Webster's dictionary described the word 'jilt' as the act of breaking with a lover who does not
want to end the relation ship in a callously light-headed way. Jilting took ona double meaning in
'The Jilting of Granny Weatherall' by Katherine Anne Porter with Granny's strength and
weaknesses revealed by her reactions to her being left at the altar and her slow death sixty
years later.
The most obvious conflict of 'The Jilting of Granny Weatherall' was Granny struggling with
death. She came off strong stating, 'Get along and doctor your sick, leave a well woman alone,'
and saying when she was sixty years old she had felt old and was preparing to die after writing
her will. After getting over a long fever some twenty years earlier, Gran ny had once and for all
gotten over the idea of dieing. Although trying to appear strong during her struggle with death
and commenting she couldn't be worried now, she had ongoing illusions of her dead daughter
Hapsy and Hapsy's baby.
Granny 2011
Porter in 1930This showed she didn't want to die and wished she could go back to
see her children young again and to possibly save Hapsy or at least say goo dbye.
Granny being left at the altar was the underlying conflict of the story and was actually more of
what the story was about. Granny had internal conflicts about her being jilted and was angry at
George, a lover from her past. Granny said she would like to find him and tell George she forgot
him, but because he was mentioned so much she obviously had not forgotte n. She wanted
George to know she had her husband, John, and fine children, but something was missing.
Granny had a life of hard work after the death of...