Granny Weatherall’s Extended Discussion

[maryssa]

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.

Hi jennaaa, this is maryssa . I completely agree that the author used foreshadowing as one of their literary elements throughout the story. The examples you used really express the use of foreshadowing throughout the story. I also agree with how the author uses symbolism, especially with colors, to communicate Granny Weatherall's physical and mental state.

[garrettd]

Beginning the story, Granny Weatherall is displayed as a seen-it-all, done-it-all type of character who neither needs to be reminded that she is old nor be treated as if she is deaf, dumb, and blind. It is only on her deathbed however that she truly begins to reflect on her past: keeping those around her safe, surviving the death of loved ones, and ultimately raising children that she can be proud of. The author uses a single transitional sentence in order to achieve this shift and it is done in quite a masterful way. As stated, Granny Weatherall has truly... weathered it all, needing only herself and her wits to get her through tough times, but it is only when her mind suddenly fails her that she is shocked into a reminiscence of her life. The author creates an interrogative sentence from Granny's internal perspective, describing a sudden "fog" that enveloped Granny's mind and stopped her stubborn thinking dead in its tracks.

[andrewcollard]

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.

Granny's character is built on this theme. This facade she puts up demonstrates her desire to seem perfect to her children as she denies her faults in life. Granny is denied many things in life and now as a result she denies the people closest to her, portraying her as a stubborn old woman. Much of her attitude derives from her jilting as she uses that feeling from the altar to base how she lives as an old woman, similarly, pushing away help from her family like how she was pushed away by George at the altar.

[andrewcollard]

Aug 19, 2021 19:22:15 GMT -8 Thomas Lee said:

Towards the end of the short story it is interesting to see that the author chose to use the color blue for Cornelia's lampshades, making the light blue. This light stays with Granny until the end where she blew out the light. The blue light may symbolize Granny's strength since we see that she continues to have strength in the text or at least attempts at representing herself to be strong. But at the end of her life there is not much strength but rather hopelessness as the text states "for the second time there was no sign" emphasizing the point that it had not happened the first time, therefore making the lack of sign more impactful. Therefore, when Granny chose to blow out the light it may have also been her letting herself rest from her strong person outward attitude, even if it is a second before she dies.

Taking on the meaning of the blue light symbolizing sadness, we also see that the light itself can symbolize the family’s hope. Everyone’s hope was slowly diminishing as they watched Granny go into a vegetative state. As the blue light was consumed, sadness broke out amongst that family relating their hope to that light because there was no hope for Granny’s state. This shows Granny’s persevering character as by blowing out the light, everyone acknowledges that it is her time to rest, that she no longer has to toil in bed, suffering from her thoughts.

[garrettd]

Aug 20, 2021 0:04:00 GMT -8 Darren Ich said:

Granny's stubbornness is shown when she talks about how she has to take the role of her dead husband, fulfilling both parent figures in the family. She kept up this idea in her head for a very long time. Her stubbornness is shown when even as her body is deteriorating she still wants to fulfill the position of being a parent figure even as she knows her body is getting weaker and older. Her stubbornness is also shown when she says "I pay my own bills". This shows her stubbornness because it demonstrates how she wants to do everything herself especially paying for her own things and how her point of view or attitude towards has not changed at all as she believes she that these things are still her responsibility.

Though I admit that Granny is exceedingly stubborn in this story, I do also believe that it serves as a front to hide both her emotions and innate fear of death. While yes, she does admit to having already considered death and grown past worrying about it, she begins also to let the innate fear of dying drive her to pleading with death to let her live long enough to giver her daughter her amethyst set and do all the things that MUST be done before she leaves. I truly believe that Granny put up this confident, stubborn front because she had to. She alone was there to care for her children when her husband passed at a young age and she herself said that there was always so little time to relax and be alone. Granny had no choice but to be confident as she was her family's only provider. This, over time, I believe stuck with her with her constantly feeling that she HAS to be the strong one, even on HER deathbed.

[Anuthmi Waas]

Aug 21, 2021 16:49:47 GMT -8 Samantha Olivar said:

Granny Weatherall’s deteriorating health is partly represented through her scattered and nonsensical outer dialogue. While her inner dialogue may have a more logical and reasonable flow in terms of relevance and storytelling, her outward dialogue portrays her dismissiveness and inability to focus. In the beginning, Granny can reply to Cornelia and even scolds the doctor for fussing over her. However, as the story progresses, she is unable to communicate what she really wants to say. For instance, her daughter tells her about a hypodermic and Granny replies “’how do ants get in this bed? I saw sugar ants yesterday.’ Did you send for Hapsy too?” (85). Granny talks about ants which is unrelated to the conversation, but it is most noticeable that her inquiry about Hapsy, someone Granny wants to see, is left out of the quotations, excluded from her external dialogue. These details can be interpreted to define the development her psychological character as increasingly confused over the course of the story. Her inability communicate what she truly wants to say is a consequence of her deteriorating health.

I fully agree that Granny Weatherall's actions and dialogue are a reflection of her physical health. To add on, in addition to the nonsensical outer dialogue, Granny's inner thoughts and actions also reveal this worsening health. Granny thinks that she needs to pull down the shades to block the light but "She was in bed again and the shades were not down. How could that happen?" (Porter 85) I believe this situation represents how not only are her outward senses, and dialogue to others showing her health condition, but the contrast between what she believes to be happening, and what actually is. These details help to create a character, who may not be in full control of herself and her actions. 

[Abraham Z]

Aug 22, 2021 19:20:44 GMT -8 andrewcollard said:

As Granny was lying down, the pillow pressed on her and released a memory from her heart that she had kept down there and had never conjured up until now. She then jumps to the memory of her being “jilted” where “a whirl of dark smoke rose” covered everything, which sets up a juxtaposition to her white veil. This juxtaposition attributes to the deterioration of Granny’s mind through her focus on the harshness of that event. The failure of the marriage haunts Granny, that “for sixty years she had prayed against remembering him and against losing her soul in the deep pit of hell” (84). The juxtaposition of the white veil and the smoke bring emphasis to the forever altering effects of that day when George left her. This conveys the spiraling down of Granny’s life, as she is consumed with her tragic past, hinting at her mental decline in these last moments. She despises Geroge, seen by the way the dark smoke clouded her mind just as it did that day. The juxtaposition conveys a big part of Granny’s character as it shows her tendency to fully repress bad memories, showing that she is afraid to address the problems in her life.

The symbolism found in the smoke juxtaposed with the white veil is absolutely excellent. Well done! However, more can be said, especially at the end of your commentary ("she is afraid to address the problems in her life"). This fear has many faces to be explored. One perspective is that of Granny's inability to introspect and see in herself any flaws. Since the story is written in a stream of consciousness, her characterizing Doctor Harry as an inferior child that "ought to be in knee breeches," to her favoring Hapsy over her other children, seen when it is said that "It was Hapsy that she really wanted," as well as Granny's elation at the image of Hapsy's baby, possibly a vision of Granny living vicariously through Hapsy. These are merely a few flaws that Granny is so ignorant of, it is almost as if she isn't even afraid of facing them like you claim. No, this fear is better shown after the smoke that you have so graciously commented upon. That is the turning point from which the final jilting is to occur, and "nothing is more cruel than this" (89). Perhaps this final blow of Granny's repression, which has consumed her till death, as well as her own cruelty upon those around her, is fitting. That is, her light could only go out in this manner.

[Anuthmi Waas]

Aug 21, 2021 20:33:35 GMT -8 Alysha Lee said:

We first meet Granny Weatherall as an 80 year old in her deathbed snapping away her doctor and resenting her daughter. We immediately label her as a feisty and clearly rude character as she wants nothing to do with her doctor as well as calling Cornelia a "brat who deserves to bee in knee breeches". Her deteriorating health comes with the disadvantage and impact of accurate memory but the way she gets treated by other characters around her is a direct cause of Granny Weatherall's character because she ultimately reflects her attitude from her surroundings. Doctor Harry talks to Granny Weatherall in a babying manner saying things like, "Now, now, you be a good girl" despite the fact that she even reminds him that she is 80 years old and should not be treated in such a demeaning way. Cornelia also whispers in front of her mother saying to be kind around her because is 80 years old. The fact that Granny is 80 years old is extremely relevant pattern throughout the text and it almost defines who she is as a character because others focus on it so much despite how accomplished and independent she was in her youthful days.

Adding on to Alysha, I believe that the constant reminders that Granny provides for her age as well as her being experienced in all aspects of life, help build her as a character as it establishes she has been through it all. I think another symbol of Granny Weatherall being through the ringer and going through many difficult things is shown through her name "Weatherall." Weatherall is a play of weather all, as in weathering through it all, meaning Granny Weatherall has been through it all and survived. I believe this importance of her name and the things she has been through creates an independent, strong woman. 

[Kryslin Vu]

The patterns of literary elements and techniques of Granny Weatherall's deteriorating health and attitude influence or define her as a character; by truly uncovering the many layers of Granny Weatherall. From the patterns of literary elements and techniques, we can see the development in character from Granny Weatherall. Since the beginning, Granny Weatherall is very stubborn and in denial about her physical condition even though others, such as her daughter and doctor, say otherwise. From the beginning of the story, we can see how stubborn and how she is in denial about her condition; however, from her thoughts, we can see that she puts up a façade of stubbornness to hide how scared she is from her family. From this, we can see that Granny Weatherall still has so much she wanted to tell her family but she was running out of time. So we can see the regrets that she still carries with her, even to her deathbed.

[Abraham Z]

The final thoughts of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" are of the utmost importance to understanding Granny's character and the effects of her characterization of others. The final blowing out of the light is almost a sign of Granny's surrender. But to what is she surrendering? Throughout her life, Granny claims to have been extremely tough, demonstrated when she describes "She had fenced in a hundred acres once, digging the post holes herself and clamping the wires with just a negro boy to help. That changed a woman" (83). Apparently, Granny has worked so hard that she is a changed woman, and proud of this as well, simultaneously thanking God for her labor. This pride, however, is in fact Granny's tragic flaw. Of course, George is a terrible person, not deserving of any respect for having jilted his bride. However, it is necessary to note the reason he jilted her: some sort of combination of her patronizing nature combined with false pride and qualities of the Freudian "overbearing mother". These flaws eventually stare her in the face and lead to her cruel demise. As she describes, "Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house," there must a clear jilter (89). In this final jilting, George seems to have been replaced by God, who refuses to give Granny any respite or signs. In this sense, Granny's jiltings were a product of her own sins and inability to see them. And this is the true root issue of the character of Granny.

[Kryslin Vu]

Aug 22, 2021 18:19:05 GMT -8 Justin Titan Hsieh said:

Aug 22, 2021 16:38:53 GMT -8 Bowen Wang said:

Hey Darren Ich and Bowen Wang I so sincerely agree with you that Granny's stubbornness was illustrated when she talked about how she must fill the role of her dead husband in order to fulfill both parent figures in the family., following with five stages of grief, both are shown clearly throughout the story.  

Hi Darren Ich, Bowen Wang, and Justin Hsieh! I do agree that Granny Weatherall's stubbornness is illustrated throughout the short story. Also, the mention of filling in as the "man of the house" after her husband died is an example of her stubbornness. I also believe that when Granny Weatherall said, "'Get along and doctor your sick,' said Granny Weatherall. 'Leave a well woman alone. I'll call for you when I pulled through milk-leg and double pneumonia? You weren't even born'" (Porter 80). That this also shows how stubborn Granny Weatherall's character is. From this as well, we can see how she is also in denial about her condition and that she is so stubborn to acknowledge or admit that she is sick.

[Kiersten Kang]

The author's depiction of Granny Weatherall's deteriorating health and attitude is heavily defined by the literary elements of imagery and irony. The combined techniques create an effect that defines the complexity of her character; a woman who has met the end of her physical and mental strength, with flaws whose origins cannot be clearly distinguished between her failing mind or her actual character. The author takes the readers into the mind of a blurred image of a woman, consistently asking one question throughout Granny's characterization: how much of Granny's weakness can be attributed to things other than her own fault?

The author utilizes immersive imagery to draw the reader into the extent of Granny's dementia, fleshing out the reasons for her behavior. For instance, the vivid description of the "dark colors with the shadows rising toward the ceiling in long angles," or "the table by the bed" with a "linen cover and a candle and a crucifix" on page 87 illustrates the severity of the hallucinations Granny experiences. By completely drawing the reader into new scenarios and hallucinations throughout the story, the reader experiences the terrifying confusion along with Granny herself.

There are many instances of irony throughout the story which further establish Granny's character. In her dementia-induced thoughts and hallucinations she sees herself as the caregiver of her children, such as the section on page 81 where she goes over her responsibilities as the head of the home, such as organizing the "hair brushes and tonic bottles." The irony of this situation is that her own children are now the ones taking the responsibility as her caregivers, regularly checking in on her in a patronizing manner similar to a parent. This also creates a contrast between her old physical age and her actual mental age, because while on page 80 she claims to be an "elder" that deserves respect, throughout the story she acts like nothing more than an angry child.

[veilina]

Throughout this passage Granny Weatherall has done everything in her power to maintain an independent character. She makes this clear by ensuring that everyone in her path is aware of the hardships she’s faced and situations she’s experienced, however, both her physical and mental health are quickly being affected. Weatherall’s character experiences constant changes as death approaches to naturally take its course. She repeatedly mentions how prepared she’s been throughout her life for her final days, but this conflicts with her fearful thoughts once the time has certainly come. Granny thinks about both old memories and people that have made an impact in her life. She tries to keep a strong face on to avoid being seen as “weak”, but the affect death has on an individual does not allow her to and forces Granny Weatherall to face reality.

[Emily Morrow]

Katherine Anne Porter embeds symbolism into Granny Weatherall's stream of consciousness that adds complexity to Granny Weatherall's experience of illness and dealing of death. In Granny Weatherall's first stream of consciousness, she experiences a figurative fogging of her mind that displays itself in her brain as a storm that she is protecting children from. Granny Weatherall tells the imaginary children, "Don't let good things rot for want of using. You waste life when you waste good food. Don't let things get lost. It's bitter to lose things." It is clear here that she is talking from personal experience and has regrets to this day as she is laying on her death bed. It's important to note that here, she is focused on her regret and not her death. Porter continues to add hamartia, one example being when she writes, "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 when she had just got rid of Doctor harry and was trying to rest a minute." The final part of her character development in regards to her views on death is when Porter writes, "The blue light from Cornelia's lampshade drew into a tiny point in the center of her brain, it flickered and winked like an eye, quietly it fluttered and dwindled, Granny lay curled down within herself; her body was now only a deeper mass of shadow in an endless darkness and this darkness would curl around the light and swallow it up." Here, you can see that Granny Weatherall has all of her attention invested in her death and it feels very suffocating and isn't focused on her past regrets. Her attitudes toward her hamartia and attitude toward death at the beginning of the story and at the end are very contradictory. That is, at the beginning, she was very regretful but not focused on death, and at the end, she wasn't regretful but death was suffocating. Granny Weatherall's tumultuous journey on what she is focused on during this time shows how complex and emotional death can be, and it shows the reader how human (as many people have mentioned) she is.

[Ria Sehgal]

Granny Weatherall's character is comprised of her rude character towards her daughter and the doctor. This part of her character could be due to the fact that she is dying and is regretting things in her past. Usually, when someone is holding in regrets, they tend to behave rudely towards those around them. This regret building up inside of Granny Weatherall is the reason why she lashes out at her daughter Cornelia and the doctor. In addition, Granny Weatherall's character is that her behavior and character stems from her ex-fiance George. Her fiance leaving her in the past still haunts her and that caused her to change as a person and established her rude character. Also, Granny Weatherall proclaims that she is ready to die and has been ready for the past 20 years, but when her death comes nearer, she starts to get anxious and feels as though she is not ready to die just yet. She starts to go into denial and convinces herself that she is not going to die. She starts thinking of tasks that she has to do tomorrow, like hiding letters and picking fruits off trees. By thinking of these tasks she still has yet to do, Granny Weatherall convinces herself that she is not going to die even though she claims she is ready to die.