Phoenix Jackson In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

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.

When Eudora Welty finished her studies, she went back to Jackson, Mississippi, she began her career of writing short stories (Kirszner and Mandell, 2012). According to Kirszner and Mandell (2012), “In “’A Worn Path, ‘” Welty creates a particularly memorable character in the tenacious Phoenix Jackson, and through her she explores a theme that transcends ace and region” (p. 386). The story depicts an era of time when hardship was common for the black inhabitants during the 1930’s. There were many African Americans who fled the South and moved where they could survive and receive a proper education. Needless to say, for those African Americans who remained did not leave had to live a life with people who were prejudice and had to live a life filled with problems and cruel treatment. There were moments when Phoenix could have turned around to abandon her mission in the short story “A Worn Path”, but she did not because of her love for her grandson. When Phoenix, the young boy’s grandmother, set out to get the medicine for the young boy, she had traveled the same path many times before; however, this time it was on a cold day in December. Phoenix made her way with her can ticking in the ice as though it had sounds as that of a clock ticking, and her cane would be her weapon should the critters approach her. Furthermore, Phoenix’s voice may have very well may halted the animals in their place. As the grandmother gets to the top of the hill knowing she still has go down makes a

Section – 12068 Character Analysis Kazi Kabir Word Count: Character Analysis of Phoenix Jackson The short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty describes the determination and a forceful journey of an old lady knows as Phoenix Jackson. The setting of the short story tells the reader Jackson faced different kind of obstacles throughout of her journey. Jackson shows the reader people can do unusual and implausible things for their love one.

Eudora Welty introduces the character Phoenix Jackson in a way that illustrates that Phoenix is a person who endures forces of nature and society; and the meaning of her name is a large hint to the theme of endurance. William M. Jones introduces the idea that Phoenix is a reference to the “legendary bird” that is reborn throughout time; one that endures. In his literary critic, William M. Jones writes, “The references at the beginning of the story announce rather clearly that a comparison with the legendary bird is intended. The similarity becoming more pronounced as the story progresses.” The reference to the bird of endurance can be seen throughout the story, especially when the reader concludes that Phoenix does not remember why she is traveling the path. Her loss of memory is a reference to the Phoenix dying; and at the end of the story, Phoenix remembering her reason for the journey is a representation of being reborn.

The sun pounding down, the cramp creeping up from deep inside the calf muscle, the extreme fatigue sinking in; yet just ahead, he can make out the banner flying in the barely-there-breeze. He may have made a wrong turn at mile 8, started getting cramps at mile 17, and twisted his ankle when he fell at mile 23, but he keeps limping forward. Phoenix Jackson, the elderly woman in Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path”, is a lot like the injured runner. It is her astounding bravery and her innate cunning, along with her eternal love for her grandson, which gives her the ability to endure the hardships of her journey to get her grandson’s medicine. Phoenix Jackson is able to overcome each obstacle and adversity she encounters along the path due to her unending perseverance.

While a narrative voice that is non-participating character, Eudora Welty is able to characterize the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson in “A Worn Path” to explain the importance of perseverance. Phoenix Jackson is an “old negro woman” (page 1; line 2) line who is traveling on a long trek through thick to receive a medicine for her ill grandson. Throughout her treacherous journey, she encounters a young white male who threatens her by “lifting his gun” (5;7) and pointing it at Phoenix. The narrator’s initial characterization and interaction of Phoenix, allows her to demonstrate perseverance later in the story. Within the first few paragraphs the narrator describes Phoenix as an “old negro woman” (1;3) who is also “very old and small” (1;3).

In “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the use of third person limited point of view occurs on many occasions throughout the story. The author’s utilization of this common literary technique allows the reader to become more involved on a personal level with the main character, Phoenix Jackson. It also allows for a deeper understanding of her perspective of the world around her as seen and experienced by an old, uneducated, woman who wishes to do nothing more than to care for her ailing grandson, even though the time for his care and concern is long since passed. The author’s adherence to this presentational format allows the artistic freedom to express to the reader the inner thoughts of the main character. Her illusions and delusional episodes

In the short story, "A Worn Path" Eudora Welty's plot is not all that clear in the beginning, but progresses as her character carries on against the overwhelming forces against her. In this short story a black elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson, must overcome the odds against her as she valiantly travels through many obstacles in order to contribute to the wellness of her grandson, for whom she is making this trip down "a worn path." It is at this point that all of Welty's readers' hearts open up to this poor, elderly woman as she makes an attempt to carry on her love for her grandson by taking a long journey down a familiar path in order to get medication that seems to help ease his sickness pains. However, there are many forces against

As the story progresses, Welty reveals how Phoenix does not give up despite the obstacles she faces with nature. She encounters a black dog as she goes to rest in a trench. She thinks to herself,

Sources like Claxton (2015) felt that, throughout her fiction, “Welty displays a complex awareness of the relationships between place and the human and nonhuman communities that inhabit these spaces.” With old Phoenix, mentally she figured that by speaking about challenges she may face by saying to herself “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!... Keep out from under these feet, little bob-whites…Keep the big wild hogs out of my path” (Welty, 1941) things would change since she knew that the direction taking was going to be “a long way” (Welty,

Laura Garcia Mrs. Metzker English lll B 22 April 2016 Have you ever felt like giving up but something keeps you going, leading you to your path? This is the story of Phoenix Jackson, a small and very old color woman from short story, “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty. This short story was published on February 1941, and is about an old lady making her way to town, to a charity where she will receive her grandson’s medicine for his sickness condition. Old lady, Jackson, passes through many challenging situations on her way to her path, but she does not give up. This short story shows that love for someone can make you do the impossible and its characters are realistic because of their appearance, description, and actions.

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” the protagonist and heroine of the story, Phoenix did

Eudora Welty tells the story of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African American woman, who takes a long frequent journey on the Natchez trace. Due to the fact Phoenix is so old and the trip is an exponentially difficult one in which she must overcome many obstacles to reach her destination. Ultimately her fierce determination enables Phoenix to accomplish her annual goal of getting the grandson his medicine. In "A Worn Path" she uses symbolism and vivid characterization to show how determination and love will enable people to survive no matter the difficultly of the situation or the struggle they face. Phoenix becomes a great example for people who face problems and illustrates the qualities necessary to succeed when barriers block success.

In the beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to our main character Phoenix Jackson. She is described as a small, old Negro woman. The name Eudora Welty gives the main character is emblematic, it evokes images of the mythical bird which rises from the flames and regenerates. The story of the mythical creature is that it lives for five centuries before burning to ashes, and then afterward, it rises back up to life as a young bird from the ashes to complete a continuous cycle.(Butterworth) Phoenix, the women in the story, represents the myth of the bird on the grounds that she is described as being elderly and near the end of her life. Since she is of an advanced age, she can hardly walk and uses a cane made of an old umbrella to aid her, " ...moving a little from side to side in

The author of “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty creates a symbolic passage in which the elderly protagonist is challenged by the path’s inhabitants and various prejudices. Throughout the story, Phoenix encounters various dangers, and mysterious occurrences in the forest as she walks on a path. Welty uses symbolism to connect many subjects, such as birds and a windmill, to reveal multiple truths in modern life. The author elaborates on life’s countless tribulations, and how they affect the main character. Throughout the short story, the author challenges the reader “both to unlearn and to relearn” the points of which was perceived as regular and to rethink what the reader thought was true. (Orr “Unsettling Every Definition of Otherness”)