Thursday, March 3, 2016

What does the blue light represent?"The Gilting of Granny Weatherall"

Traditionally, blue is the color of stability, calm, and
order; however, it also respresents other feelings such as depression.  As the color of
the sky, blue has an expansiveness to it, too.  In Katerine Anne Porter's short story,
"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, blue is prevalent througout the narrative,
representing the various stages of Granny's life.  In the beginning of the story, Granny
reflects that it is good to have everything in order, "clean and folded away."  The
white linen is folded the shite stone-china jaras with "blue whirligigs" are laid out in
rows.  She also recalls having lighted the lamps when young and her children came into
the house, providing them security in the evening, 


readability="7">

Their eyes followed the match and watched the
flame rise and settle in a blue curve, then they moved away from it....they didn't have
to be scared and hang on to mother any
more.



Then as Granny reflects
upon her jilting by John,


readability="5">

streamers of blue-gray light like tissue paper
[move] over her eyes.



These
streamers of light make Granny worry that she will have nightmares, remembering times
that have troubled her. This faded blue represents Granny's troubles, her "blues." 
Later after the priest visits to admnister the Last Rites, Granny eyes begin to fade. 
She opens them widely and sees a picture of John on a black dresser.  Enlarged from a
small picture, John 's eyes appear to be very black, but Granny knows they should have
been blue.  The "light was blue" from Corneli'a silk
lampshades:



No
sort of light at all, just flippery.  You had to live forty years with kerosene lamps to
appreciate honest
electricity.



Here blue
represents the new world that has left Granny behind.  Finally, this blue light
draws"into a tiny point in the center of her brain, symbolizing the life of Granny that
also has dwindled and become worthless.


readability="8">

The blue light from Cornelia's lampshade drew
into a tiny point in the center of her brain, it flickered and winked like an eye,
quietly it flutterd and
died.



Granny
pictures herself blowing out the candles and the light in her mind faded
out.

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