What does the name Weatherall have to do with Granny's nature (or her life story)? What other traits or qualities do you find in her?

Granny’s last name, Weatherall, suggests that she is resilient and able to overcome obstacles and hardships in her life. She has the ability to weather whatever comes her way.  For example, when her husband, John, dies young, Granny must raise the children on her own. However, the one incident in her life that still haunts her is when she is left at the altar by her first love, George.  Although Granny went on to marry...

Granny’s last name, Weatherall, suggests that she is resilient and able to overcome obstacles and hardships in her life. She has the ability to weather whatever comes her way.  For example, when her husband, John, dies young, Granny must raise the children on her own. However, the one incident in her life that still haunts her is when she is left at the altar by her first love, George.  Although Granny went on to marry and have children, she hasn’t been able to totally get over the embarrassment of being jilted. In her dying moments, she even rejects the priest giving her last rites because it reminds her of being left alone with the priest at the altar.  The inability to forgive George causes her to be jilted once again, but this time by God at the end of her life.  She asks God to give her a sign that she will be saved, and God doesn’t give her that sign.  She dies remembering only the extreme grief she had because she could not forgive George for an incident that happened 60 years ago.  In essence, Granny weathered all the grief and sorrow the jilting caused her throughout her life and never let go of it.  This grief left her paralyzed, a theme shown in the story through the setting in the tight confines of Granny’s bedroom. She is no longer able to act or express herself well in the final throes of death even though she wants to put her affairs in order before she dies.  It’s too late, however, for Granny has wasted a lot of time drowning in the memories of what could have been.

Other characteristics that describe Granny are that she is ornery, feisty, and bossy.  She harasses the doctor and her daughter, Cornelia, for doting over her too much.  She “plagues” Cornelia and plays with her emotions and feelings.  She is also angry and seems to take it out on Cornelia the most. Cornelia is George’s daughter; and therefore, Granny blames Cornelia for some of her misery. Granny does show strength when she tries to talk herself into getting over George.  She says, “Plenty of girls get jilted.  You were jilted, weren’t you?  Then stand up for it.”  Even though in her mind she wants to get over George, Granny never does.  At the end of the story and with her last breath, she refuses to forgive George, and it is her downfall.