A Visit to Grandmother

Conflict is ultimately what powers the plot in “A Visit to Grandmother.” The conflict lies in the long-standing resentment that Charles has toward his mother, who he feels preferred his younger brother, GL, over him. Despite leaving home as a teenager, Charles’s feelings of abandonment were never addressed by his mother. The conflict is initially concealed, simmering beneath the surface, hinted at by the changes in Charles’s behavior. Chig notices as his father shifts his kind, warm demeanor to a silent, detached one. Charles’s interactions with his family reawaken his feelings of abandonment and result in a growing sense of tension between him and his mother. With this, William Melvin Kelley employs foreshadowing in the first scene, allowing tension to build gradually and creating a sense of anticipation. The coming of a significant event can be felt, but it is unclear when it will happen, which sets the stage for the conflict to reach its explosive conclusion.

The point of view from which the story is told helps shape the understanding of the events and characters. Kelley chose to build the story from Chig’s perspective by utilizing the third-person limited.