“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” is a story about an octogenarian lady named Granny Weatherall. The woman suffers from a fatal disease and the whole narrative describes the process of her dying. The author of the story, Katherine Anne Porter, covers the topics of the strength of women, the dichotomy between young and old ages, and between religion and humanity. The current paper discusses the last-mentioned theme.
Porter addresses the conflict that Granny has with religion through the links between George, a man who did not come to the wedding with Granny, and God. The most evident reference to the issue of spirituality is Grannys plea to God to send her a sign that she is loved and welcomed. However, the phrase “Again no bridegroom” means that there is no divine sign that the entreaty was heard (Porter 89). In this case, God is contrasted to Grannys daughter and the doctor who stay near the old lady and assist her.
From the mentioned above it could also be inferred that George, who jilted Granny and did not come when she needed him, is alike God, who did not react to Grannys prayers in a difficult time. This way, it is interesting to notice that Granny calls George “a smoky cloud from hell” (Porter 84). If the author links God to George and labels him as a devil, then God, in Porters words, is equal to something as fearful and loathsome as hell. Therefore, Porter shows that religion is not as important as personal qualities and God is not always with us when he is needed.
To sum up, in the story, Porter illustrates that religion loses to humanity. While dying, not a religion and the concept of life after life appease Granny. Instead, she enjoys the stories of a down-to-earth priest, a normal man who seems not to be obsessed with religion, and the memories about her husband and children. Undoubtedly, Porters attitude to religion is arguable, however, she is persuasive in showing that human beings might provide the required support and comfort to each other more efficiently than a mere belief in God.
Work Cited
Porter, Katherine Anne. The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter. First Harvest, 1979.