Analyzing Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path'

Module 13 Prose Essay

Maggie Wyatt

“A Worn Path” is a story by Eudora Welty that narrates an elderly woman’s trip through the woods. Welty uses certain literary devices such as setting, symbolism, and characterization to convey the theme that with determination one can succeed despite physical setbacks such as old age. Eudora Welty’s protagonist in “A Worn Path” is an elderly African American woman named Phoenix. The reader gets a view into who Phoenix is from the characterization of her in the story. Phoenix is physically described as an old woman, “She was very old and small,” and “Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles.” However the woman’s spirit heavily contrasts with her age, “There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps.” Despite that Phoenix’s age makes hiking through the forest difficult for her, she continues going and refuses to quit. This shows the theme of perseverance and she is shown as having a tough spirit, and continues through the woods.

As the creature phoenix is known as a bird that lives a long time, but when it dies it explodes into flames and then is reborn from the ashes. The old woman’s name is relating her to the phoenix, saying that she could live a long time and despite her old age her spirit is eternal. As if even in her physically weakest times her spirit and determination preserves, and will be reborn. This one piece of symbolism is reflective of the theme, and it shows who Phoenix is as a person, and it shows her ability to preserve though difficult feats such as old