The interpretive nature of “A Worn Path” adds to the mystery and story telling of the tale. While the main character, Phoenix Jackson, is a very likeable character she has many faults, her lack of education, old age, and unattractiveness. Grandma Jackson’s noble pursuit of medicine for her grandson makes the reader examine what he or she is doing with their lives. You can tell how much she cares for her grandson as she remembers why she made the trip in this quote “My little grandson, he sit up there in the house all wrapped up, waiting by himself,” Phoenix went on. “We is the only two left in the world. He suffer and it don’t seem to put him back at all. He got a sweet look. He going to last. He wear a little patch quilt and peep out holdi

Grandma Phoenix deals with many different forms of conflict throughout the story. She struggles to make her way to town for her grandson sacrificing and risking her own self. Mrs. Jackson deals with man versus man conflict when the hunter pointed his gun at her and intimidated her with his dog. Phoenix contends with nature as she struggles to free herself from a thorn bush, and she does not want to rip her dress. She talks to the bush stating "Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass, no sir. Old eyes thought you was a pretty little green bush" However, she manages to free herself from the thorn bush. She also has to deal with a stray dog that gets in her patch and prevents her from moving forward. Grandma Phoenix contends with society when she sees the shiny nickel fall out of the hunter’s bag, when the hunter becomes preoccupied with the strange dog she reaches down and grabs the nickel even though she knows she is stealing in front of god. The reason she steals becomes evident as at the end of the story she decides to buy her grandson a paper windmill as a present, even though she stole she still did it all for her grandson. Eudora Welty may have been using a symbol from another classic book as this criticism states “Welty has created through Phoenix a modern Don Quixote. Her grandson's sparring with the windmills will be his quest for freedom, for equality in this new world that has been opened up for him”. (The Explicator pg. 152) Grandma Phoenix has to deal with herself and her own old age while making her trek to the city for her grandson’s medicine. The description of Phoenix Jackson at the beginning of this story gives

Some topics in this essay:
Grandma Phoenix, Phoenix Jackson, Worn Path”, Worn Path, Grandma Jackson’s, Aunt Phoenix, Phoenix Jackson’s, Don Quixote, Eudora Welty, grandma phoenix, “a worn, worn path”, “a worn path”, , phoenix jackson, free thorn bush, town grandson, interpretive literature, makes reader, phoenix’s grandson, hunter gun, phoenix contends, story “a worn,