Phoenix Rises from The Ashes When asked by a white hunter " Doesn't the gun scare you?" while having it pointed at her, Phoenix Jackson, of Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path", replies "No, sir. I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done," This is an example of how the protagonist deals with another of her travails. Phoenix's conflicts only hone the thrust of Welty's tale of triumph over adversity. The irrelevancy of these tortures to this person's purpose is made all the more poignant by their staggering weight. From the first line of the narrative you learn the setting is December. A "frozen day", and yet Phoenix does ought but rejoice that it is not the "season" for bulls and snakes. Given the numerous references to her advanced age: a delusion of a small boy handing her a slice of cake after navigating a log bridge, to "Her eyes blue with age." She travels from the deep wood though the dangers of both terrain and prejudice. Throughout the story she encounters obstacles that would deter stalwart heroes of epics. While traveling through the country Phoenix encounters a white hunter who helps her up after being knocked to the ground. Despite his threatening manner, pointing his gun at her, he tries to deter her from her task. He points out the distance she had to travel even to reach the point at which they had met. He callously explains that "I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!". Lastly to add further injury to insult, after losing a nickel and not being aware of it, he claims to not have a penny to give her. All Phoenix does is apologize to "God" for having stolen it. What fear grips a person who knows what they were doing was incredibly important, and yet they cannot recall what they were about? The attendant repeatedly attempted to communicate (in a condescending tone) with Phoenix, yet she had to ignore the questions, for she was unsure why she had made the journey. The nurse came to her rescue, and in so doing gave an explanation why "grandma" had made this arduous voyage. She was caring for her grandson who was suffering from the result of having swallowed lye; consequently at that level of medical and social evolution meant being an invalid without any other sociological resources than his grandmother.
When Phoenix’s “fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money” (4), she shows the reader how desperate she is to get the medicine for her grandson.
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...
The writer starts the story using racial description and symbolism to describe Phoenix Jackson. The...
It is never mentioned what his grandmother is suffering from but I’ve made the assumption that it’s something along the lines of Alzheimer’s- she doesn’t remember anything and has slowly withered away.
Phoenix Jackson was on a long journey up hills and through forest and fields. She says “Seems like there are chains about my feet.” She knows that the journey was hard and would be bad for her body. When reading the story we realize that the fire in Phoenix for her loving grandson keeps her going through the long journey. Her journey may have been long, but she is doing it for someone she loves.
In the modern short story, Eudora Welty clearly develops Phoenix Jackson as a main character who indirectly manipulates other people. Phoenix, as the speaker in “A Worn Path” holds the status of an old Negro woman who continues the everyday cycle of life. Although, in reality Phoenix is an average human being, who feels she must be rewarded for living. Phoenix believes that humanity owes her something for the troubles she encounters throughout her lifetime. When Phoenix says to the hunter, “that’s as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble” (paragraph 46). Incidentally, Phoenix replies to the old hunter’s question it is quite clear that she undoubtedly is expecting compensation; whether it is a pity party or a monetary gift to settle the score. Because Phoenix feels like she must abuse other people, she appears to have the power to be in control of any situation that might come her way. Throughout Welty’s “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson and her actions symbolize her to be a selfish and manipulative woman.
The first way Phoenix is an archetypal hero is because she is full of mysterious and obscure origin. Some ways she is full of mysterious and obscure origin is that it is not clear where she comes from or who her parents are. A second way is that she was a slave. And Finally she has been through hard times and still works through it. In the story when Phoenix is on her
Although it’s a long and treacherous route to Natchez, Phoenix has a wealth of previous experience. Every time she has done this though, she has faced great discouragement. The doctor who provides her with the medicine time and time again tries to demoralize Phoenix by claiming that the grandson’s sickness is “an obstinate case”. Although faced with hearing this dispiriting comment every time she visits the doctor, Phoenix stays determined and continues to make the journey for medicine as many times as needed. This inner determination is also what allows her to face the many obstacles and hardships found on the path itself. When she encounters animals in her way that cause her trouble, she firmly says, “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!...Don’t let none of those running my direction. I got a long way.” These animals attempt to cause hardship for Phoenix, however she stands stronger than ever. The doctor and animals could have easily caused Phoenix to give up, but Phoenix’s love for her grandson as a true parent invigorates her determination letting her continue on this journey no matter setbacks are thrown at
In the short story A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty there is only one main character Miss Phoenix Jackson, who is in barking on a journey that would lead her to the desired destination. Phoenix's personality would change as she gathered more land with her persistent walking, passing through many different settings. Although the change in scenery is blately obvious it is sometimes what we over look, when trying to examine the characters attitude, or morals in different situations. The attitude change in Miss Jackson is noticeable as she lumbers through the pines, crossing the stream, and again while sitting at the doctor's office.
...f questions and she answers all of them respectfully and honestly. Phoenix cleverly distracts the man, with the two dogs that are fighting and he goes off to scare the big black one away by shooting at it. It is when he comes back and points his gun at her, that Phoenix shows no fear if it. When she is asked if she is afraid of it, her reply is, “No sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done” (Welty 58). Her unusual courage shows just how far racism stretches. Normally a human being would show fear when staring a gun down, but with years of white people making slaves out of them; black people had learn to face persecution head on. Therefore, Phoenix faced her trial head on, and the white hunter left with a little more respect for her than before. Which in the society she lived in respect was a gift and to be cherished.
Phoenix's precarious journey may seem dangerous, but her determination is what carries her through the obstacles she faces as she makes her way through the woods. Phoenix makes her way across the worn path and discovers many active opponents. She continues forward over barriers that would not even be considered a hindrance for the young. The long hill that she takes tires her, the thornbrush attempts to catch her clothes, the log that Phoenix goes across endangers her balance as she walks across it, and the barbed-wire fence threatens to puncture her skin. All of these impediments that Phoenix endures apparently do not affect her because she is determined that nothing will stop her on her journey. She keeps proceeding onward letting nothing deter her determination. ?The hunter(tm)s attempt to instill fear in Phoenix, a fear she disposed of years ago as she came to terms with her plight in society, fail (Sykes 151). She ?realizes that the importance of the trip far exceeds the possible harm that can be done to her brittle ...
Having read this over and over again, I would have to say all the evidence points at Phoenix Jackson's grandson being dead. As a reader getting to know each character in this story, I would speculate that Phoenix Jackson takes this trip every year to as way to remember her grandson which she loves so dearly. On her way to town to buy the medicine for her sick grandson, many strange events occurred which could lead us as the audience to believe that Phoenix Jackson might not be in the right state of mind. For example this quote from the book "Ghost, who be you the ghost of? For i have heard of nary death close by" gave me a reason to believe her grandson is not alive but instead dead. Phoenix later realized that it was not a ghost but a scarecrow,
22). The imagery of the clock gives a visual image of Phoenix unsteady walk and partial reasons why she carries a cane. After reading the first two paragraphs of A Worn Path one might wonder why is an elderly woman in such conditions out in the cold. Not until further along in the story does the author go into depth of the character’s reasoning for traveling out in the cold. In spite of Phoenix’s condition and old age you see her determination in paragraph three. In paragraph three she demands any obstacles or troubles that may try to come along her path to move out of her way because she has a long ways to go. The story goes into description of the pathway the woman is following; along the way she may have had little hope or faith until, “Down in the hollow was the mourning dove-it was not to late for him.” (Weltz, 1941, p. 22). Doves have many significant symbols and in paragraph four the dove symbolized hope for Phoenix. This symbol may have encouraged the woman that she still has time. We also learn in this paragraph that the reason Phoenix is traveling this pathway is to help someone she cares
"Wright, you cannot be serious about this. I have never considering you having these types of feelings for me. I do hope this isn't some sort of trick Larry put you up to." He eyed Phoenix questionably, watching intently for any sign of this being an act. It was possible he was imagining it, but Phoenix did not look like he was joking. The slumped posture--even more than usual--and the eyes looking everywhere but him. They appeared to be moist. Appeared. Which meant that it could still be his imagination, but each second of silence was rising the doubt meter another notch. "Wright?" He said the name softly, as if afraid of hurting his friend albeit rival.
The conversation seems as though it confirms her biggest fear. She was possibly rich at one point in her life, although she can’t quite come to grasps with not having money. The reader assumes she is poor because she lives in “a dark room-like a cupboard”, meaning she lives, possibly in a small either boarding room or a modest one bedroom apartment, however, she has a condescension with reference to herself. Miss Brill is not only narcissistic but also has a great deal of vulgarity to herself, although in reality she was a social outcast. On the other hand, Jackson is an uneducated wise woman, who is very family oriented, stubborn, selfless, manipulative, religious woman. Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” takes place in a racist time era where, persons of Caucasian decent were considered to be superior to the African American race. Jackson uses this theory to her ability, and example of this is her leaving the house with no money and by the conclusion of the story has ten cents, which in that time period was enough to buy her grandson a toy for