Granny Weatherall’s Extended Discussion

[hchen2]

Aug 19, 2021 21:20:22 GMT -8 lilithzapata said:

The theme of denial is recurrent throughout the story. We see Granny Weatherall put on a facade of being a tough older woman but behind that mask is a woman who has experienced a great amount of hardship. She lost her husband John and was jilted at the altar. Perhaps the title itself relates to the idea of death. Jilted at the altar but also jilted by death at times. When she was 60, she describes preparing for death, but she did not die. Now that she is actually dying, there is a sense of fear which is a natural response to death.

Hi Lilith! I agree with you regarding her facade. Granny's actions are far too contradictory for them to accurately portray her true self. I feel sympathy for her because her husband ditched her at the altar, and I theorize that part of the reason she is not ready to die is because she wishes to relive her life again. Granny is likely not satisfied with her past self, wanting to live the life she would have wanted when she was young, but no longer having the chance to.

[ejknez]

Towards the end of today's conversation I recall a colleague referencing a section of the story regarding a storm. The storm represented Granny Weatherall's passing away as she embraced death's icy grip. Furthermore it displayed her motherly instinct to protect her children, as well as her confusion. But, I believe something different. I believe that thought her confusion and fear was all so real, that those final moments were the only moments of clarity displayed by Granny during the course of the entire short story. Granny's illness that vexed her was a clear cut case of dementia. More specifically Alzheimer's disease. Granny being eighty years old, give or take, and having lived through a great many ordeals it is reasonable to believe she could have gotten dementia. Her exhibited symptoms include, but are not limited to disorientation, disfunction with motor functions, difficulty reasoning, and the two I would wish to focus on, confusion, and memory loss. See throughout the entire story Granny Weatherall recounts her tales of old; being stood up at the altar, having children, and her life in general. This is important because if Granny does indeed have dementia, that means that her character and anything she says she did or others did to her is not to be relied upon. Patients suffering memory loss may unconsciously develop false memories. This happens when our brain realizes gaps in our memory and attempts to fill them. It could also be as simple as rationalization, which is when we unconsciously skew our cognitive perception of memories or the world in order to better fit our ideals and beliefs. I believe this is the more likely concept than the idea that the class was offering earlier about her ex fiance being her alternative or opposite. Instead it is likely that this is how she saw him, and naturally the dementia skewed it in a more severe way than her own biases. Now, consider how the story was told, with one, singular stream of consciousness, but told in third-person. Perhaps that this was a conscious decision by the author to symbolize the clarity that came with death. The clarity given to Granny Weatherall to see that the world she had lived in, the world she clinged to was the true storm that vexed her. And that it is only in death when we can understand and realize the truths that manage to evade us in life.

Eli Knez, P.1, August 17, 2022

[mrclue]

The storm stated at the end of the text can symbolize Granny Weatherall's mental and physical state. In chapter 20 of HTRLLAP, the season or weather of a story is an important factor of showing the emotions of a scene. In this case, the raining, thunder and lighting can show Weatherall's shock and anxiety of realizing her time of death is real. She is also still worried and has that motherly instinct to protect her children even after saying she would be better without them the whole story. As well as chapter 20, chapter 23 of HTRLLAP can also be seen in this storyline. I believe Granny Weatherall's negative personality is enhancing her illness and only making her time of death come faster. She would rather not acknowledge her illness or depend on others to see that she gets better. She denies she is even sick at all yet her body disagrees with her feisty personality.

[mrclue]

Aug 19, 2021 21:32:42 GMT -8 Jenna Min said:

In the beginning of the story, it's pretty clear that we see foreshadowing in the granny's death. For example, on page 82, it states, "she found death in her mind." Although we are all bound to die, I feel that the granny is aware that her time is coming and tries to give farewells throughout the entire storyline. Also, on page 83, when granny states, "There was always so much to be done, let me see: tomorrow." This is kind of showing the audience that she's having difficulty with doing daily tasks. Even waiting for tomorrow is tough, and its as if shes waiting for the day. Moreover, she starts to reminisce over her old days with George, Hapsy, John, etc. It's as if shes reliving her last 7 minutes of best memories (in science, like how people relive their best memories right before they die). Throughout the story, there's also symbolism on color, such as green days. Green can represent sickly feeling, like vomiting, but it can also stand for health and nature. In the granny's perspective, we can see that her health is declining.

I agree with you in that she is aware of her death being near and I would like to add on how her stubbornness is not letting her admit how ill she is. She doesn't like relying on others and hates when her children worry about her. Instead of asking to be treated and acknowledging her sickness, she denies everything and gets annoyed when Cornelia tries to help her. There is also symbolism at the end of the when it states, "She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light." The light can symbolize a candle in her room but it can also symbolize her life as a whole. Her blowing the light can show her acceptance to her death since she blew it out herself instead of her waiting for it to blow itself out. 

[Kyle Baek]

Towards the end of the story when Granny uses up the last of her strength to blow out the candle, she is accepting of her passing because the candle's wick isn't fully out yet. This signifies that she still had some time left but stopped fighting her sickness and gave in to her death because she accepts it and realizes that her time has come. She purposely blows out the candle, knowing that she still has some time left, but to also keep in control of her life. Most of the things that has happened to her were out of her control and happened randomly, so this is the one thing she can control that is in her grasp.

[calindasang]

In the very last paragraph of the short story, Granny Weatherall is shown asking God for a sign, any sign, as she gave into the darkness, and as she states, "For the second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and no priest in the house. She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them away." It shows that even in the last seconds of her life, she is utterly consumed by her trauma and issues of abandonment, more so than anything else, saying that this grief wiped any other struggles and issues she had. When a sign didn't come from god, she felt as if she was abandoned once again, and I believe because of it, she gave into her death, because it was like another blow to her already critical state.

[rosannayao]

At the end of the story, the text states "her body was now only  deeper mass of shadow in an endless darkness and this darkness would curl around the light and swallow it up." The text uses the darkness to reference death and how its consuming her. The light that references hope is going away consumed by the darkness, showing granny's hope to live going away. 

[amaka]

Granny Weatherall’s telling of her life story was genuinely bumpy; this is shown through her heightened animosity towards her daughter Cornelia who is now her caretaker and everyone else she interacts with in the story (e.g. Doctor Harry who comes to check up on her and how she is doing health wise). Granny throughout the reading has tried to come off as strong and brushing past the thought of her becoming weaker. For example, this is shown when Granny tells Dr. Harry to leave and come back when Granny calls him but it is ironic she says that while stating Doctor Harry “floated like a balloon around the foot of the bed.” It shows she is trying to ignore the fact that she is not in the most tip top shape as she is hallucinating the image of Doctor Harry and she is rejecting help as she rather be in control than being controlled by others. However, by the end of the reading, this attitude shifted when Granny accepted the fact she was going to die - just for it to not actually happen. Granny has taken long to come to terms with dying and uplifted her triumphs over her weakness for far too long. This is the second time she has gone through this before (last being when she was 60) but the difference is that she has understood that her well being is actually at harm.

[amaka]

Aug 17, 2022 17:29:53 GMT -8 mrclue said:

The storm stated at the end of the text can symbolize Granny Weatherall's mental and physical state. In chapter 20 of HTRLLAP, the season or weather of a story is an important factor of showing the emotions of a scene. In this case, the raining, thunder and lighting can show Weatherall's shock and anxiety of realizing her time of death is real. She is also still worried and has that motherly instinct to protect her children even after saying she would be better without them the whole story. As well as chapter 20, chapter 23 of HTRLLAP can also be seen in this storyline. I believe Granny Weatherall's negative personality is enhancing her illness and only making her time of death come faster. She would rather not acknowledge her illness or depend on others to see that she gets better. She denies she is even sick at all yet her body disagrees with her feisty personality.

I agree with you in making connections to HTRLLAP, Chapter 23 “It’s Never Just Heart Disease” is well fitted in explaining how the health of Granny is not at its best and how not only physically but mentally, Granny has ignored the signs of her unstable nature. For example, it states, “She [Granny] meant to wave good-bye, but it was too much trouble” on pg. 81 expresses the bliss Granny has towards her illness and how it is affecting her to act in rash ways and to garner such absentmindedness towards what is happening to her at this time.

[David M]

Aug 19, 2021 15:08:39 GMT -8 eriiic said:

We can see that Weatherall first shows a brash/lone wolf personality due to her self-made lifestyle, like when she replies to the Doc that "he wasn't even born yet" when she triumphed worse conditions. However, when remembering her time is short, she almost immediately transforms to like a social groupie, desperate for company during her final moments. It's like she was so comfortable living a life of strength that she didn't really consider how to manage or accept when she becomes her weakest.

This is especially true when we catch on to her talking about simply putting stuff to "tomorrow", and it wasn't until nearing her death she realized there won't be a tomorrow to hold her remaining work.

[Nathan Kim]

weather lighting and thunder was an dramatic indication of a shift from prideful granny who was in denial of her deteriorating state. The weather can be shown to be a metaphor to her current state creating this effect of loss and shift of effect. The desperation by her late age and last few days brought her to rememberance and acceptanceo her final comings to sudden panicked desperation who wanted to get all her affairs in order because she realized death was coming

[yaelg]

Regarding the characterization of the protagonist in Granny Weatherall, I believe a major reminder provided to students right at the beginning of the short story is the surname of Granny itself: Weatherall. As we talked about in class, Granny’s past consists of many unfortunate (even tragic) events that have forced her to independently walk forward, burdened with hardships. From George’s absence, John’s death and even the elusive nature of Hapsy, these events left behind scars in the form of mental rejection and desolation (similar to what Jeff previously said) within Granny. It’s important to note that these events were not “lethal”, damaging as they may be. Just like one can weather through a storm, so has Granny weathered all the events that stood in her way from early life to the present day. It is these experiences that could potentially represent the thunder and lightning she saw as she was on her way to death. The stages of her life, from stormy periods to a final, fading blue light were symbolized as her experiences in the last moments of Granny’s life.

- Yael Gonzalez, 1st period

[David M]

There are clearly visible signs of suffering that Granny is going through, yet she is blinded by her pride and stubbornness preventing her from realizing what she's going through. From the very beginning, she scolds Doctor Harry for even daring to take care of her for things a "well woman" doesn't have, introducing us to her pride against someone meant to help. While Doctor Harry tries to reassure her, Granny downplays his skills as a doctor as he wasn't even born yet while she went through "milk-leg and double pneumonia." Later on, we catch glimpses of problems Granny has, from fading in and out of consciousness ("Her eyes closed of themselves... like a dark curtain") to having difficulty hearing ("Cornelia's mouth moved urgently in strange shapes. [Granny says,] 'Don't do that, you bother me, daughter.'") We can conclude from this that Granny, whether she's aware of it or not, desires to uphold her own pride by refusing to accept her own flaws and troubles.

[Leila Issa]

The “Jilting of Granny Weatherall” is a short story by Katherine Anne Porter in which Granny Weatherall refuses to believe that she is sick and dying even though she is on her death bed. Throughout the text we go on a journey through Granny’s reflection of her past. We come to find out that her husband, John, passed away and Granny has had to take over her being a mother and a father to her children. She was there for her kids basically all of there life and it not ready to let go. She still feels a sense of authority to watch over them even though she is on her death bed. She only wants the best for her family and to show she is strong

[joseph]

Additionally throughout the short story, Granny Weatherall's mental state was gradually declining. Although Granny Weatherall was bedridden owing to her sickness, she was initially in denial of her sickness and very stubborn. She started listing tasks or acts that she believed she could complete on her own. However, as readers we understand that Cornelia had to do everything, including calling for the doctor and priest. But as Granny Weatherall's thoughts developed into deeper and deeper memories, she became less attached to the physical world and more emotionally unstable. Granny Weatherall loses control of her body, accidentally speaking her thoughts and imagining things in her vision. The rapid time jumps also show the detachment of Granny Weatherall from reality. When Granny Weatherall's physical body finally expired, her mind was still unable to understand that she had passed away. She felt ill-prepared for death because many things had been left undone, but Granny Weatherall insisted throughout the entire story that she was satisfied with her life.