1. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
Southern Fried Fiction

2. Essential Questions
What was life like for American middle- to upper-class women in the mid- to late-nineteenth century and early twentieth century?
How did factors such as race, class, nationality/immigration status, and marital status effect a woman's place and role(s) at the turn-of-the-century (1890s-1910s)?
How do the authors characterize and explain resistance to changing roles for women?
How do the authors use setting, narrative style, symbol, and characterization to create a portrait of the society?

3. Katherine Anne Porter
Born in Indian Creek, Texas in 1890 and died in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1980.
Mother died when she was two and was raised by her father and her grandmother
4 Husbands (divorced from all); married for the first time at 16 and spent the last 40 (of her 90 years) unmarried
Briefly worked as an extra in movies and as an actress and singer after her first marriage from her extremely abusive husband ended.
In 1915, when she was diagnosed with TB, which later turned out to be bronchitis, she decided to be a writer
Between 1920 and 1930, she travelled between New York City and Mexico, writing short stories and essays
Plagued by miscarriages, a still birth and an abortion after contracting gonorrea from her second husband, Porter never had children. As she once confided to a friend, "I have lost children in all the ways one can.”
During the 1930’s she lived in Europe, married first to a man 12 years younger than her, and then to another who was 20 years younger, who supposedly divorced her in 1942, after four years, when he learned her real age.
During the 1940’s and 1950’s, Porter worked as a college professor, as a writer-in-residence
In 1966 she was awared the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award

4. Quick Write: Making a Connection
How would you feel if you were left on your wedding day?
What might be especially painful about losing a loved one in the way?

5. The Use of Flashback and Present Moments
The letters from George and John.
Granny’s first lover, George jilts her at the alter sixty years ago.
Granny received satisfaction in the raising of her children.
Doctor Harry visits Granny.
Granny blows out the eerie light.
Granny has made plans to leave certain possessions to her children.
Her dead child Hapsey’s ghostly form appears near her bed.
The priest, Father Connolly visits Granny.
Granny raises her children alone.
Granny marries John, who dies young.
Doctor Harry visits Granny when she delivers her first child.
Granny has milk-leg, and double pneumonia.
Granny’s child Hapsey dies.
When Granny was sixty, she made her will and cane down with a fever.
Put the above events in order of occurrence in her life

6. Group Discussion Questions
4 Groups
Open the Group Discussion Questions from the website
Develop your responses to present to your peers

7. Literary Log
For the next four short stories, you will fill in a literary log for each.
Table for setting, narrative style, symbol, and characterization and Essential Question
SOAPS and DIDLS
You will want to create this in google docs and share with me (not the group)

8. Reading the Story
Stream-of-Consciousness Technique to tell the story. As we enter the mind of Granny Weatherall, we are able to examine:
1. What is the meaning and purpose of life?
2. How do people cope with adversity and bitter disappointment in life?
3. How do people survive from and adjust to painful life experiences?
4. How do people’s experiences in life change their character and personality?
5. What are the qualities that constitute mental and emotional health?
6. What are the qualities that Grannie possessed which helped her to live successfully?
7. Does Grannie have any weaknesses? If so, what are they?
8. What intelligent advice and wisdom did Granny give her family?
Peer Group Discussion-Post Responses in the Southern Fried Fiction Group Post

9. Personality Profile
Using the clues from the story, you will write a comprehensive personality profile (use the questions from the website)
words