What Is the Narrative Argument of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"?

"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is a short story written by Katherine Anne Porter and published in 1930. The story is about Granny Weatherall, an elderly, disoriented woman who doesn't realize that she's lying on her deathbed. Thoughts race through her mind as she considers troublesome incidents from her past. She feels irritated with her daughter Cornelia, her priest and her doctor who frequently visit her bedside. The narrative argument is about denial and the inability to reconcile your past.

Porter's story is a narrative argument about the dangers of holding on to grudges and denying truths about your past. Granny's last few hours before death aren't filled with loving memories or a sense of personal satisfaction. She still feels hurt and anger about her fiance George not showing up for their wedding and about her daughter Hapsy not coming to visit her. Readers are led to believe that Hapsy died in childbirth, but Granny doesn't remember that clearly. The narrative argument points to the tragedy of living in denial and refusing to deal with painful experiences. Granny responds with semi-paranoid thoughts and is unable to experience peace, joy and comfort, feeling as if she's been jilted her whole life.