"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" was included in the first collection of Porter's stories, Flowering Judas, which was published in 1930. Though the first print run of the book was fairly small, critical response was overwhelmingly positive. Virtually overnight, Porter won a reputation within an influential circle of writers and critics as one of America's finest writers. Reviewers noted that her work was mature and exhibited similarities to the writing of Ernest Hemingway, a fellow American expatriate.

Critics praised Porter's technical skill and her ability to approach each story in a new way. Often noted were her rich characterizations, whose personalities seem to determine the narrative form Porter chose. Edmund Wilson, one of the United States's most influential literary critics at that time considered Porter's stories with female protagonists, like "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," her strongest and most interesting. He suggested that the author's ability to...