Overcoming Age and Racism: A Study on Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path'

In “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, an old grandma by the name of Phoenix, makes her way through the many hindrances opposing her from getting her sick grandson medicine. Throughout Phoenix’s journey, Welty covers the many obstacles facing women in the 1940’s. Something that I found interesting was how Welty emphasized the old age of Phoenix as something that she had to overcome to make her journey. In the beginning of this story, Welty starts off by telling us that “[h]er skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead,” just to make that we could visualize how old Phoenix actually was (Welty 848). Besides old age, racism makes its way in the story as well. The

1940’s were times of hardships and despair for black citizens living under the repressing Jim Crow laws. We can see that in the story when Phoenix meets the white hunter who “laughed and lifted his gun” at Phoenix just for the fun of it (Welty 851). Phoenix also faces discrimination from the attendant who shows no tolerance whatsoever for the old grandma.
Phoenix’s story is probably similar to what some of Korean ancestors experienced when they came to America. Although there weren’t Jim Crow laws, there were laws preventing Asians from voting and suppressing their voice in the political and social setting. South Koreans and minority groups still face racism in a country that is predominately white preventing them from accomplishing their goals. Take colleges like Harvard for example. As an Asian-American student, it is harder for me to get into Harvard than it is for the average white student because Harvard tries to keep alive the 19% to 44% ratio. Even though I do not perspire to go to Harvard, if I did, my journey would be similar to that of Phoenix’s.
Phoenix’s odyssey was the epitome of love driving an individual to the limit of one’s capabilities. When Phoenix said, “"I going to the store and buy my child a little windmill,” I was truly able to see the tender love that Phoenix had for her grandson (Welty 854). Whether or not Phoenix knows that her grandson’s lye poisoning will never heal with small doses of medication, she always remains optimistic and with that in mind, Phoenix allows that hope and love to take her wherever she wants despite her limitations.