Why does the narrator initially laugh at her grandmother's determination to learn at the age of sixty-two?
The narrator initially laughs at her grandmother's determination to learn at the age of sixty-two because she finds the idea highly unusual and impractical for someone of her age. She focuses on her grandmother's physical limitations and daily responsibilities.
She specifically points out that at sixty-two, her grandmother's hair is grey, her hands are wrinkled, and she wears spectacles. Furthermore, the narrator highlights that the grandmother works so much in the kitchen, leaving little time or energy for learning the alphabet.
The narrator childishly makes fun of the old lady, assuming that these physical signs of aging and her heavy domestic workload make it ridiculous for her to start learning now.
However, the grandmother remains undeterred by this mockery and simply smiles. She firmly believes that for a good cause, determination can overcome any obstacle, and she declares that she will work harder than anybody.
The grandmother's strong conviction highlights the narrator's initial shallow assumption, proving that learning has no age bar and that willpower can conquer physical and practical limitations.
Explanation
The narrator laughs because she judges the grandmother's capacity to learn based on her old age and physical appearance (grey hair, wrinkled hands, spectacles) as well as her busy domestic life in the kitchen. The narrator acts childishly, failing to understand the grandmother's deep desire for independence and her strong willpower, which the grandmother later proves by stating that learning has no age bar and determination can overcome any obstacle.