Symbolism in A Worn Path by Edora Welty

The story begins when Phoenix makes her way into a forest abundant with wildlife. The animals that she is afraid of symbolize her first obstacle in her journey. She tells the animals “Don’t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way.” This shows that even at the very beginning of a person’s journey there will be things that will make a person fearful, but it is best just to keep on going and push those fears aside.

Then Phoenix is confronted with her next obstacle in the form of a bush grabbing at her dress. She at first says that she was fooled by the bush thinking that it was “a pretty little green bush,”

Phoenix then has to cross over a log laying across a creek. “Putting her right foot out, she mounted the log and shut her eyes.” When a person has to face something or cross over a tough spot in life, sometimes it is better if that person just closes their eyes and has faith that they will reach the end of their problem. Phoenix did just that. “Then she opened her eyes and she was safe on the other side.”

At the end of Phoenix’s journey it is revealed why Phoenix had traveled all of that way and it was not for herself, but her little grandson. She had forgotten after her whole entire journey, what it was she had came for. Life is the same way. People can live their whole lives searching for something without even knowing what they are looking for. It is not discovered until the final part of her journey that Phoenix discovers what she went through all that for.

Next in Phoenix’s journey a big black dog jumps up and knocks her into a

Some topics in this essay:
Eudora Welty, Worn Path, Life People, phoenix’s journey, , phoenix takes, worn path, black dog,