On her way to town, Phoenix says while climbing up the tiresome hill that runs through the path, “Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far.” This is clearly an indication of a reference to bound slaves that old Phoenix can remember from her younger years. She also notes, “Something always take a hold of me on this hill—pleads I should stay.” This statement seems to be referring to the blacks struggle to attain equality in a very unequal world during this period of unrest fol

A subtle theme of racism is seen immediately when Phoenix arrives in town from the woods. She asks a lady to tie up her shoe and the lady responds with, “What do you want Grandma?” Again, the reference to “Grandma” is a sign that Phoenix was not looked upon as an equal, but merely as an elderly black woman in a predominantly white world.

When Phoenix arrives at the medical building, she enters and sees “the document that had been stamped with the gold seal and framed in the gold frame, which matched the dream that was hung up in her head.” Understandably, this is an illustration of how she hopes that one day black people too will have an opportunity to attain the “document stamped with the gold seal and framed in the gold frame.” Upon meeting the receptionist, Phoenix is greeted with, “A charity case, I suppose.” This display of utter disregard for another’s feelings, perhaps the feelings of an African-American, is a clear sign that the black person of the day was just not held in as high a regard as the white person. When Phoenix speaks with the nurse, she is met with a bit of belittlement. When she enters her forgetful phase inside the office, the nurse tells her, “You mustn’t take up our time this way…tell us quickly about your grandson, and get it over.” Even though the nurse is probably the most sympathetic character in the story towards Phoenix, ther

Some topics in this essay:
Worn Path”, Phoenix Jackson’s, Phoenix African-American, “a worn path”, worn path”, “a worn, , Path” Welty’s, stamped gold seal, African Americans, gold seal framed, seal framed gold, seal framed, phoenix arrives, theme racism, town phoenix, world phoenix, slaves phoenix, medical building, civil war,