THE TWO GRANDMOTHERS

In The Two Grandmothers by Olive Senior we have the theme of tradition, modernity, identity,
change, independence, connection, materialism, insecurity and coming of age. Taken from her
‘Arrival of the Snake-Woman and Other Stories’ collection, the story is narrated in the form of
several letters (an epistolary narrative) sent by a young unnamed girl to her mother. What is also
interesting about the story is the fact Senior appears to be comparing both Grandmothers to each
other by way of tradition versus modernity. Grandmother Del would be more traditional than
Grandmother Elaine. She is a regular church goer, she believes in making her own clothes and
tries to keep the narrator as level-headed as possible through her own personal beliefs--
something which is in complete contradiction to the more modern Grandmother Elaine who is
either separated or a widow but who, nonetheless, throughout the story, manages to have three
separate boyfriends. It is also interesting that Grandmother Elaine tells the narrator to call her
Towser. This may be important as it suggests that the younger Elaine does not associate herself
with the idea of being a grandmother. If anything, she is still young at heart and believes in living
her life on her own terms. Though it is interesting that she is reliant on modern technology while
Grandmother Del, who lives a less materialistic life, manages to exist without the latest
technological gadgets.

It may also be important that the narrator follows the wisdom of Grandmother Del, until she
reaches a certain age when there is a noticeable change in the narrator. No longer does she like to
visit Grandmother Del nor does she like Grandmother Del’s neighbours. It is also noticeable that
the narrator has become more like Towser in her outlook on life. She, like many young girls,
wishes to dress herself, wear make-up and live a more materialistic life. Something that is
noticeable, by the way, is the fact that the narrator complains to her mother that Grandmother
Del only has a black and white television. What is also interesting is the connection that the
narrator has with both her grandmothers. The narrator, when she is younger, is more connected
to Grandmother Del. However, as she grows older and enters womanhood, the reader discovers
that the narrator feels more of a connection with Towser. It might also be important that Towser
is relying on her looks as she grows older whereas Grandmother Del appears to live a simpler
life and is more self-reliant than Towser. If anything, each of Towser’s suitors are paying for her
lifestyle.

Though some critics might suggest that Grandmother Del is living an old-fashioned lifestyle, it
may be important to remember that she is also poor. She cannot afford to do the things that
Towser does nor does it appear as though Grandmother Del would wish to. It might also be
important to consider how independent Grandmother Del and Towser are. Grandmother Del is
forced to be self-sufficient and she manages very well with the little that she has. Towser, as
mentioned, appears to be reliant on others and is far from independent. This is something that the
narrator does not seem to notice, such is the development in her growth and her belief that
Towser lives a better life. The reader is also fully aware that the narrator is basing her opinion on
materialism. The narrator is at an age in which appearance is important to her and so too are
material possessions. It is also noticeable that the narrator from the start of the story to the end is
developing her identity. Where once she was happy to have castor oil rubbed into her hair, as she
has gotten older the narrator prefers to use conditioner.
It may also be significant that the narrator falls out with so many of her peers throughout the
story. Where once she had empathy for some of Grandmother Del’s neighbours. ( Pearlie being
an example ), as she has grown older the narrator considers Pearlie to be an embarrassment. The
narrator is basing her opinion solely on Pearlie’s physical appearance and the fact that Pearlie is
wearing torn clothes. If anything, the narrator has come of age and is beginning to see her life
and other people’s lives in a different manner. Where once the narrator might have been
considered innocence, this is not the case as the narrator matures. She is wholly focused on
herself as she grows up and other people’s opinion of her appear to matter to the narrator,
something that becomes clear to the reader when Maureen uses a racial slur to describe the
narrator. If anything, it may be a case that as the narrator has grown, she has become more
insecure. She may have the appearance she has desired but she is not really any happier. She was
being influenced by material possessions where once she was happy to wear Grandmother Del’s
homemade dresses. In reality, the narrator is forgetting about the traditions of Grandmother Del
in preference for the more modern approach of Towser, something that is clearer to the reader by
the fact that the narrator no longer wishes to visit Grandmother Del.

Setting
The story is set in Jamaica during the 1980’s. The setting of the narrator alternates between her
Grandma Del’s house in the country, her grandma Elaine’s (Towser) house in the city and her
parent’s house also in the city.

Point of View
The story is told from the point of a young Jamaican girl, from an affluent urban background.
Though she is unnamed, the story chronicles her life as she grows up and the dynamic views she
holds of each of her grandmothers’ social settings. As the plot progresses, we see through her
child’s eyes the events which occur in each setting. Over time, her innocence is lost as she
matures, and we, the audience can see this as her tone changes throughout the plot.

Themes
One of the major themes in the story is Love and Family Relationships. In the plot we are
introduced to the relationship between a little girl and both her maternal and paternal
grandmothers. Her Grandma Del lives in a small country village and is traditionally Christian in
her beliefs, attending church regularly and following the Bible closely, even saying “a whistling
woman and a crowing hen are an abomination unto the Lord” to her grandchild when she finds
her trying to whistle. In addition, Grandma Del seems to try to nurture her granddaughter’s sense
of self and self-esteem, complimenting her hair and her skin, calling it “…beautiful like
honey…” She also encourages the child to be “as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside”
so that she will grow up to be a “fine brown lady”. This inspires the young girl to ask her mother
whether she will grow to be “as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside” and she
subsequently resolves to try to achieve this goal.
On the other hand, the girl’s maternal grandmother, grandma Elaine or “Towser” as she likes to
be called, is almost the complete opposite of Grandma Del. She is affluent and lives in the city.
Where Grandma Del is more concerned with good values, Towser is more concerned with
appearances and material belongings. This is seen when we are introduced to her current male
partner, Mr Kincaid, and he is described as “handsome…white…and rich”. The child also
alludes to Towser inveigling him to buy her a video as a present. Towser also seems to look
down on Grandma Del, calling her “a country bumpkin of the deepest waters”. In addition, she
scoffs at Grandma Del’s faith, instructing the child not to “quote her goddamn sayings to me”
after the narrator tells Towser not to paint her face as it is an abomination to the Lord. It seems
that Towser is uncomfortable with the child being mixed race, as she complains that her hair is
“tough” and scorns its kinkiness. This incident introduces another prominent theme, which is
Attitudes to Race and Class.
Throughout the plot, we see many different attitudes to race and class. Whereas Grandma Del is
proud of her granddaughter’s skin colour and hair, Towser seems disappointed that the child has
the more prominent black features of her father such as very curly hair. The comment about her
hair being tough upsets the little girl, and when she asks Towser’s maid, she is informed that
Towser is disappointed that she “came out dark”. This unsettles the child even more and she
compares her skin tone to her father, paternal grandmother and the maid, concluding that she is
not as dark as any of those persons. This segment of the story concludes with her confusion at
being referred to as “dark”. This is important because it portrays the racist attitudes held by
lighter skinned people toward darker skinned people during that time. In contrast to Towser
is Grandma Del, who loves her granddaughter’s brown skin and long thick hair and encourages
the child to love her natural beauty. It can be inferred that the grandmother is dark skinned, and
this further exemplifies the mentality that lighter skin was prized during that time period. In
addition, as the plot progresses, the child adopts a racist attitude toward black people, going as
far as to say she didn’t like visiting her Grandma Del because “there’s nobody but black people
there”.
The attitudes to class are seen in the narrator. As she grows, her attitude to class changes
dramatically. In the early parts of the plot, she relates the story of Pearlie, Grandma Del’s
neighbour, who is very poor. We are told that she has to take care of her younger siblings and do
the household chores and cooking. In addition, she has very few clothes and no toys at all. The
narrator initially is very compassionate toward Pearlie, asking her mother to give Pearlie her old
dresses and some of her toys. She even goes as far as to ask if Pearlie could live with them in the
city. This initial attitude is typical of a child who is innocent, and has not yet been affected by
society’s class divisions and prejudices. As she grows up, she seems to affect a more classist
attitude toward Pearlie calling her “that awful girl Pearlie… always asking me for things”. This
shows how she has hardened with age, and is no longer compassionate toward her friend, but has
begun to look down on and despise her. This incident shows that classist, racist or highly
prejudiced attitudes are taught, they are not inborn in people.
Another major theme is Childhood Innocence. Since the story is told through the perspective of
a child, we see the world without the filter of maturity. One example of her innocence is when
she talks about Eulalie and Ermandine, who are neighbours of her Grandma Del. In this
narrative, she relates how everyone was concerned because Eulalie “fell” and no one knew what
was to be done. The child then expresses confusion, as she can see no physical injuries on
Eulalie. The audience however is aware that “fell” was used as a euphemism to say that Eulalie
was pregnant.
Techniques
One of the main techniques seen in the plot was contrast. The narrator has contrasting
experiences with each of her grandmothers.  In addition, her earlier personality is a stark contrast
with her older personality. Between the grandmothers, the contrast between urban life and rural
life is shown in the values of Grandma Del vs Towser. While grandma Del, though poor, lives a
life based on traditional Christian values, and tries to instill them in her grandchild, Towser
seems vain and more materialistic. Towser is affluent, compared to Grandma Del who is not as
well off. However, Towser seems reliant on men for her self-worth, while Grandma Del seems
content with the simple joys of rural life. Also, the lessons each woman teaches the child are
different. Grandma Del teaches the girl to love her natural hair and skin, and to be as beautiful
inside as she is outside. Towser, however, teaches her that the most important thing is to be
attractive especially to men. This is seen in how the girl asks her mother “Mummy, when I’m old
like Towser will men still tell me I’m beautiful?” Another example of contrast is the personality
of the narrator as she matures. Initially she is a happy girl, who admires both of her
grandmothers and is compassionate to the less fortunate. She is also unaffected by conventions
of class and race, seen in how she interacts with Pearlie, the poor girl who lives near to Grandma
Del. She finds her grandmother’s rural home “cozy, dark and cool” initially. However, as she
ages, it no longer holds this allure; It is now “dark and crowded”. In addition, she no longer
looks forward to staying with her grandmother, but finds it a chore and tries to convince her
mother to let her stop going. Also, she becomes irritated by Grandma Del’s old fashioned
tendencies, which she perceives as being treated like a baby. She seems to prefer Towser’s
lifestyle to Grandma Del’s.
Another technique used to great effect is irony. Irony refers to an unexpected outcome. One
example of irony is the fact that Grandma Del is critical of Eulalie and Ermandine being unwed
mothers when she herself had the narrator’s father out of wedlock. The child is unaware of this
until she is older; she only notices that her grandmother gets upset when she asks to see her
wedding photo. It is also ironic that initially the narrator chides her maternal grandmother for
wearing makeup, but then later on wants to wear makeup herself. Even more ironic is how the
child resolves to be as beautiful on the inside as she is outside, but eventually becomes selfish,
materialistic and vain later on. This is ironic because as a young child she wants to be a good
person, and to emulate her Grandma Del. However, as she matures into a pre-teen/teenager she
slowly forgets the values that grandma Del taught her, and is more like Towser in her actions and
values.