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Phoenix jackson character traits
Setting symbolism in the worn path
Phoenix jackson character analysis essay
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“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is an interesting short story, full of symbolism. This story is about an old African American lady named Phoenix Jackson. The story does not directly tells us that she is old, but we know she is old because she forgets the reason why she went to the town. Welty writes about Phoenix’s journey through the woods of Mississippi to the town of Natchez to get medicine for her grandson. Along the way, Phoenix encounters several obstacles in her way, which have symbolism and on the things she says on her way to the town. Symbolism is shown on the obstacles she encounters on her way to the town. The obstacles show and represent racism for example on the big dead trees, cake, and mistletoe. In her story “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty used symbolism to demonstrate that determination and will enabled Phoenix to survive in life no matter how difficult the struggle was.
The story shows that there could be still slavery or it has already passed, but we know that there is still racism. Slaves were escaping from their owners to free land where African American would be free. The town of Natchez Trace was an overland trail between Nashville, Tennessee, and Natchez, Mississippi. In the early 1800s, it was a "worn path", which promoted progress for the African American slaves. Her journey was along a "worn path," this means that she had walked this trip many times. This worn path is also symbolic for the pilgrimages made by all pilgrims who were on a quest, religious or otherwise, in all of history; the worn path is full of challenges and hardships along the way. The pilgrims were like the African salves because they also wanted to be free and do whatever they wanted to do. Many blacks probably wanted to go to Natchez t...
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... to get her grandson the help that he needs. Eudora Welty wrote the short story based on the southern way of life that she had observed. The modernist theme focused on overcoming and problem no matter what it took. Welty’s writing was a focus on the African American lifestyle in the South in the early nineteen hundreds. It was a tough road for the African Americans but they did what they had to. For example Phoenix encounters many things that Eudora Welty describes the readers to racism in the south. Welty symbolizes racism by the dead trees, the cake, and mistletoe. Also, racism is shown by the actions on the white people towards her.
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Work Cited
Welty, Eudora. "The Atlantic." The Atlantic Monthly. Feb. 1980. 22 May. 2014. .
The stories that the author told were very insightful to what life was like for an African American living in the south during this time period. First the author pointed out how differently blacks and whites lived. She stated “They owned the whole damn town. The majority of whites had it made in the shade. Living on easy street, they inhabited grand houses ranging from turn-of-the-century clapboards to historics”(pg 35). The blacks in the town didn’t live in these grand homes, they worked in them. Even in today’s time I can drive around, and look at the differences between the living conditions in the areas that are dominated by whites, and the areas that are dominated by blacks. Racial inequalities are still very prevalent In today’s society.
In the short story "A Worn Path," the message that Eudora Welty sends to the readers is one of love, endurance, persistence, and perseverance. Old Phoenix Jackson walks a long way to town, through obstacles of every sort, but no obstacle is bad enough to stop her from her main goal. She may be old and almost blind, but she knows what she has to do and won't give up on it. Her grandson has swallowed lye, and she has a holy duty of making her way to town in order to get medicine for him. The wilderness of the path does not scare her off. She stumbles over and over, but she talks herself through every obstacle. Undoubtedly, the theme of perseverance is what Eudora Welty wants to point out to her readers. Just like the name Phoenix suggests
In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yet another perilous journey to a near by city to get medicine for her ailing grandson. On the way this old woman faces many obstacles, both natural and man-made. Phoenix draws upon her perseverance and willingness to sacrifice herself to help her throughout her journey, but it is the undying love for her grandson that truly guides and drives her to her final goal. She is described as being a very old woman. “Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color run underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark (Welty 386). These all show an indication of her old age. Also, her loss of memory indicates her old age. It was only until Phoenix reached the doctor’s office she remembered why she went on her journey. “My grandson. It was my memory had left me. There I sat and forgot why I made my trip”(Welty 394). Another character in the story was a white man who was a hunter. When Phoenix falls in the ditch, he helps her out of the ditch. Even though the hunter helps Phoenix, he still poses as a threat to her, because it seems he did not want her to finish her journey. This is made apparent when he states, “Why, that’s too far! That’s as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble”(Welty 391). In addition, like her name, Phoenix seems ageless. When she stops to drink water from the spring she says, “Nobody know who made this well, for it was here when I was born”(Welty 391). When she encounters the hunter and he asks her how old she is she says, “There is no telling, mister, “said, “no telling” (Welty 392). Again her age is emphasized when she goes to the doctor’s office and the nurse ask her why she never went to school. “I never did go to school, I was too old a...
This story is so simple but tells more than just an old African American trip to town for medicine for her grandson. But from a great insight, Phoenix Jackson developed a sense of responsibility toward her grandson, who actually might be the only person in her life. The moral of the story tells about an old African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who was taking a journey from her home into town to seek some medication for her ill grandson. During this journey, the story describes Phoenix Jackson facing struggles and obstacles against her eye sight and old age, as well as nature’s obstacles, thorn bushes and barbed wire. Through these obstacles, Phoenix Jackson is able to depict her poetic view of the world through symbolism.
“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is a story of an elderly black woman’s journey into town for her grandson’s medicine. Using lots of imagery throughout the story, the narrator tells us that the woman, Phoenix Jackson takes this dangerous journey out of love for her grandson who is in need of medicine. Throughout her journey, she encounters many people who are of great importance to the story.
In Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandson's health and her state of poverty.
Eudora Welty establishes “The Worn Path” in the midst of the twentieth century – in an era where African Americans were not considered as equal to white Americans. Welty tells the story of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African-American woman, who makes a lengthy voyage into town to get medication for her chronically ill grandson. For most people the journey from the countryside to a town in a city, would not be very difficult. However, the fact that old infirm Phoenix is faced with hindrances and some racist attitudes of people she encounters along the journey; she endeavors onward despite frequent hindrances in her path that include her own deteriorating health and the grandchild’s slim chance of subsistence.
During the early 1900’s, the time period in which the story took place, racism was rampant throughout the entire nation. While African Americans technically were equal by law, they were anything but, in action. Laws such as “separate but equal” were used to justify blatant discrimination, laws that were coined as “Jim Crow Laws.” (Wikipedia, Jim Crow Laws) Jim Crow Laws were local and state laws that were used to “legally” discriminate and segregate African Americans. Perhaps the most well-known Jim Crow law of that time was “separate but equal,” a law that opened up the gates to decades of racial tension and discrimination.
There are multiple themes in this fictional story. Some themes presented in this story include racism, family, and responsibility. The most prominent theme is the age and perseverance, because the protagonist is predisposed to failure given her age but her tenacity keeps her going. “A Worn Path” tells the story of a courageous elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix endangers her life to get a charity medicine for her grandson, who is unable to fully heal because of a lye accident.
“A Worn Path” is a story of determination and true strength of a grandmother through her journey to her grandson’s salvation. The title itself explores a cyclical path that each of us encounters in our lives and will continue to do so in the future. “The Worn Path” begins and ends throughout the course of Phoenix Jackson’s journey. In the story "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, an old woman whose human spirit is full of devotion, dignity and high drive overcomes tremendous impediments of life in the name of love for her grandson.
“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.
Eudora Welty presents the short story “A Worn Path” in a remarkable way, revealing a lot of symbolism. It travels around multiple themes throughout the story about an old aged woman walking through a grueling trail to a town to gather medicine for her grandson in Mississippi. This short story takes places in December on a “bright frozen day” where an old Negro woman arises by the name of Phoenix Jackson. I believe she signifies a struggle, but when looking at her a bit deeper, she mostly signifies willpower (Welty, 502). As she goes towards the town on the path, she appears to have walked numerous times before; she has to overcome many problems. What’s important is that with each move she takes it looks to be pretty sluggish, but yet a steady move in the direction of her goal. The story gives an understanding to the determination and confidence of Phoenix Jackson to point out the belief of people in identical lives of endless struggle. In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty reveals the idea that sometimes our lives can be a lot like an obstacles course, which are made up of difficulties that we have to overcome somehow.
Moberly, Kevin. “TOWARD THE NORTH STAR: EUDORA WELTY’S “A WORN PATH” AND THE SLAVE NARRATIVE TRADITION”
'A Worn Path' is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a grandmother for her grandchild. Phoenix Jackson is Eudora Welty's main character and protagonist in A Worn Path.? Phoenix is an old, frail woman who attempts to proceed on a long and treacherous journey through the woods to Natchez. Phoenix strives forward despite frequent obstacles in her way that include her own failing health and her grandchild's slim chance of survival. As she takes this prolonged trek across the woods, many of her characteristics are revealed. Her tenacity, senility, and consideration that she displays throughout her long worn path emphasize her character.
In “A Worn Path,” Jackson character is related to the theme of love, persistence and racial prejudice. Jackson demonstrates love for her grandson as she risk her life through the cold weather to retrieve medicine for her grandson. Her devotion and bravery showed the love that she had for her grandson. In today’s society, you would not see family or friends who care enough for their loved ones to risk their life to help get something that is beneficial for someone else. People who would go great lengths to protect someone they love is rare. Not only did she care for him, but she loved him. Jackson perseverance is shown as she faced the hostile and corrupt world. While keeping warm she must crawl under barbed-wired fences, walk through a maze and protect herself from the wild animals. Not only are these her problems as she takes her occasionally trips to Natchez, she must deal with the pain of age, poverty and racial prejudice, which was a factor during her lifetime. Although she faced perseverance she stayed consistent. The story does not focus on racial issues, but it is implied in the context. Consider the hunter who made racial slurs about blacks going to see Santa Clause or the attendant and shopper calling her granny. Interestingly, the people who she encountered at first were somewhat treating her with kindness. The narrator does not reveal their race, but