Symbolism In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

In the article “Toward the North Star: Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” and the slave narrative” by Kevin Moberly, the author Kevin Moberly connects the obstacles that appear in the path to the slave narrative and argues that the journey Phoenix Jackson makes is a journey that does not lead to freedom, but it leads into successive stages of bondage. He also argues that Phoenix’s crossing also suggests a descent into slavery and bondage. For example, the tapping of Phoenix Jackson’ cane links her to a symbol of freedom and voice “the chirping of a solitary little bird” (142). Throughout the journey she encounters different obstacles the first ones are the “woods” and “hills”. She is struggling up the hills, but she maintains her balance. While walking, she complains about how difficult it has become to walk this path, no doubt that she has traveled this path so many times. Climbing the hills, it gives an illusion to bondage. On the way she encounters “thorn bushes”, she struggles to release herself, but gets caught into another “Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass, no sir. Old eyes, though you were a pretty little green bush” Phoenix says while feeling a sense of deception. When one examines the first incident that undoubtedly recalls a trope of a slave narrative tradition, Phoenix says, “Now comes the trails,” she then proceeds to cross the log with her eyes shut “like a festival figure in some parade” (143). Phoenix actions, recalls the suffering

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.

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” the character Phoenix Jackson is introduced. Phoenix Jackson is an uneducated, African-American woman without any family besides her sick grandson. Phoenix is the hero of this story and fits the role well by delivering much-needed medicine to her grandson. Phoenix shows many distinct traits that reveal her to be a hero to her grandson. The heroic feats she accomplishes pave a path that leads to her satisfaction as well as protection of her most beloved asset, her grandson. Throughout the story, Phoenix’s humble, caring, and determined character is displayed through her actions.

Phoenix also symbolizes a mythical bird; she has “the regenerative qualities of the bird are seen in Phoenix’s determination each time she suffers a setback,” Like the bird how it gets reborn again Phoenix keeps on getting up from the challenges and keeps on going just like getting reborn again. That is why the author named the main character Phoenix because she is like the mythical bird the phoenix in many ways even the description of Phoenix gives symbolism of her being like the bird. Phoenix wears a red rag to tie her hair and running underneath her skin “a golden color” [welty1274]. The image of the bird is shown in Phoenix’s face “the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark” [Welty 1274]. Her golden tone skin represents the fiery golden red feathers the bird has.

The story “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty tells the story of a woman named Phoenix Jackson, who lives in Natchez Mississippi. Phoenix has a grandson that she cares for that has swallowed a chemical called lye, that was in many households back when Welty wrote this story. Lye poisoning was common in rural areas. Welty is writing about this problem the hardship Phoenix Jackson went through to receive medical treatment at that time. Without the name Phoenix Jackson and the characteristics, she possesses there is no way she could overcome the obstacles that stood in her way.

“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.

In addition to her physical deterioration, Phoenix Jackson is struggling with senility and mental fatigue. The round character is fatigued by life. The protagonist is consumed with grief regarding her economic hardship, grandson’s failing health and the blatant racism. All of these social factors are eroding her mind. Jackson has lost her perception and memory. She is easily fooled and mistaken. For example, in the woods, the elderly woman approaches an ominous figure that she is unable to identify. As she continues to approach the unknown object, she realizes that she encountered a scarecrow. Upon this realization, the aged woman acknowledges her decreasing mental capabilities. “My senses is gone. I too old, I the oldest people I ever know” (117). Phoenix Jackson, in Welty’s “A Worn Path” must battle the physical and mental challenges as she travels to Natchez to obtain medicine for her beloved grandson.

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 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

In Edurora welt’y short story “A Worn Path “ we quickly learn that she’s a strong and powerful woman.She goes to The clinic to get her grandson’s medicine that he really needs. She goes through The woods all across town just to get to The clinic and she really wants to get her grandson’s a Christmas gift but she didn’t have The money to get it, but she went through a lot of obstacles just to get there This clever use of symbolism continues as Jackson slowly makes the long journey to town.She talks to the animals such as coons,beetles,and wild hogs scaring them away. She speaks of the snakes.Sleeping for The winter and the scarecrow ,she think it’s a ghost.

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.

Although Phoenix Jackson is old, tired, dirty, and poor, nothing can stand in her way. In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” Phoenix jumps off the page as a vibrant protagonist full of surprises as she embarks on a long, arduous journey to

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

One such simile in this story occurs in the description of Phoenix Jackson’s face: “Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of