Character Study of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter

Introduction: Hell Hath No Fury

It is said that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Granny Weatherall, of Katherine Anne Porter's 1930 short story "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall", is a woman on the brink — not of hell, but of eternity. Yet the scorching memory of being jilted and scorned still rankles her proud, frugal, perfectionist, and controlling character, despite her life's many accomplishments. The story is largely an extended stream-of-consciousness narrative that depicts the various thoughts and perceptions flickering through the dying main character's mind, in a way that gives insight into the woman's character and her development from young girl, to wife, to old and respected matron.

Pride, Fortitude, and the Weight of a Long Life

Although Granny Weatherall is not long for the world, she still emerges as a proud, determined character who has indeed weathered all over the course of her long life. This pride has created a sense of fortitude and strength within Granny's mind and heart. It also means that, despite the many accomplishments of her existence, she cannot forget being jilted by her first prospective husband. Granny cannot forgive all, even though she can indeed weather all sicknesses, climates, and most personal obstacles.

Frugality, Independence, and the Need to Control

Granny Weatherall's character becomes evident in the first line she speaks. "Get along now. Take your schoolbooks and go. There's nothing wrong with me." She snaps at the attending, ultimately ineffectual Doctor Harry, as well as her daughter Cornelia. Granny uses her eighty years as a defense for her caustic tone — she should know when she needs a doctor, she implies, because she has suffered more in her life than both of these individuals' existences combined. Granny's characteristic frugality and independence are reinforced when she adds, "I pay my own bills, and I don't throw my money away on nonsense!"

However, given that both the doctor and her daughter Cornelia do not react in surprise to her attitude, the reader understands that this is simply Granny's forthright manner — she is not being truly rude, just her usual self. Viewing Granny's leaving of the world, as opposed to her merely living in it, gives a strange and refreshing perspective on her character, because the reader is able to glean the entirety of Granny's life narrative from inside her mind and to see how most of her surviving relations view her. The reader is additionally able to gain a sense of the character moving toward another existence, beyond ordinary "character," as the main character mentally prepares for her death. Granny thinks of her life, snaps at Cornelia, and then feels how "the pillow rose and floated under her, pleasant as a hammock in a light wind. She listened to the leaves rustling outside the window." For the first time in a long time, Granny, like many a hard-working dying person, can lay back and reflect upon the nature and meaning of life — a luxury she did not have while she was simply trying to survive.

"She was never like this, never like this!" says Cornelia, referring to Granny's health. Cornelia's remarks also reinforce that Granny has had precious little time to lie in bed before now, simply to be — until now, as she prepares for her life's end. When Granny, in the wanderings of her mind, thinks she is still a young wife and mother, the hard work she is accustomed to doing on a daily basis comes through even in rest: "there was always so much to be done, let me see: tomorrow," thinks Granny. Even now she takes pride in the neatness of her home as she lies there, though she worries about lost love letters stashed away — fearing they will be seen as silly when people go through her personal possessions after she is gone.

Conclusion: A Life Well Weathered, One Wound Unhealed

Of her life, Granny states, "It had been a hard pull, but not too much for her." This could serve as the epitaph for Granny's life. Granny nursed the sick, gave birth to children, and dug up fence posts. She picked her own fruit and cooked for her family so that, true to her frugality, nothing was wasted. Her wounded vanity, however, prevents her from seeing her life as a stream of unbroken perfection. Always, in Granny's mind, there is something else to be done, another heart and life to be dominated and won. She won most hearts and most struggles — with two exceptions: her battle to win her first suitor's heart, and her final battle with death.

Understanding the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique Porter employs is essential to appreciating how fully Granny's character is revealed. Through the fragmented, associative flow of a dying woman's thoughts, Porter gives readers access to a complete human life — its hard-won dignity, its unresolved grief, and its final, uncontrolled departure. Granny Weatherall weathers nearly everything; it is the things she cannot control that define her most.

Works Cited

Porter, Katherine Anne. "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall." Katherine Anne Porter, 1930.