Monday, February 9, 2015

In "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," how has Granny Weatherall lived to overcome the jilt?

Your question is interesting because it seems to imply
that Granny Weatherall has actually managed to process and deal with her feelings of
hurt and rejection about being jilted in her youth. Actually, I believe a careful
analysis of the story indicates that she has in no way dealth with her pain and emotions
at being jilted, as her focus on this incident in her last hours indicates. One part of
the text that clearly points towards this conclusion is when she decides she wants to
see the man that jilted her again. Note what Granny Weatherall thinks to
herself:



Yes,
she had changed her mind after sixty years and she would like to see George. I want you
to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had
my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman. A good house
too and a good husband that I loved and fine children out of him. Better than I hoped
for even. Tell him I was given back everything he took away and
more.



Clearly this quote
shows she has not really forgotten George and what he did to her. Why would she feel the
need to send him a message if this were so? The above quote suggests that Granny feels
the need to get back at George for what he did to her, but it is obvious that Granny
feels that there was something missing in her life. Therfore, I don't think this
excellent story suggests that Granny Weatherall has overcome the pain of being jilted.
It is still very much with her, and she bears it up to her
death.

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