Katherine Anne Porter The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

What a writer needs according to Porter… “first a theme, and then a point of view, a certain knowledge of human nature and strong feeling about it, and style---that is to say, his own special way of telling a thing that makes it precisely his own and no one else’s.”

Born in Indian Creek, Texas Poor Became a journalist and lived in Mexico Felt her education was useless and really only learned from 5 writers: –Henry James, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound

Common themes of her work include –The sense of uncertainty and disjointedness that results from changes in society Her works include –Flowering Judas (1930) –Pale Horse, Pale Rider (1939) –Collected Stories (1965)---won Pulitzer and National Book Award

Stream of Consciousness and Flashback Stream of Consciousness--- natural flow of characters thoughts –Often accomplished through flashback Flashback--- interruptions in a narrative to focus on events from the past

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Vocabulary –Piety---devotion to religious duties –Frippery---showy display of elegance –Dyspepsia---indigestion What do you think jilted means? –To deceive or drop someone suddenly, callously, or without notice

Journal Imagine you are 80 years old. What is your life like? Describe a day in your life…where do you live? Do people visit you? How do you feel? Do you think back on your life? Etc… Develop yourself as an 80 year old person