Our journey through this world, with its unexpected obstacles and stumbling blocks, is easily compared to one woman's trip to town on a mission of unselfish love, to get medicine for her grandson. Whether the worn path in this story is representative of Phoenix's life, or simply life in general, it is filled with symbols for the obstacles and evils found in any one person's journey through a lifetime.
It isn't difficult to find several examples of symbolism in "A Worn Path."" The author, Eudora Welty, uses many, and most of them are nature symbols. The first one that becomes apparent to the reader is the main character's name, "Phoenix Jackson- (105). A phoenix is a mythical bird that rises from the ashes of its own destruction to begin anew. If Phoenix Jackson is seen as a representative of her race after the civil war, it is easy to find a connection. Just as a phoenix will rise from the ashes, so too did the African American people, emerging from their long years of oppression. Or the significance of Phoenix's name could be taken as symbolic of her own resilience. Her devotion to her grandson and her determination to care for him are there to see in her arduous journey, which the nurse comments on: "She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork- (110).
Other symbols soon become evident to the reader. When Phoenix climbs the hill, she remarks to herself that it "seems like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far- (106). This hill is symbolic of the hard life Phoenix has traveled in order to get what she wants. Soon after, the old woman comes across a thorn bush, which caught her dress. Phoenix says to the bush, "Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass "no sir- (106). The fact that Phoenix feels that "it was not possible to allow the dress to tear- shows her unwillingness to compromise her beliefs when faced with an obstacle in life (106).
A Worn Path Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" is a fantastic journey through an elderly woman's daily struggles. ... At first, the reader almost seems to be able to walk with Phoenix on her path because the description of her surroundings is so well stated. ... This brief description of the plot of "A Worn Path" is minimal in comparison to how interesting the story really was. ...
Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" tells the story of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly black woman living in the early to mid twentieth century. ... The significance of the title of "A Worn Path," however, lies in its complexity and in its many interpretations. ... Within the context of this particular interpretation, the keyword "worn" in "A Worn Path" implies that this path has been traveled many times before by Phoenix. ... Indeed the "path" is "worn" as a result of Phoenix's repeated trips to the town for her grandson's well being, and driven by her love for him, she will most lik...
One of her most well-known short stories is "A Worn Path," which she wrote in 1940. ... The setting of "A Worn Path" began in rural southern Mississippi along the Natchez Trail. ... The advantage of being a native of Mississippi has helped Eudora set the setting of "A Worn Path." As a person reads "A Worn Path," it can't go un-noticed that Phoenix Jackson is a unique name. ... Eudora's life in Mississippi and her familiarity with the Natchez Trail greatly influenced the setting and the main character's name in the short story "A Worn Path." ...
"A Worn Path" is a story of an old woman whose human spirit is full of devotion, dignity and high drive that helps her overcome tremendous impediments of life in the name of love for her grandson. ... Phoenix Jackson, as a woman who possesses both qualities, teaches us life lessons to hold onto and experience for ourselves, as we journey down our own "worn path". ... In the story "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson, despite the racial injustice which she was forced to endure in her lifetime, lives up to her name by using her inner strength and wisdom throughout her journey to reach ...
Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" begins as a simple story of an old woman walking through the woods to town. ... In "A Worn Path," Phoenix Jackson seems like a silly, old woman. ... In "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, the exposition is found near the end of the story. ...
A Worn Path "A Worn Path" is a short story that was written by Eudora Weltey. This story was about a little old black lady named Phoenix Jackson who lived way back in the piney woods with her grandson. And every time he ran out of his medication, she would walk a long journey to the nearest town...
A Worn Path "A Worn Path" is a short story that was written by Eudora Weltey. This story was about a little old black lady named Phoenix Jackson who lived way back in the piney woods with her grandson. And every time he ran out of his medication, she would walk a long journey to the nearest town...
A Worn Path / The Lottery Both "A Worn Path," by Eudora Welty, and "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, deal with routine and the impact following a routine can have on people. In "A Worn Path", Old Phoenix shows how as you get older, your capability of doing things become limited which leads you to doing things over and over again following a set of routine. ... In " A Worn Path," as Old Phoenix walked through the woods and got to the top of the hill and gave a full, severe look behind her where she had come and said "Up through pines," then "N...
In her short story, "A Worn Path," Eudora Welty uses many different symbols that convey an underlying meaning that death is lurking around every corner and around every bend in the road. Some of these symbols include the title itself, "A Worn Path," the rustling in the bushes, Phoenix Jackson's dress catching in the bush, and the scarecrow and the black dog. ... The first symbol is the title of the story and how it brings Phoenix Jackson to her journey of "A Worn Path." ... The path Phoenix takes is the path of her life. ... Phoenix Jackson walks a path through the long journey of life. ...
