Cry Of Phoenix, By Eudora Welty Summary Essay

I think the trip to the city to get the medicine represents the mythological trip that the Phoenix takes to the sun to die. I say this because by going on this journey Phoenix is using the last of her energy and will probably die soon after it. On her way to the city Phoenix faces many obstacles. One obstacle she faces is old age “Seems like there is chains about my feet “ she says this because her old age has left her almost immobile. The first actual obstacle she comes across is the scarecrow who represents death or the grim reaper because he is described as wearing all black and is trying to get her to come with him. Another thing that links the scarecrow to death is the simple fact that he is in a field. The next obstacle is the white hunter who tells her to go back and represents evil forces ” Well, granny you must be a hundred years old and scared of nuthin I’d give you a dime if I had any money with me. But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you”. He is lying about having no money so she steals a nickel from him, a trivial amount of money for him that won’t be missed so we the readers find ourselves justifying the theft.

At the beginning of the story, Phoenix has already answered the call to adventure. She carries with her a small thin cane, which has been made from an umbrella. She uses this to tap the ground as she walked. She probably carries the sick because of her poor eyesight due to age. Phoenix is determined to have a sooth journey for in her tripped dress, she stacks her pockets with foodstuffs. She is aware of the difficult journey that lies ahead of her, and cannot afford to be hungry on her way to town.

Most people accomplish difficult tasks with support systems such as family or friends. Phoenix knows she is alone in the world to care for her grandson. This knowledge of solitude makes Phoenix’s mission all the more difficult. The incident with the white hunter along her travel also demonstrates Jackson’s determination. As stated by Dennis Sykes, “Phoenix realizes that the importance of the trip far exceeds the possible harm that can be done to her brittle frame”(151). Phoenix’s ability to stare down possible bodily harm all for the sake of her grandson’s wellbeing demonstrates her heroic determination. By overcoming adversity, Phoenix’s determined character is revealed very well.

Not only is Phoenix selflessness she has endurance, in the article “A Worn Path” Analysis at Yahoo Inc. it explains that “she falls, gets back up and keeps on toward the goal of getting her grandson’ medicine”, even though she could have gotten killed she knew that her grandson needed her and she was the only one that could care for him. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to where she was going.

To establish, connection of Phoenix to a phoenix the narrator described Phoenix as a woman of old age. The narrator placed emphasis on the color of Phoenix eyes (blue with age). The character is described walking slow in the dark shadows. Emphasis placed on the character uncertainty of footing and steadiness suggests she was old. Her wrinkled forehead is a symbol of a person of age. All these references constitute Phoenix was a lady of extreme age. She was also referenced to a grandfather clock. The grandfather represents age, but it also had a hidden

In the short story, Phoenix, an old Negro woman almost in her late years, takes her last journey through the woods like she had done for the past years, since her grandson got really sick by swallowing lye. In this journey Phoenix phases difficulties. Her old age made her hallucinate about her getting a marble cake given by a young child. Her difficulties to walk and her poor eye sight made her striped dress get stuck in the branches. Even though she went through all of these obstacles she was determined to go get her grandson’s medicine. Once she got closer to her destination she came across this White Hunter, who points his gun at her. Phoenix gets scared because she thought he saw her get a nickel which had fallen out his pocket, while she distracted him. Then she continued her journey until she saw her destination. When she got there she asked a white lady that was carrying gifts, to tie her shoe laces because she was entering this big building. Once she tied her shoe laces Phoenix continued, until she

Phoenix Jackson is an elderly, African American women who makes her way to town to pick up medicine for her grandson. Along the way, she encounters difficulties that she overcomes in order to reach her destination. Welty uses the south’s view of African Americans to inspire Jackson’s journey. She meets up with a young, white man who is hunting while walking through the woods. He condescends her because of her old age and the color of her skin. He even, at one point, aims his gun at her as a joke. She never falters, and even ends up stealing a nickel from him. Also, when she enters the clinic where she needs to pick up the medicine, the receptionist thinks she is merely lost and unintelligent. She talks to Jackson as if she is less than her until a nurse, who knows Jackson, steps in. These things are southern aspects that can only be so accurately depicted if the writer is a southerner

In the stories “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “The First Seven Years” by Bernard Malamud characters persevere for love. In “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson, an old grandmother, goes through a long journey and overcomes multiple obstacles to get medicine for her sick grandson. Phoenix perseveres through emotional and physical trials because of her love for her grandson. Likewise in the story “The First Seven Years” Sobel perseveres for seven years of unfair pay to try and marry his love, while Feld perseveres to make his daughter's life better than his own. Both of these stories exemplify that humans will go to great lengths for the ones that they love.

Phoenix, on the other hand, was a selfish manipulative old woman who had an obsession with power. She was on a journey through the woods to the city, where she had many encounters. When Phoenix encounters the hunter she steals the money that falls out of his pockets. She always seems to want something for her troubles. However, later in the story while in the hospital, Phoenix has a totally different personality. She seems to have no guilt for the actions she makes.

She runs the risk of having that barbwire slash though her dress and cut her back to pieces. , if she was to get caught going under that fence, the consequences she faced could have been death. The obstacles on the path to Natchez were dangerous and Phoenix could have suffered serious injury. Any kind of injury suffered out in the open and alone like she was in the middle of the winter could have resulted in death. However, it is in the end that the reader sees just how precious her journey is and for the lover of her grandson moves Phoenix to town. It is the same type of unfair obstacles that Phoenix must have dealt with her entire life. Yet she made it through them all un-harmed and her spirit still intact.

Welty writes, “With her hands on her knees, the old woman waited, silent, erect, and motionless, just as if she were in armor” (318; 85). However, Phoenix manages to regain her senses after a few minutes, explaining to the nurses, “It was my memory had left me. There I sat and forgot why I made my long trip” (318; 88). She continually takes her personal shortcomings in stride and has an obvious wit about her, which she uses to her advantage. When she is offered some pennies by an attendant, Phoenix instantly replies, “[f]ive pennies is a nickel” (319; 100). The quick thinking earns her some additional money and allows her to purchase a gift for her grandson. Despite being elderly and often forgetful, Phoenix persists in her journey with experienced fortitude.

including the white hunter and black dog, Phoenix runs into in the story represent different individuals of all colors which present obstacles in a person such as Phoenix’s life. When the hunter comes along, the author describes him as white. She could have left his color out of the description, but she obviously felt it important to mention to her

In 1941 which was the publishing date for the story, we can relate to the narrator was trying to show how black people used to suffer before from slavery, even after slavery ended, they suffered from racial and gender discrimination and, but for Phoenix it was only a lesson for her and she gained strength from it. A Worn Path time period was tough on any black and women, Phoenix was strong and didn't allow such a thing to restrain her will to get the medicine, in the situation where the White man pointed the gun at Phoenix, she responded “ “No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done”() she held still, not moving for a second, which relates to what she have learned back in her days, where she lived to

At the doctor’s office something else happens to Phoenix. She couldn’t remember why she came to the doctor. She has a lapse in her memory. This happened because of the hardships she has been through on her way to the town. What happened with the hunter, the nice lady and the medical staff it had a bad effect on Phoenix, she must have been shocked to see how they acted towards her and it resulted in Phoenix forgetting why she came to the doctor. When she entered the office, she announces her presence “Here I be” (147), but the attendant not only identifies Phoenix as a charity case, but she uses the same language that the hunter uses when he interrogated Phoenix and due to this situation happening again with the attendant she stayed stiff and

The racial comments in the story we see when Phoenix encounters the hunter. The hunter makes racial remarks and he acts like he is stronger and more powerful than Phoenix Jackson. When he sees Phoenix he asks, “On your way home” and when Phoenix is making clear she is not, the hunter assumes that she’s going to town to see Santa Claus and calls her Granny, “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus” (145). The hunter makes a remark to her race and because Phoenix is an old African-American woman he assumes that she is going to see Santa Claus. What makes the hunter stronger is that he has a gun and in the bag, he had bob-whites that were hanging out. He made it obvious that he is more powerful than her. The hunter is not the only person that makes remarks to her race. When Phoenix arrived in the town her shoe laces were untied, and she ask a nice lady that was selling perfume to tie her laces. The lady was acting cold with Phoenix, she kept calling Phoenix “Grandma”, “What do you want, Grandma?”, “Stand still then, Grandma” (147). She did tie her shoe laces but her acting cold and strong to Phoenix makes us think that she didn’t like Phoenix asking her to tie her shoe laces. The comments about her race continuous in the doctor’s office. When Phoenix finally arrives the doctor’s office, she sees a diploma. Diploma has a great meaning in the story. The diploma symbolizes freedom and education. Kevin Moberly states that “The diploma, take on