A Worn Path Phoenix Jackson Character Traits

Eudora Welty's “ A Worn Path” depicts the journey of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly black woman who alone embarks on an arduous trek through the Natchez Trace so she can retrieve medicine for her ill grandson. On her journey, Phoenix experiences multiple obstacles including her own failing health, wild animals, the terrain and a threatening hunter. When she takes on this prolonged trek through the Natchez Trace, many of her characteristics are revealed. Her tenacity, senility and patience emphasize her character.

In the first few paragraphs, Welty provides a concise description of Phoenix’s physical composition. Phoenix is described as an old negro woman with a small-built and a red rag tied around her head, beneath the red rag lies her

hair which is still black but has a distinctive copper odour. Phoenix moves from side to side in her steps and that suggests her physical weakness. She wore a dark striped dress reaching down to her shoe tops. she had an apron covering her dress. Phoenix also had untied shoelaces dragging behind her shoes. Phoenix skin was dry and had a pattern of wrinkles all over her body from her forehead to her hand. She also had dark yellow cheeks. I can also infer that Phoenix is almost blind from various texts. “She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella.” This suggests that Phoenix’s cane was not used for strength or to support Phoenix’s balance but was rather used by Phoenix to assist with her poor eyesight and to help her notice what is ahead of her. Also, it is said that Phoenix had “blue eyes with age.” This also suggests that Phoenix is blind because it is rare for a black person to have blue eyes so having blue eyes while being dark usually suggests retinal damage or poor eyesight.

As Phoenix went further and further down the Natchez Trace, more and more of her character traits were revealed to the reader.

Firstly, We can infer that Phoenix Jackson is tenacious. Once she starts her journey she is determined to finish her journey. Bad weather, her own failing health, wild animals, the terrain and a threatening hunter are obstacles that Phoenix Jackson faces but continues anyways. It is said in the first paragraph that it was “a bright frozen sunny day in December” which suggests that it was cold terrible weather for someone to embark on a journey. Phoenix has a weak, delicate and small body which stands in contrary with the enormity of her journey. We can also infer that Phoenix is almost blind because her cane was so thin and fragile being made from an umbrella so it was not used for strength or balance but it was rather used to support her poor eyesight. Along her journey, Phoenix faces a plethora of other problems but that does not slow her down. She faces wild animals like foxes as she said in the beginning: “out of my way all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals.” Also, the terrain does not help her either. Along her journey, she travels over hills, through thorns, under barbed wires, through forests and over a creek filled with hungry dangerous alligators. Also, She faces racism and rude people along the way. For example, the hunter who threatens her with a gun and dogs and starts mocking colored people as he said: “ I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see to Santa Claus.” Phoenix also faces rude attitude from the white people she meets during her journey. Both the woman who tied her shoes and the hunter start the conversation with “ What do you want Grandma?” which I found to be extremely rude to say to an elder you just met. All those obstacles seem not discourage Phoenix from continuing her

journey.

Secondly, we can infer that because of Phoenix’s age, she is starting to be senile and less aware of the surrounding reality. This is clear from hallucinations. For example, when Phoenix was resting at the bank, she had a hallucination of a young boy bringing her a marble cake and then she said: “that would be acceptable.” Another evidence of her senility is her short term memory. For example, when she reached the clinic after an arduous journey, she happens to forget the reason why she started her journey and she said: “My grandson. It was my memory had left me. There I sat and forgot why I made my long trip.” Phoenix’s senility can be noticed from of her hallucinations and her short-term memory.

Moreover, Phoenix is the epitome of patience. Along her journey, Phoenix had to deal with racist and rude people but she was patient and never responded to their hate. When the hunter starts to mock colored people: “ I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see to Santa Claus.” Phoenix Jackson just stands there motionlessly and patiently says nothing as it is said in the same paragraph: “But something held old phoenix very still. The deep lines in her face went into fierce and different radiation.” Also, Phoenix faces rude attitude from both the hunter and the lady who tied her shoes because when they met Phoenix for the first time they started the conversation with “ What do you want Grandma?” This is the kind of language I would consider rude when talking to elders you just met, however Phoenix patiently continues the conversation as if she did not hear their rude language. There is also a greater reason why Phoenix is patient. Phoenix Jackson is patient because she has been embarking on lengthy arduous journeys to retrieve medicine for her ill grandson for almost three years as the nurse said: “Yes. Swallowed lye. When was it? January two or three years ago?” It sure takes a great deal of patience to keep doing the same long journey for three years without quitting.