The first symbol is the title of the story and how it brings Phoenix Jackson to her journey of “A Worn Path.” This path is familiar to Phoenix, for she has traveled down it her entire life. As Phoenix starts her long journey through the deep ominous woods, she knows anything could happen if she is not careful. With her ears and senses alert, she makes slow but steady steps into the woods. Phoenix hears rustling in the bushe

Black dogs are believed to be the gatekeeper of Hell. When Phoenix reaches the old wagon road, “a black dog with a lolling tongue came up out of the weeds by the ditch,” and Phoenix snaps her cane at the dog and falls over into the ditch herself (89). Seeing the dog startles Phoenix. When the black dog jumps out of the ditch and Phoenix falls into the ditch, this has a symbolic meaning of falling into the pits of Hell or being lowered into the ground when one is buried.

Death uses many forms to disguise itself. As Phoenix makes her way through the maze of the cornfield, she sees something she mistakes for a man. Suddenly she yells sharply, “Ghost […] who you be the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by” (88). As she strains to see with “eyes aged with old […],” her vision focuses on a scarecrow trying to scare away unwanted visitors (87). Phoenix laughs at herself and tells the scarecrow to “Dance, old scarecrow, […] while I dance with you”

Some topics in this essay:
Heaven Phoenix’s, Worn Path”, Hell Phoenix, Phoenix Jackson, Phoenix Jackson’s, Eudora Welty, Trick Death, worn path”, “a worn path”, “a worn, rustling bushes, black dog, falls ditch, life phoenix, 87 phoenix, phoenix jackson, path phoenix, death lurking,