Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

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 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

Phoenix, on the other hand, was a selfish manipulative old woman who had an obsession with power. She was on a journey through the woods to the city, where she had many encounters. When Phoenix encounters the hunter she steals the money that falls out of his pockets. She always seems to want something for her troubles. However, later in the story while in the hospital, Phoenix has a totally different personality. She seems to have no guilt for the actions she makes.

Phoenix encounters a hunter during her mission. The hunter makes racial comments and down Jackson, and tells her to go on back home. Jackson tells the hunter “I bound to go to town” because this was her mission. The hunter tries to scare Jackson with holding a gun to her but because she is dedicated to her grandson she does not skip a beat. Phoenix Jackson tells the hunter, “No, Sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done.” Phoenix loved her grandson and new the only way to help him was to get to town and get the medicine he needed.

Some examples are that she was referred to as a charity case,the other woman acting strangely towards her because she asked for some assistance tying her shoe, and the hunter mocking her with the gun. Phoenix had done nothing wrong to them, but she rose up from the ashes of disappointment and grew even stronger against the criticism and what the others had to say. She just ignored their comments as she knew that she need to complete the journey for her grandsons very important medication or that his throat could swell again and could cause serious

Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path' is a story that emphasizes the natural symbolism of the surroundings. As the story begins, we are introduced to our main character, Phoenix Jackson; she is described as a small, old Negro woman. I believe that the name Eudora Welty gives our main character is very symbolic. The legend of the Phoenix is about a fabled sacred bird of ancient Egyptians. The bird is said to come out of Arabia every 500 years to Heliopolis, where it burned itself on the altar and rose again from its ashes, young and beautiful. Phoenix, the women in the story, represents the myth of the bird because she is described as being elderly and near the end of her life. Phoenix can hardly walk and uses a cane

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.

Phoenix interacts with the white hunter, a lady in the street, the attendant, and the nurse. Phoenix asks a lady walking by on the road for assistance with her shoelaces. She explains to the lady that the appearance of her shoes would be appropriate out in the country but not in a big building (Welty, 2013, p.238). Her explanation suggests unwritten social guidelines concerning dress code in cities. Although her appearance is a little less than formal, she strives to achieve a little formality in her dress code. Her actions suggest the existence of social class difference requiring a specific dress for particular

Another example of the theme of determination in this short story is when Phoenix meets up with a young white hunter. She shows great determination as he tries to deter Phoenix from going to town, by him saying, “Now you go on home, Granny!” (3). Another way the hunter tries to deter Phoenix from her path is when he points the gun at Phoenix and asks her if she is scared. Phoenix shows great determination by standing her ground and not letting the hunter get to her. Her determination to get medicine for her grandson overpowers any fear that she might have

On Phoenix’s journey to obtain relief for her grandson, the white hunter is the only character that she meets before she gets to Natchez. The hunter finds Phoenix laying on the ground and he helps her get up. Later, the hunter asks her why she needs to go to town and tries to convince her to go home and give up. Welty includes this character in the story to represent the whites who repressed blacks. After helping Phoenix to her feet, the hunter immediately starts trying to get her to go home and give up on her journey towards true freedom for blacks. Phoenix tells him that “I bound to go to town, mister. The time come around,” (Welty 145) showing that she feels that African Americans have been oppressed for too long and it’s her task to help get it for the next generation of blacks in America. But, after she tells the hunter

        Along with struggling against her old age Phoenix Jackson had many elements of nature holding her back from helping her grandson. She had to travel very far to reach the hospital for his medicine. On her way she encountered many elements of wildlife, of which she scared out of her path. Her dress was constantly caught in the brush and was in danger of being ruined as she passed a barbed wire fence. This also took place during Christmas time when it more than likely was extremely cold out side. But Phoenix's desire to help her grandson, and save his life, while also preserving some life of her own, helped her strive in completing this trip.

The hunter urged Phoenix to go back home but she was persistent to continue her journey. As a reader, you can notice that the white hunter had an issue with the elderly African American woman race and was trying to hold back from completing her journey. An incident like this happened to me. One summer I really want to go to this prestigious ballet intensive so I decided to auditions for it. When I arrived to audition I was very nervous. As I looked around there were a lot of girls but I did not see anyone of my color. Soon, a white couple, who were conducting the audition walk in and it begins. Right from the start, I could see that they were not looking at me and I was standing right in front of them. This made me want to dance even harder, I was hitting every step, sticking my turns, and staying on beat.We finally finished the combination that they gave us and then it was time for cuts. The couple instructed us to line up in numeric order and they called the numbers they did not want. My number happen to be the first and only number they called. I felt so hurt that they looked only at the color of my skin instead of my ballet technique.

Phoenix lived in a society where racism was still running strong. Yet she faced and dealt with that every day of her life. As an African-American slave, she would have toil in the fields, wondering if she would still be alive by the time the sun was setting. Phoenix is visible shaken with a run a scarecrow she believed to be a ghost. She says to image, "'Ghost,' she said sharply, 'who be you the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by” (Welty 24).Slave mothers would often show that same fear as they watched the shadows return from the field; wondering if their loved ones were still alive or was going to come home unharmed. Phoenix faced those same fears as a mother and grandmother. If Phoenix was caught in the

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.

including the white hunter and black dog, Phoenix runs into in the story represent different individuals of all colors which present obstacles in a person such as Phoenix’s life. When the hunter comes along, the author describes him as white. She could have left his color out of the description, but she obviously felt it important to mention to her