The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall: What Does The Title Mean?

Granny's internal dialogue contrasted against the landscape of the Hospice conditions of Cornelia's home is the framework that the author uses to separate Granny Weatherall from her family, friends, and activities and ultimately from humanity. The author rarely calls her by her first name, Ellen, instead using the term "Granny" symbolizing that somehow Ellen has been put away thereby avoiding being hurt again, a sort of psychological geographic where she does not run away physically, but rather psychologically into her mind, "where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows" (145). Huddled amongst her memories is the last stronghold for Ellen Weatherall where she stays tucked away with "the sheet up to her chin" (142) not wanting "to let them know how silly she had been once" (143). The meaning behind the title "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is that humanity has failed her. In the story narrative she tells of the agony of being left standing at the altar by a man named George and the deep scar he left on her. While Ellen lay dying she-like the foolish virgins in the Biblical parable-Is left standing at the door waiting for the bridegroom to come, this time though it is a result of her actions, not God's.