A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty’s a Worn Path is a powerful, compelling and inspiring story if one can see through the text into the true meaning the author was trying to convey. I have seen this story as a metaphor for people who take the “worn path” instead of the easy one- with no struggle. It is those people who prosper through the struggle life hands them and figure out how to make them lemonade, that achieve their goal and destination in

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” the main character, Phoenix Jackson, demonstrates old-age, fearlessness, and persistency. She shows real love and compassion for her sick grandson by traveling a long journey from the country to the city to get him medicine. Most would give up on such a tedious a journey. Though having multitudes of obstacles, she never gives up. Jackson’s relentlessness behavior represents her endurance as an elderly black woman in the 1940’s.

Phoenix Jackson, the main character, is a small, old African American woman who goes on a journey for a purpose that is unknown at the beginning of the story. Although Phoenix has made this trip many times, something is different about this trip. Throughout her journey, Phoenix faces many obstacles and hardships. The author uses symbolism and, later, gives the reader awareness of Phoenix’s character while, hopefully, teaching a lesson about life. In “A Worn Path”, Eudora Welty uses the symbols of the name “Phoenix”, life and death, and the main characters’ age throughout the story.

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” the character Phoenix Jackson is introduced. Phoenix Jackson is an uneducated, African-American woman without any family besides her sick grandson. Phoenix is the hero of this story and fits the role well by delivering much-needed medicine to her grandson. Phoenix shows many distinct traits that reveal her to be a hero to her grandson. The heroic feats she accomplishes pave a path that leads to her satisfaction as well as protection of her most beloved asset, her grandson. Throughout the story, Phoenix’s humble, caring, and determined character is displayed through her actions.

“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty portrays an elderly, southern, African American woman’s endurance through a lengthy journey from her home to Natchez, Mississippi to obtain medicine for her ill grandson. Throughout the journey, the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson, confronts several conflicts. The tale describes the encounters of Phoenix Jackson during her travels using literary devices such as symbolism, conflict, and allusion to detail Jackson’s experiences as she overcomes the physical, psychological, and social obstacles she faces that ultimately emphasize her character.

A person’s journey can have symbols that come through everyone’s life. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. In “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Eudora describes symbols by using people that come through Phoenix’s path while she’s in her journey to Natchez. Eudora uses a nickel, marble cake, big dead trees, mistletoe, and a white hunter to symbolize Phoenix’s difficulties and obstacles that she had to go through in order to get to her destination.

In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty uses setting, characterization, and tone to illustrate the progresses of Phoenix, in a physical and emotional sense. The author illustrates the progress of Phoenix’s social, physical, and emotional sense to describe changing times and social norms. This allows the reader to get a clear and vivid out reach of what they are going to read about phoenix journey.

Although Phoenix Jackson is old, tired, dirty, and poor, nothing can stand in her way. In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” Phoenix jumps off the page as a vibrant protagonist full of surprises as she embarks on a long, arduous journey to

In "A Worn Path", a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a "worn path" through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics have speculated that this short story represents the love a grandmother shows for her grandson. Others say this story represents life and death, where Phoenix represents an immortal figure. Dennis J. Sykes disagrees with the other critics by saying,

Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the

Eudora Welty, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, is an author who primarily writes about the American South. Her short story, “A Worn Path,” was written in 1941. In the story, Welty uses narrative techniques to develop a theme of the social discriminations of racism and ageism. Welty incorporates evidence in her short story of racism through symbolism. In the story, the title has meaning behind it that grabs the reader’s interest right away, “A worn Path” (Welty 1326).

Many people describe life as one big rollercoaster ride. Eudora Welty represents life as a worn path through the woods. As old lady Phoenix makes her way on a quest for her grandson’s medicine, she encounters many obstacles reminiscent of hardships she experienced in her past. Each piece of the setting is a symbol of life in some way. In “A Worn Path” Eudora Welty uses the natural trials and challenges of a day trip set in the woods to symbolize Phoenix’s harsh walk down the path of her life.

Phoenix Jackson lived back in the country past the pines. She lived a lifetime of hardship. Her role in society is an old black woman in a white world, though she is not ashamed of her inferior position. She has walked a path periodically to get medicine for her chronically ill grandson who drank lye. On a cold December day, she shares one of her journeys to the hospital in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path." This specific journey is examined closely of an old woman full of dedication, dignity and high morale.

In a world that is so diverse, social discrimination is an issue that many have to face everyday. Discrimination can be used by an individual's: race, age, religion, and even one's class. A Worn Path, written by Eudora Welty is about a woman by the name of Phoenix who goes on a long journey to get medication for her grandson. On her journey she comes in contact with a hunter, and many other complications. In the short story, an overall theme of social discrimination is shown through the use of Racism, Ageism and Classism.