Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

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.

In this short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, I will be analyzing symbolism. In the story “A Worn Path” the author uses symbolism to create a figurative explanation of the occurrences in her journey. This story has distinct symbols from myths, historical, and biblical events. The character Phoenix Jackson has various trials to go through on her way to town to get more medicine for her ill grandson.

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.

Phoenix Jackson is described as a frail, weathered, old woman, yet she exudes bravery while she follows the worn path to the city of Natchez. When she reaches a creek, she must use a fallen log to cross it. Phoenix says, “Now comes the trial.”(92) She knows what she must do in order to reach her destination. Phoenix, though small and weak, pushes herself to climb up on the log and over the creek. Even though she closed her eyes tightly as she walked across the log, she strutted across it fiercely and with gumption. Later, she encounters a hunter who, after helping her get out of a ditch, points a gun towards her and asks her if the gun scares her. When she replies no, the hunter says, “you must

Welcome to “Life and Death in Eudora Welty’s ‘A Worn Path’” an article written by Ronald Bartel. In his article, Bartel analyzes the character of Phoenix Jackson from Eudora Welty’s short story “A Worn Path”. Due to the limitation of time, we will be focusing on one major key in Bartel’s article. Today we will discuss Bartel’s view on how Phoenix Jackson’s journey to the city helps her prepare herself for her own death.

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.

In the story “A Worn Path” uses a continuous number of literary techniques and there is an overflow of symbolism. In the story everything symbolizes an object symbolism is when an object in the story can relate to something. Symbolism is a literary technique that adds meaning to a story by using an event or object as a symbol to represent something else. Phoenix Jackson represents the most important thing in the story the ancient Egyptian bird the Phoenix. The story “A Worn Path” takes place in December 1941. It’s about an old lady named Phoenix Jackson that goes to town in Natchez, Mississippi to get some medicine for her grandson who had swallowed lye many years back. Phoenix faces some obstacles on her way to town that try to keep her

The story, “A Worn Path” is written by Eudora Welty and the main character Phoenix Jackson has a symbolic connection to a mythical bird known as a phoenix. Similarities between the main character and bird include their journey, physical similarities and a rebirth. The similarity that Phoenix Jackson and the bird from mythology share is that they are both on a journey. Phoenix’s journey is to go get her sick grandson some medicine.

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

1. How does setting create meaning? What is the environment? Why is it important? (Or is the specific setting important at all?)

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.

You Got This”. Much like the phoenix, Jackson wore a red scarf around her head. Her wrinkled skin also permeated with yellow and copper ringlets dangling from her locks gives a colorful example. In his article, Mr. Saunders agrees the color red is not happenstance and it mimics the dying phoenix scarlet plunge into the aromatic fire (2). In addition, not to be overlooked, is the age of Phoenix, being in her nineties, to that of the mythical bird, and this could be Phoenix’s last trip.

“A Worn Path” tells of an elderly and frail black woman and of the hardships that she must overcome. Upon reading the story, you realize that there is more to the story than meets the eye. She faces many roadblocks along her way. Phoenix faces many dangerous obstacles along her way, for a person of her age. She faces racism from some of characters she meets along the way. Phoenix faces inferior treatment, as though she is nothing more than some insect to squash. This story is about not only her ‘journey’ to Natchez, but also about her journey through society and the struggle to overcome the dangers, being treated inferior, and the racism.

Phoenix Jackson in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" has been compared to the mythological phoenix because of her birdlike qualities, and it's also been noticed that Phoenix possesses many of the same characteristics as Christ. But, what hasn't been addressed is the fact that Eudora Welty didn't just leave the symbolism to Christ alone. Welty also included many biblical allusions as well. Phoenix Jackson is not only symbolic of the mythological bird that rose from the ashes of its own demise or simply a Christ figure comparable to the Son of God, but she is also a biblical hero facing temptation and trials along her journey and succeeds unharmed and steadfast in her faith.

In “A Worn Path” colors are used to emphasize the depth and breadth of the story, and to reinforce the parallel images of the mythical phoenix and the protagonist Phoenix Jackson. Eudora Welty’s story is rich with references to colors that are both illustrative and perceptive, drawing us in to investigate an additional historical facet of the story.