The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Analytical Essay
“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” 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 character’s 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