Symbolism In Edurora Welty's A Worn Path

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.

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.

The title of the story, “A Worn Path,” is foreshadowing something coming to an end. In Phoenix Jackson's case, it could mean the last time she walks the path or it could even very well be her life. Eudora Welty describes Phoenix walking slowly in the dark pine shadows with a cane, indicating the rough journey ahead. Early on in the story, she encounters a thorn patch. In this story, it states,“Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let old folks pass, no sir. Old eyes thought you was a pretty little green bush.” The thorns represent some of the hurdles that hinder you if you are born black in America, especially in Jackson's time. The author uses imagery in the story to make the reader feel as if they know her. “God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing.” When Jackson talks to herself aloud the reader imagines the young spirited side of her.

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 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

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.

In the story “Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Eudora uses the mythological bird Phoenix as a key feature in her story. The phoenix symbolizes rebirth, in this story we are shown two more specific characters. However, the main character has the spotlight on her while the other character is the glue to the story. These two characters represent the young vs. the old. The old is the grandma, also known as Phoenix and the young is her grandson. Most people assume that the young people take care of the old, with taxes and making sure their health is up to par, but most fail to realize that the old take care of the young most of the time. “...I go on another trip for the soothing medicine” (pg 855). This sentence explains that his grandma went through a terrible journey to get him the medicine that he needs to survive. Paola Scommegna states that “throughout the process of aging, most people age with taking care of others”. The endless cycle of young and old really does take its toll, but if you just took a minute to thank your family for taking care of you, then you may see why Phoenix did the things she did for her grandson’s health.

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

Phoenix realizes that she must keep on going so as she keeps going she passes through various of places which are all dead which kind of makes her fell like if it was meant to be there for her. So that helped her keep going she remembers that there is a gum tree near by which water flows from it so as she reaches the gum tree she drinks from it and remembers all the times she would go through there. She continues her journey and is approached by a dog that knocks her over into a ditch she asks fell help but there is no one around until a white hunter shows up and helps her out. He asks her what is an old lady like her doing out there in the woods and as if he feels he is more superiorto her, he points the gun he has at her and she doesn’t say anything. He asks her aren’t u afraid grandma but she say no that she has had that happen to her plenty of times and she won’t be afraid he drops a nickel on the ground but he doesn’t realize it. Phoenix rallies his dog up and another dog comes and the hunter’s dog and that other dog start to fight and she quickly picks up the nickel and puts it away hiding it from the hunter. The hunter comes back and tells her if he had money he would give it to her but he doesn’t. the hunter lied to her and then he goes about his own way she finally reaches Natchez and as

In the short story “A Worn Path” Edora Welty establishes that “A person’s actions portray their character” through the use of metaphors by comparing Phoenix to everyday objects in our life.

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

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

Phoenix Jackson lived back in the country past the pines. She lived a lifetime of hardship. Her role in society is an old black woman in a white world, though she is not ashamed of her inferior position. She has walked a path periodically to get medicine for her chronically ill grandson who drank lye. On a cold December day, she shares one of her journeys to the hospital in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path." This specific journey is examined closely of an old woman full of dedication, dignity and high morale.

The story “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield uses a lot of symbolism. The story uses it when describing what she wears and her thoughts as well as her actions towards the end of the story. The symbolism used helps the readers understand her feelings and the story as a whole. The symbolism in the story will help see the internal conflicts that Miss Brill is facing.

In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, I believe what invites the reader to begin to see something more than just hiking in the forest is seen in this line, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back” (14-15). I believe this line makes this idea of the poem meaning more than a walk because it hints that a choice can lead to seeing options or how witnessing a certain environment can make an impression for future experiences. The something more in this poem is putting the emphasis on how important choices are all about preference and how the individual choosing which way to go in life can have a big or a small impact for the rest of their life, “I took the road less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference”