are all
intertwined as she lives out her final hours. The irony is that even though she was jilted at the
alter, she also feels that she was jilted again, this time by Jesus. Shed been waiting for the sign
she asked for, and never received, For the second time there was no signShe could not
remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away. Oh, no, theres nothing more
cruel than this Ill never forgive it.

Analytical Essay

REFERENCE

Katherine Anne Porter. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. From Flowering Judas and Other
Stories. Copyright 1930 and renewed copyright 1958 by Katherine Anne Porter. Reprinted with
the permission of Harcourt, Inc. Abcarian, R., & Klotz, M. (2007). Literature The Human
Experience Reading and Writing (Shorter 9th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.