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In the short story The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter introduces an amazing character. As her name suggests, Granny Weatherall has gone through it all during her eighty years. Over the course of her lifetime she has become the person she is on her deathbed. Granny was not born with her character, but developed it through her relationships. Over a lifetime a person builds character and becomes recognized by it. This is the case of the main character of the book, the character that has unmeasurable amounts of strength.
Whether it is physical or mental strength, Granny has it and uses it. She recalls her days of digging fence postholes on her own. She delivered babies in the middle of winter and spent nights nursing the sick. She could tend and care for whatever or whoever needed it. These events have shaped the character of Granny who does not understand why would she need someone to care for her. As her mind slips back into the present, she sees how everyone is trying to take care of her.
She resents her childrens belief that she could not tend to herself. It was not that Granny did not appreciate the help. After eighty years, she simply saw little need of it. A major event in Grannys life began the development of her strength and independence. As the stream of consciousness occurs again, Granny reveals how much of her strength came to be. At the age of twenty, Granny was jilted at the alter.
George, the man she had written so many letters to and adored, had decided he would be better to go through life without her. Instead of being devastated, Granny realized that she must make the best of it. She found strength and was determined to carry on with her life. She was young and knew that her fiances choice could not ruin her life. To her advantage, John, a guest at the wedding, took her and made her his wife. In a matter of weeks, she went from one of the most devastating events in her life to pure happiness.
The jilting built a strength she would carry with her for life. John had told her that her fiance was no good that she needed to believe in him. To believe that John was not just trying to take advantage of her took a great deal of trust. The fact that things worked out between the two of them was a great accomplishment for Granny. She had great confidence in herself, and proved that things would be okay.
From that point on Granny felt that she could do anything. She kept that strength with her wherever she went, and she would be taking it to the grave with her. At eighty she still had the courage of the twenty year old she once was. As time grew short, she was slowly losing her ability to do everything on her own, but she was determined. In her mind there was no reason for her to ever be taken care of, she could overcome anything.
While there were many enjoyable things that went on in her family, there were also hardships. Throughout her marriage and to her dying day, she had always had a desire to avoid the lover that had abandoned her. In the end, however, she wishes George could see how far she had come. She wanted to show him how great a family she raised and how good a house she had maintained. Being physically weak was not stopping her from proving herself and flaunting the great life she lived. Granny also had the unfortunate loss of a child during the course of her life.
Hapsy, her daughter, was her pride and joy. Unfortunately, Hapsy died young, and her memory is all that remains. However, while Granny missed Hapsy terribly, she carried on and raised her family. Throughout her life it seemed as if people were always taking away something she loved. In every circumstance she kept the memories she enjoyed and carried on with life.
Eventually Granny was unable to hold out any longer, and began the passing to her new world. It was a world where she could be with John, see Hapsy, and show old George exactly what she had made for herself. Even in her final seconds, Granny was certain that someone was again trying to take something away from her. The sign that she had expected before she passed was not seen. Perhaps God did not want her.
Worse yet, maybe God did not exist. In her final moments, Granny related this lack of a sign to her abandonment on wedding day. Finally she was all done up and ready to go, but again the ride was missing. Granny simply did not realize that the sign she had expected might have been given to her before. Every time something has been taken from her, she has kept it together and everything has worked out. This would probably work out too.
In the course of her eighty years, life has thrown its curve balls at Granny Weatherall. In each case, she has kept her head on straight and gotten by. Her strength has made her believe that there is nothing she cannot overcome. These times have made Granny her own woman with one-of-a-kind character. She is confident, spunky, and completely sure that she can steer her ship through the roughest of seas.
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Research essay sample on Granny Weatherall Eighty Years
