A Revelation of Granny’s Story

One of the greatest American short stories ever written is “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”, written by Katie Porter in the year 1930.   An interesting critic claims to reveal the flatness of Porter’s story.   He states that “the story is not interesting enough and that the story does not have any plot because nothing really happens.”   Unfortunately, the critic fails to realize the true essence of the story where illusion and reality in Granny’s mind play a major part in the story.   Contrary to the critic’s arguments, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” has a profound plot and theme where Granny’s internal conflict touches every reader’s emotions.   In addition, the story presents the importance of revelation and acceptance of weaknesses in finding our inner bliss.



Contrary to what the critic claims, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” has a well organized plot about a jilted woman’s experiences and emotions.   The author presented the story from a different style: stream of consciousness (Bowsher).   The sequence of the story is based on Granny’s emotion and recollection of her past life “when she thought of all the food, clothes and garden she made –well the children showed it” (Porter, 1032).   Furthermore, this style of the presentation lets the reader understand Granny’s situation better.   The critic thinks that the story was just about a woman on her deathbed.   But “for sixty years she had prayed against remembering George and against losing her soul in deep pit of hell” (Porter, 1033). This statement proves that the plot did not happen in Granny’s bedroom alone.   She is not merely remembering her heartaches because she has been feeling the agony all throughout her life, for sixty years!     Her emotions are magnified so the sequence of the story, although not in chronological order, creates more emotional sense (Demouy).   “Digging potholes changed a woman” (Porter, 1032) corresponds to Granny’s bizarre experiences that she claims, made her strong....