Eudora Welty 's A Worn Path

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a short story about an elderly women- Phoenix Jackson and who is taking a long journey though the woods into town to acquire medicine for her sick grandson. On her way she encounters many obstacles such as the thorns in which her dress got caught in, barbed wire, a scarecrow, a large dog, a hunter and the lady, which ties her shoes. All of these obstacles among her dementia and hallucinations, which are implied throughout the story, delay her from reaching town. Throughout the story the reader can perceive that her grandson has already died, however due to her dementia she has trouble remembering. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a metaphor for people in this world that use the “worn path” instead

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path.” the main character Phoenix Jackson faces many different obstacles on her journey, but does she give up, let them get the best of her? No, she continues on, and makes sure to finish what she started. Phoenix is a devoted grandmother who would do anything for her beloved grandson, even if that means she has to face; humiliation, racism, ageism and her own physical “flaws”. She faces these problems, and even though they may be hard to face, but she handles the situations with ease, because she knows that getting the medicine for her sick grandson is the most important.

Today we will be talking about the different literary references used throughout Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”. I will explain and decode different techniques used by the author throughout her story. The story is of an old southern African American woman, named Phoenix Jackson, making her way into to town to pick up her grandsons medication from the doctor’s office. But this is no normal old woman. She cannot see and is picking her way with a cane to make her way across a barrage of obstacles. Throughout her journey she comes upon different characters and situations, from these events we will draw our interpretations of the symbolism embedded within the tale.

On an everyday basis people are encountering challenges that stand in their way of them achieving their set goals. However, with determination the vast majority will accomplish the mission they have set out to conquer. In the short story “A Worn Path” written by Eudora Welty in 1940, Phoenix Jackson, the main character has a mission in which she is trying to complete when she is faced with many challenges. This short story is centered on the challenges that are faced by an elderly African-American grandmother as she continues on her long journey from the secluded pinewoods into the town nearby of Natchez. She has one intention in mind when she begins, to get a medicine for her chronically ill grandson no matter what the challenges are that she encounters. The one way to convey this idea to the readers is with the literary use of theme. Some of the major themes in Eudora Welty’s short story is the determination that Jackson conveys with her actions, the aspect of agism, and racism. The most important theme in this story is the emotional and spiritual strength of Jackson which enables her to continue her journey.

Within every person lies a will and a flame of strength to achieve any goal, or conquer any obstacle in life. In Eudora Welty 's "A Worn Path", her main protagonist, Mrs. Phoenix Jackson, perfectly displays the strength that a human possess. Despite being of old age, poor and out of shape, Mrs. Jackson 's strength defies these odds on the worn path that she walks daily. Human strength is abundant in "A Worn Path", as the author shows the reader the reason why mankind is so strong. Welty demonstrates that love is what makes Mrs. Jackson, and everyone else, strong enough to move mountains. The strength of Mrs. Jackson exceeds more than normal, due to the condition of her beloved grandson, so much that not pain, death, or pride can kindle the fire of her strength.

Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path' is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. As the story begins, we are introduced to our main character, Phoenix Jackson; she is described as a small, old Negro woman. I believe that the name Eudora Welty gives our main character is very symbolic. The legend of the Phoenix is about a fabled sacred bird of ancient Egyptians. The bird is said to come out of Arabia every 500 years to Heliopolis, where it burned itself on the altar and rose again from its ashes, young and beautiful. Phoenix, the women in the story, represents the myth of the bird because she is described as being elderly and near the end of her life. Phoenix can hardly walk and uses a cane

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is a short story in which fulfills all aspects of literary connotations. Phoenix Jackson’s only true motivation to keep living was to help keep her young grandson live. While there are a multitude of literary elements and devices splurged throughout the story, some of the first ones to spot make the biggest impact. Phoenix Jackson’s name is revealed in the first three lines of text, and leads the reader to make an immediate assumption. She makes this trek over and over again, continuously, and as she nears the end of her life she will nourish her own son back to health. Her journey to Natchez is filled with a multitude of impediments, but can mainly be broken down into the physical, social, and mental

In the short story “A Worn Path,” the author, Eudora Welty uses mythical, religious, and spiritual symbols as well as the setting to help the reader understand an old African-American woman’s life. Welty also uses the symbolism to represent the hardships old woman has faced during the old woman’s life. The old African-American woman’s name is Phoenix and is on a journey to town as the readers are taken on journey through her life. Welty also uses fine details and sentence structure in addition to the symbolism and setting to increase the understanding of her story or change the meaning an object.

Eudora Welty’s short story, A Worn Path, circles around a brave old lady named Phoenix. Published in 1940, this story highlights what may have been a struggle for a colored woman in this time. As Phoenix sets off for town she encounters different situations. Of course Phoenix’s journey is not easy, but Welty uses her and her journey to remind readers that no one is perfect, walk by faith, and have courage by all means.

In its literal context, it is clear that the path that Phoenix passes by is worn given the rural setting. However, the topic means that the journey to what is deep within an individual can be very tough and worn. The challenges that are to be faced in each of our lives journeys may not be smooth or welcoming for the people who choose to be part of the journey (Welty, A Worn Path: Summary and Analysis). The good thing is that every individual follows a different path in life and this always leads us to a separate path with various decisions that each needs to make. Phoenix serves as an example of the many various paths that are lined up for us to discover and the path that she follows is bound by many challenges and decisions that push her towards the best of her capacity during this journey.

A worn path is a short story by eudora welty about an elderly african-american woman named Phoenix Jackson and her trek through the wilderness to get into town. It’s set in the 30’s and she’s on the journey to obtain medicine from the local pharmacy for her grandson. The story details the struggles she faces on her trek into the town of Natchez, Mississippi as well as the people she meets.

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,

“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty that describes the trail Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African American lady, takes in order to reach a certain town during a festive holiday. Due to the imagery and terminology used to describe Phoenix such as, “[...] an old Negro woman [...]” (Welty, 221), it can be assumed that the story takes place during Christmas time in the rural countryside of the southern US, and presumably around the 1940’s. Nonetheless, Phoenix Jackson, the protagonist of this story, is guided through a mysterious path of natural dangers in an utmost forlorn disposition with a limited omniscient point of view. Furthermore, the third person narration with a limited omniscience that is exclusive to Phoenix herself tells about her experiences of the path and impressions she has upon strangers and people. Such was observed when the author denoted, “Finally, trembling all over, she stood free, and after a moment dared to stoop for her cane. ‘Sun so high!’ she cried, leaning back and looking, while the thick tears went over her eyes. ‘The time getting all gone here” (Welty, 222) The way the author described Phoenix’s actions, and how she, for the most part, spoke her thoughts out loud in a stream of consciousness form, allowed the reader to only be able to comprehend her impressions. Such descriptions and characterizations are not seen within other characters throughout the story. This settles the direct basis for a limited omniscient point of view because the reader, through the perspective of an eagle that observes Phoenix, is able to view life and the dangers along the way through her eyes and not through the perspectives of secondary characters such as the white hunter or nurse. In addition, another important literary aspect detected in Welty’s work is voice. Voice, in this case, served the generous purpose of giving vitality to Phoenix’s character. Such can be noted in her colloquial and casual form of language as seen in dialogue like, “who be you the ghost of? [...] My senses is gone. I too old. I the oldest people I ever know” (Welty, 223). Her informal language allows the reader to receive the impression that Phoenix is not from a wealthy and

A Worn Path: Literary Analysis EssayEvery individual has a story. Some are long, some are short. In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the author tells a small part of Phoenix Jackson’s story. Phoenix is an African-American woman on a mission, trekking through the post-Civil War Mississippi backwoods on her way to town to retrieve medicine for her sick grandson. On the way, she comes across several obstacles standing in her way and overcomes them. Some obstacles are conquered easily, and some take some perseverance. If you look closely, however, you can see a pattern in the story’s progression. If Phoenix’s whole life were scaled down to fit in that single afternoon, each event could represent a different phase. The story represents Phoenix’s journey through life, with elements representing a youth in slavery, when the country was divided by war, and when she accepted freedom and old age with dignity.The first few paragraphs begin with a metaphor for youth, but transition in to a harsher metaphor for slavery. At the beginning, the pace moves along swiftly, and nowhere to be found are the hardships to come. The author soon draws attention to the beasts that hide in the woods. Phoenix doesn’t seem to be bothered at all though, and even yells goadingly at the unseen animals. The author intended this scene to convey a carefree tone, to contrast with the next obstacle, a steep hill. Phoenix struggles her way up after remarking, “Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far.” ([1], pg. 1) It’s clear this sequence and quote represent the part of Phoenix’s life that was a hard transition. She went from a child to grown adult, put to work for her master. The author intentionally chose that heavy-handed quote to drive the point home. Additionally, the hill looming large is a metaphor for the uphill battle that was the life of a slave. Later while she was on the hill, a bush caught her dress. The author specifically chose wording to invoke the unending cycle of work that slaves of the era were forced to do. “Her fingers were busy and intent, but her skirts were full and long, so that before she could pull them free in one place they were caught in another.” ([1], pg. 2) This passage is the epitome of Phoenix’s

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.