Grandma’s discontent?
Why was the Grandma so grouchy all the time? What was her deep-seated problem/s?
shareOld(er) women being grouchy at the world is pretty much a Universal trait.
What I noticed in the show is Grandpa tends to thaw her out most times. Which is another universal trait. Older men tend to be more fun loving in an attempt to escape//offset their grouchy women.
Betty White disproved the “universal” part of that theory. Grouchy old men syndrome seems to be an equally common trope: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna50305818
I think this Walton Grandma had her own set of issues. Married the wrong guy? Son married a strong-willed woman who challenges Grandma’s authority? Too many grand-youngin’s barging around her all the time? The struggles of living through poverty and the Great Depression? Probably all of the above. Anyway this show made the Grandparents out to be be this comic-relief duo, one sweet, one salty, who fire little zingers at each other.
That was Betty's stage persona but in real life who knows. But sure maybe not every old(er) woman but generally speaking I think it's common. Especially on TV and movies.
She seemed ultra practical and living with her son and his wife certainly would have set up the conflict for her. I think she loved Grandpa he does make her almost smile at times. She just wants that title of Walton Matriarch and thinks she is doing the right thing.