复旦大学：《英美短篇小说 British and American Short Stories》教学课件（PPT）Katherine Ann Porter, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Bingo ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● The author Born in Texas in 1890 years active: 1920-1977 American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, political activist Penetrating insight; works dealing with dark themes such as betrayal, death, and the origin of human evil; drawing on her own life, creating rich blends of reality and imagination I shall try to tell the truth, but the result will be fiction

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ The author ⚫ Born in Texas in 1890; years active: 1920-1977 ⚫ American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, political activist ⚫ Penetrating insight; works dealing with dark themes such as betrayal, death, and the origin of human evil; drawing on her own life, creating rich blends of reality and imagination ⚫ “I shall try to tell the truth, but the result will be fiction

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● o Background e Porters grandmother, catherine anne porter, a strong, matriarchal woman, was the greatest influence on Porter's childhood. from her porter received " a sense of a womans being independent, and totally in control of her world Her reliance on her grandmother is apparent in that later in her life she changed her given name of callie Russell to Katherine anne porter. her grandmother's name with a modification of one letter

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Background ⚫ Porter’s grandmother, Catherine Anne Porter, a strong, matriarchal woman, was the greatest influence on Porter’s childhood. From her, Porter received “a sense of a woman’s being independent, and totally in control of her world.” Her reliance on her grandmother is apparent in that later in her life she changed her given name of Callie Russell to Katherine Anne Porter, her grandmother’s name with a modification of one letter

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● The title In the title, jilting can refer not only to the jilting of Granny by George but also to Granny's belief that God has jilted her. The name Weatherall suggests that granny believes she has weathered_all the adversities of life

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ The title ⚫ In the title, jilting can refer not only to the jilting of Granny by George but also to Granny’s belief that God has jilted her. The name Weatherall suggests that Granny believes she has weathered all the adversities of life

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Type of work o Short story told partly with a narrative technique known as“ stream of consciousness”, a term coined by American psychologist William James (1842-1910). With this technique, an author portrays a character's continuing"stream"of thoughts as they occur, regardless of whether they make sense or whether the next thought in a sequence relates to the previous thought

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Type of work ⚫ Short story told partly with a narrative technique known as “stream of consciousness”, a term coined by American psychologist William James (1842-1910). With this technique, an author portrays a character’s continuing “stream” of thoughts as they occur, regardless of whether they make sense or whether the next thought in a sequence relates to the previous thought

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Narration o Told in third- person point of view by a narrator who frequently reveals the thoughts of Granny Weatherall in language that Granny would use if she were speaking. Because Granny is disoriented, these thoughts focus on present perceptions one moment and on old memories the next. Her perceptions and recollections favor er positive view of herself

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Narration ⚫ Told in third-person point of view by a narrator who frequently reveals the thoughts of Granny Weatherall in language that Granny would use if she were speaking. Because Granny is disoriented, these thoughts focus on present perceptions one moment and on old memories the next. Her perceptions and recollections favor her positive view of herself

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Setting o The action takes place in a bedroom in the home of granny Weatherall's daughter Cornelia. Granny, about eighty, is lying face up in the bed. She is dying of an undisclosed illness. The time is probably the late 1920s. FlashbackS, however, date as far back as the late 1860s, when Granny's fiance abandoned her on the day they were to be married

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Setting ⚫ The action takes place in a bedroom in the home of Granny Weatherall’s daughter Cornelia. Granny, about eighty, is lying face up in the bed. She is dying of an undisclosed illness. The time is probably the late 1920s. Flashbacks, however, date as far back as the late 1860s, when Granny's fiancé abandoned her on the day they were to be married

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Major characters Ellen Weatherall: Feisty woman of about eighty who ruminates about events in her life as she lies dying in the home of her daughter cornelia because of her illness she is lucid one moment and disoriented the next, a painful memory, one she had repressed for sixty years surfaces and haunts her at the hour of her death It is the George, isted her. After she later married a man nameo o memory of the day--sixty years before--when her fiand John, she gave birth to four children. John died young but Granny carried on, rearing the children, working her farmland and orchard and caring for animals

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Major characters ⚫ Ellen Weatherall: Feisty woman of about eighty who ruminates about events in her life as she lies dying in the home of her daughter Cornelia. Because of her illness, she is lucid one moment and disoriented the next. A painful memory, one she had repressed for sixty years, surfaces and haunts her at the hour of her death. It is the memory of the day—sixty years before—when her fiancé, George, jilted her. After she later married a man named John, she gave birth to four children. John died young but Granny carried on, rearing the children, working her farmland and orchard, and caring for animals

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :88. ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Major characters Cornelia: Daughter of Granny. While her mother is on her deathbed Cornelia takes care of her George: Man who abandoned Granny on the day he was to marry her o John Deceased husband of Granny

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Major characters ⚫ Cornelia: Daughter of Granny. While her mother is on her deathbed, Cornelia takes care of her. ⚫ George: Man who abandoned Granny on the day he was to marry her. ⚫ John: Deceased husband of Granny

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall ●●●●● ●●●● ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ●CmaX o The climax occurs when Granny cannot perceive the presence of god as she lapses toward death Granny believes God is jilting"her e Georges abandonment of her Sins that she believes have jeopardized her salvation lIIness o Experiencing a normal fear of death and the inability of humans to grasp fully the concept of God

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Climax ⚫ The climax occurs when Granny cannot perceive the presence of God as she lapses toward death. ⚫ Granny believes God is "jilting" her: ⚫ George's abandonment of her ⚫ Sins that she believes have jeopardized her salvation ⚫ Illness ⚫ Experiencing a normal fear of death and the inability of humans to grasp fully the concept of God

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. ●●0 Katherine Anne Porter ●●● ●●●● ● Themes o The Usefulness of denial Responding to Loss With Perseverance Repression Following in Christ's Footsteps o The sanctity of the human heart and the existential loneliness of the human condition

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Katherine Anne Porter ⚫ Themes ⚫ The Usefulness of Denial ⚫ Responding to Loss With Perseverance ⚫ Repression ⚫ Following in Christ's Footsteps ⚫ The sanctity of the human heart and the existential loneliness of the human condition