Topic > Analysis of The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter

There is speculation in this world as to whether many individuals are at peace or in pain when they take their last breath of life. Some may think it's finally time to leave this earth, while others beg for another option to stay. The case of the protagonist, Granny Weatherall, is still clinging to feelings that she assumes are from the past and have already been erased from her memory. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIn the short story "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" by Katherine Anne Porter, Granny Weatherall's sign to convey is to admit that she still loves her ex-boyfriend George. These key indicators include keeping George's love letters, longing for his deceased daughter Hapsy, and telling Cornelia to give him a message. In terms of expressing tenderness towards a significant other, many people choose to use the traditional pen and paper method to get the job done. The protagonist keeps letters from George and her late husband John tied together in a box in her attic, repeatedly telling herself that she will have to read them tomorrow. He states that “tomorrow was far away and there was nothing to worry about,” knowing that he would still have the chance to read them. The term "tomorrow" can be interpreted as a symbol of not wanting to openly reveal the feelings she still has for George and wanting to keep them for a later period. Even though she admits that she is happily married to her late husband, a part of her still wants to hold on to the feeling of George expressing those heartfelt words. She fears that her letters will be read by her children when she dies, revealing that "...how foolish she had once been." For many, it's not easy to show a vulnerable side to your loved ones, especially if it's someone from your past. The sacred life that Grandma Weatherall and George have is something she feels her children will never understand. Grandma Weatherall's love for her ex-boyfriend is so strong that even though her late husband remains the love of her life, she still wants to keep George's letters that were sent to her. She doesn't have to do it, but it's the feeling of not letting go of something she really wants. Grandma Weatherall tells her daughter Cornelia that she wants "many things", inferring that George is something she still secretly begs for. Even though it takes until the end of the story for her to admit what she truly feels, the audience can conclude that the feelings have never left her. You could say that the bond between mother and child is something that no one can take away from them. An illusion of Hapsy invades her mind as her late husband's daughter, Cornelia, tries to talk to her mother. He thinks to himself as if Cornelia didn't exist: "When she was born this should have been the last... She should have been born first, because it was the one she had really wanted." This raises assumptions in the audience about the character just introduced into the story. It is evident that Cornelia has never been in her mother's good graces in her entire life. Secondly, Grandma Weatherall longs for the daughter she wants at her bedside, knowing that she is actually George's daughter too. He imagines Hapsy in his arms as if she were the firstborn, but the image quickly becomes blurry and “a gauzy shadow.” Hapsy's shadow can be interpreted as the absence of George's loss in the process, as if Granny Weatherall has been abandoned again. Plus, he feels like George is the reason Hapsy didn't make it. She reminds herself that she is blessed with everything he has taken from her when he has it.