Miss Emily of “A Rose for Emily” and Granny Weatherall of “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” are two strong southern ladies who have suffered and weathered (hence the name “Granny Weatherall”,) difficult pasts, and even harder times in the love department. Each lady handles her problems in her own way, but a thwarted past in love is not easy no matter who are, or how you may handle it. Miss Emily, a gracious lady of the south, hand been cheated by love in the beginning by the death of her father, which caused her grief, and even physical and mental sickness.
Granny Weatherall, also having been cheated by love, was literally left at the altar, run over by the love train. Unlike Miss Emily, Granny Weatherall was more strong-minded about the truancy of love in her life. While Miss Emily was not capable to handle being offset by love, Granny Weatherall took a breath, pulled her life together, stayed strong, and trudged on. Eventually, both ladies did more on and find love again, even if under different circumstances.
Miss Emily met a nice southern gentleman caller after her father’s death, and fell in love. Though the gentleman eemed low-profile, anyone who reads can still tell she cared a great deal for him, and went to great lengths to almost spoil him. Granny Weatherall did in fact fall in love and marry despite her feeling of loss and emptiness at the thought of her loss some sixty years prior. Granny Weatherall had many children, even lost one, and did all she could to be strong and raise them well.
Some time later, Miss Emily’s lover passed away in her own home and bed at her own hands, due to poisoning (which shows her mental and emotional instablility), and still she never could bring herself to let go f this love either, body OR soul, and passed along with him, feeling the lonesomeness, sickness, and loss one last time at the side of her lover. Literally. Apparently, Miss Emily had emotional and mental issues, and the loss and rejection of love only made it worse.
Granny Weatherall fulfilled her quest for love and happiness, but never ever forgot how love had once treated her, and even thought nostalgically on her death bed. Miss Emily never quite fullfilled her life, and passed on empty and troubled. Granny Weatherall died with her life on her mind, but was also onscious and proud of her accomplishments and the life she led, unlike Miss Emily, who never had the chance to marry, nor have children, let alone knowing the feeling of having a family, and leading a life parallel to that of Granny Weatherall.
Love comes in mysterious ways I tell you, and these two ladies, would they were here, would provide prime testimonials to such. Each lady dealt with their troubles in different ways, but had one thing in common: They both only wanted one thing, and went to great lengths to aquire it. They indeed got it, if only for a brief time and even if it was under strange circumstances.
