Cornelia's voice staggered and jumped like a cart in a bad road. It
rounded corners and turned back again and arrived nowhere.
Granny stepped up in the cart very lightly and reached for the
reins, but a man sat beside her and she knew him by his hands,
driving the cart. She did not look in his face, for she knew without
seeing, but looked instead down the road where the trees leaned
over and bowed to each other and a thousand birds were singing
a Mass. She felt like singing too, but she put her hand in the
bosom of her dress and pulled out a rosary, and Father Connolly
murmured Latin in a very solemn voice and tickled her feet. My
God, will you stop that nonsense? I'm a married woman. What if
he did run away and leave me to face the priest by myself?
found another a whole world better. I wouldn't have exchanged
my husband for anybody except St. Michael himself, and you
may tell him that for me with a thank you in the bargain.
Light flashed on her closed eyelids, and a deep roaring shook her.
Cornelia, is that lightning? I hear thunder. There's going to be a
storm. Close all the windows. Call the children in ... "Mother,
here we are, all of us.' 'Is that you Hapsy?" "Oh, no, I'm Lydia. We
drove as fast as we could." Their faces drifted above her, drifted
away. The rosary fell out of her hands and Lydia put it back.
Jimmy tried to help, their hands fumbled together, and granny
closed two fingers around Jimmy's thumb. Beads wouldn't do, it
must be something alive. She was so amazed her thoughts ran
round and round. So, my dear Lord, this is my death and I wasn't
even thinking about it. My children have come to see me die. But
I can't, it's not time. Oh, I always hated surprises.
Identify two themes that are clearly developed in this excerpt of "The Jilting of
Granny Weatherall." How does the author develop the two themes over the course of
this excerpt? Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your answer.