Final answer:
The grandmother was abandoned in her old age because her new owners, following the demise of her old master and his family, regarded her as too old and of little worth, leading to her desolate solitude despite her life-long service.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passage draws a heart-wrenching picture of an elderly grandmother who, after a life of servitude and family support, finds herself abandoned and alone.
Grandmother decided the children would have to leave not out of any deficiencies on their part, such as being noisy or a financial burden, but because her owners, who are the new masters of the property after the deaths of her previous owners, deemed her too old and of little value, thus casting her out into solitude. Her plight exemplifies the cruel practices of the times, where the aging and once-valuable slaves were cast aside when no longer useful, without regard for the humanity or the relationships they held.
This not only highlights the mistreatment of the elderly but also underscores the brutality of slavery and the emotional toll it took on individuals like the grandmother, who endured not only the loss of her freedom but also the disregard for her life-long contributions and her bond with her family.