The Cure “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty is a great story. Phoenix Jackson is the main character of the story. She is a small, old, colored woman who overcomes many obstacles throughout her long journey into town. As she continues her stroll through the woods, many characteristics about Phoenix are revealed. After reading this book, three characteristics stick out the most about Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix Jackson is a very strong willed woman, she is clever, and she is fearless. Phoenix Jackson’s strong will is clear at the start of her journey when she tells all the animals to get out of her way. “Don’t let none of those pesky animals come running through my direction (1).” When Phoenix makes it the foot of the hill, a log was already laid across the creek. “Putting her right foot out, she stepped on to the log and shut her eyes (2).” At her old age, Phoenix has to crawl under a barbed wired fence without ripping her dress. “There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her hands like a baby (2).” …show more content…
Phoenix deceives the hunter, and steals the nickel that falls out of his pocket. “Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the nickel with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a sitting hen (3).” Phoenix gets her dress caught in a thorn bush and manages to free herself without tearing it. “Her fingers are busy but her skirts were full and long, so before she could pull them free in one place they caught in another (1).” Phoenix obtains another nickel from the nurse at the hospital. “She receives the nickel and then takes the other nickel out of her pocket and lays them next to each other
Next, Phoenix Jackson endures successive complications, each more difficult than the one before. Firstly, the sun is scorching, and she has to go through a very thorny bush. Further, ahead, she has to climb through a barbed wire fence, which could
She chances her life and difficulties the quality of her body to enable her grandson to recuperate. All through her trip to the town of Natchez, she battled over the slopes and hedges that took a stab at backing her off, and the spring that was a diversion to her goal. Phoenix had slithered through a security barrier and even got thumped around a pooch all through her voyage. "So she cleared out that tree, and needed to experience a spiked metal perimeter. There she needed to crawl and creep, spreading her knees and extending her fingers like a child endeavoring to climb the means." (Welty 388) Phoenix Jackson cherished her grandson so much that she went an "additional mile" to ensure he would get his prescription. Phoenix demonstrated that she was resolved in light of the fact that she remained solid disapproved and steady all through her
Last but not least, Phoenix overcame obstacles involving the people she encountered. The first person that she meets is a hunter. In the beginning he seems like a benevolent character because “he lifted her
Phoenix, however, crawls across the fence successfully. The next challenge is the most intriguing one whereby Phoenix Jackson encounters a white man and his dogs. One of the dogs knock her down, and she falls into a ditch, but the white man comes to her rescue. The white man orders the old lady to go back to the safety of her home but she is adamant, and she refuses. The man even points a gun at her
Phoenix also encounters numerous physical obstacles between her and her goal. Shortly after setting out, she becomes entangled in an obstinate bush. She fights what appears to be a losing battle. As Welty describes it, “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” (315; 8). Phoenix seems to maintain a good attitude as she begins to talk to the bush: “Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass, no sir. Old eyes thought you was a pretty little green bush” (315; 8). As she does with all of her other challenges, she
Hazard cluster because underling conditions are usually conducive to multiple events (World Bank & United Nations, 2010, p. 32). In geologically unstable areas a volcanic eruption can cause earthquakes and mudslides. On November 1st, 1755, an earthquake reaching a magnitude of 9.0 hit Lisbon. As people fled from buildings and gathered on next to rivers and the sea shore. They were hit with a Tsunami that washed many out to sea. Additionally, a firestorm consumed the debris, was so bad that people near it quickly asphyxiated (Kozak & James, 1998). The impacts of this clustering are an increased risk of loss of life and damage to infrastructure. The clustering of disasters is a significant problem
When she finds herself snagged on a thorn bush, she talks to it as she patiently frees herself. "Thorns, you doing your appointed work Never want to let folks pass-no sir (159)." As Phoenix wobbles along, she comes across a sitting buzzard and in three simple words she lets him know that he will not dine upon her. "Who you watching (160)?" She slowly sways past him and continues her journey, while nature carefully plans the next obstacle. Sure enough, as Phoenix stands and ponders, a big black dog creeps up behind her. "Old woman," she said to herself, "that black dog come up out of the weeds to stall you off (161)." She accepts the fact that the black dog is merely following nature's orders. Phoenix's old body is not as quick as her wit. When Phoenix is startled by the huge mutt, her mind reacts much faster than her body, causing her to drop into a weed-cushioned trench. The old woman is discovered by a young hunter who quickly snatches her out of the ditch. As they converse, Phoenix catches a glimpse of a shiny nickel that drops out of the hunter's pouch. Her mind reacts; her face lights up and she claps her hands. "Look at that dog! She laughed as if in admiration. He ain't scared of nobody. He a big black dog (161)." Knowing that her old body needs plenty of time to grab the nickel, she uses her wit to shift the hunter's attention toward the "fearless"
The story’s description of Phoenix Jackson is an “old woman with her head tied in a red rag”. One of the physical similarity between both of them is their old age. According to Greek mythology a phoenix is believed to live over 1400 years at a time. The story also lets us know that Phoenix Jackson is at an old age because of an encounter between her and an unfriendly man. The man that she encountered states, “Well, Granny ,you must be a hundred years old, and scared of nothing”.
One of the first challenges that Phoenix encounters along her journey is the wild animals of the woods. Phoenix does not want anything, even “mother nature” preventing her from accomplishing her mission. As Phoenix Jackson begins her journey, she talks to herself and warns:
Overall, Phoenix Jackson’s character adds to the story through her humble, maternal strength. Phoenix’s love for her grandchild brought her through many challenges, but year after year as she completes her trek, she keeps her grandson as her top priority. This overwhelming level of determination allows her to keep hold of her most valuable possession. Through her actions she reveals to the reader that her humble, caring, determined nature allows her to overcome the odds and provide for her family as well as maintain a simple Southern elegance.
Phoenix Jackson endures many obstacles along her journey through the worn path. When faced with hardship, she persevered regardless of her difficult circumstances. The reader watches her climb up and down a steep hill that was hard on her feeble body. Then, she comes to a creek with a log lying across it. The reader is aware that Phoenix has a hard time walking, but instead of giving up she faces this extremely dangerous and challenging situation as “…she mounted the log and shut her eyes” (Welty 645). When she gets to the other side she opens her eyes. Welty uses this challenge to show the reader that sometime one must rely on faith to get through trials. Next a barbed wire fence challenges her but she meets it without fear. Eventually, Phoenix encounters a white hunter who tries to persuade her to turn around by pointing his gun at her asking, “Doesn’t the gun
One main obstacle that stood out in the text was when she encountered the hunter and his dog. In this scene Phoenix was on the ground because she had fell and the hunter had showed up and helped her up. Once he had her standing on her own two feet he had began questioning her and telling her that she needs to go back home, but she ignored what he was saying. She knew the reason for making this long, enduring trip and she was not going to turn back now. He (the hunter) even went so far as to take his gun and point it directly in her face. This did not bother her nor even scare her. She just stood still and faced him because that was all she knew how to do. After this incident he still tried to
“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.
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’s, in “A Worn Path,” physical limitations eluded to the difficulties she faces throughout her journey.