Sure, there are some perks of old age, like getting a senior-citizen discount at the movies and having people give up their seats for you on the bus. There are also a lot of not-so-rosy aspects of aging, too, and we get front row seats to see them in "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall." For Granny, it's bad enough that she's ailing and stuck in bed. On top of that, she's got to deal with other characters' assumptions that being "old" has also made her completely batty and useless. In this way, Granny struggles a lot with being labeled old, and that struggle with labels and certain judgments they can bring is something many of us can relate to whether we're eighteen or eighty.
Questions About Old Age
- How does the story confirm or challenge our expectations about old age?
- What are the most significant problems of old age that Granny experiences? Are there any benefits to aging in the story?
- How does Granny's age affect the way other character's react to her? Do they judge her as unfairly as she assumes they do?
Chew on This
Golden years, indeed: the story shows that old age is a pretty awesome time of life.
Ugh, Granny's experience suggests that old age is the worst.