Granny in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Regarding different characters from numerous literary writings, it is important to highlight the possible differences between them. Some can be flat and primitive; the other can be round and complex. Paying attention to those, which are round and resemble real persons, it is necessary to mark out Katherine Ann Porter’s strong, smart and self-confident Granny Weatherall from The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. This character is well-developed, serious and deep enough to become the subject for the further analysis.

Some sources state that Katherine Ann Porter’s grandmother was a prototype for this character, and such traits as self-confidence, strong character were borrowed from her. The reader gets to know about the character of the main heroine from her reminiscences, her attitude towards people and her behavior. Therefore, she can be regarded as a dynamic character, whose personality is revealed through showing her views on the situations described in the story. Firstly, it is important to emphasize such traits as proudness and high self-esteem. Though the writer tells from the very beginning of the story that Granny Weatherall is an eighty-year-old ill woman, she does not want any aid from the doctor, she either does not want to be humored by her daughter and calls herself a “well woman” (Porter). To some extent she can even be called a contemptuous person, who thinks that she knows everything better and is superior to everyone around. However, the formation of Granny’s character was predetermined by numerous obstacles in her life, which she has overwhelmed. For instance, she has become a lonely mother after the death of her husband John. Consequently, she has brought up good children and learned to run a household on her own. She had to do not only the female tasks, such as cooking, looking after kids, gardening, making clothes, but also the male ones: paying bills, fencing the land, digging post holes (Porter). All these factors have hardened her character and made her self-confident and strong. As her daughter Cornelia tended to bring something to her or to look after her, granny stated that she needed nothing and would call her if she wanted something (Porter). She also does not appreciate the kindness and tactfulness of her daughter and would like to spank her for that (Porter). Obviously, the experience of Granny has taught her that people in their lives can rely only on themselves, and the inclemency is more likely to bring a positive result than hope and mildness. The last name of the heroine appears to be symbolic. It shows that the heroine has weathered all the difficulties and never gave up. The only weakness of the woman is the past story of how she has been jilted by some George, who had left her at the altar. Granny is afraid that her children can get to know that someone could have offended her. However, it can be regarded as the first stone for the groundwork of her strong character. Even in the end of her life, the reminiscences about that incident and sufferings made her feel silly; and the only thing that she would like to say to that man was that she “was given back everything he took away and more” (Porter). In addition to the above mentioned traits of chatcter, Granny Weatherall is a smart, funny woman, who was telling sharp and cruel jokes several minutes before the death. She had a hard life and was taught that she was the one, who was responsible for everything. Although she was deathly ill, she did not stop trusting that it was not her time yet, and finally died with that belief.

To sum it up, Porter has depicted a very strong personality of a woman, who has been tempered all her lifespan since the moment, when a man left her at the altar. Consequently, Granny Weaherall has become a strong, confident and smart woman, who believed that one should rely only on himself and do everything by himself. Being self-sufficient and sharp, her behavior was often cruel and unkind. Nevertheless, she could really be proud of herself: she has lived a decent life and brought up good children, who loved and respected her. This fact is the proof that under the cruelty and self-confidence, there was the loving heart of a mother, who has put all the efforts to show her children the example of how to become successful and self-sufficient person.