Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” features an old woman, Phoenix Jackson, who experiences mental lapses on her walk to the doctor’s office. While her bouts of memory loss and fantasies may seem typical of an elderly woman, the inherent forgetfulness, frequent delusion, and physical deterioration materialize incessantly throughout her daily routine and actions. This advanced degeneration of her weathered mind and the resulting dazed disposition reveal her personal battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Phoenix’s genetic makeup and heritage provide a basis for her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The narrator points out that the elderly woman had eyes “blue with age” (qtd. in Arp and Johnson 223). The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that older …show more content…
While this condition only directly impairs her eyesight and mobility, Devon Andre, writer for Bel Marra Health, says that “researchers found a strong correlation” between cataracts and Alzheimer’s disease due to the conditions’ linkage to common genetic code (“Cataracts”). So, Phoenix’s high likelihood of having cataracts translates into an increased probability of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to this genetic analysis. The narrator also points out Phoenix’s background as “an old Negro woman” (qtd. in Arp and Johnson 223). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, African-Americans’ genetics cause a risk that proves “two times more likely” to develop a form of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease associated with a reduction in early diagnoses (“African-Americans”). Phoenix’s distinct descent from Africa gives her a higher susceptibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which therefore supports the diagnosis. Moreover, should Phoenix have come into contact with medical personnel along the journey or at another time, the doctor would have had a small chance of noticing her condition, due to her high probability of developing a form of late-onset Alzheimer’s. As a result, medical personnel could not
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
Bartel, Roland. “Life and Death in Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path.’” USA: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1998. 45-48
The title itself, “A Worn Path,” referred to life as the journey itself through a worn path. Obstacles that Phoenix Jackson faced shows the real-life hardships, lies, and aggressions, that minorities face. Despite its simplicity, Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” does show us some of the greatest of life’s reality.
“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.
This essay will discuss the form of Alzheimer’s dementia Posterior Cortical Atrophy, from the aspects of the journey by Sir Terry Pratchett. In addition the essay will discuss symptoms of the disease, pathology, and anatomical structures and locations.
“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.
Phoenix Jackson in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" has been compared to the mythological phoenix because of her birdlike qualities, and it's also been noticed that Phoenix possesses many of the same characteristics as Christ. But, what hasn't been addressed is the fact that Eudora Welty didn't just leave the symbolism to Christ alone. Welty also included many biblical allusions as well. Phoenix Jackson is not only symbolic of the mythological bird that rose from the ashes of its own demise or simply a Christ figure comparable to the Son of God, but she is also a biblical hero facing temptation and trials along her journey and succeeds unharmed and steadfast in her faith.
Everyday a new disease or treatment is being discovered. There are always many questions left unanswered and many answers that are still trying to be figured out. Doctors, along with medical treatment centers and every day people are trying to figure out what Alzheimer’s disease really is or what it is about. Alzheimer’s disease has many common symptoms and effects in both men and women. The common, but confused name for Alzheimer’s disease is Dementia. People commonly confuse these two names because of the effects or symptoms that relate back to the name. Not many people know exactly what Alzheimer’s disease is or what causes it. But there are significant warning signs that lead people to conclude that is it a sad uncontrollable disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a disorder marked by a gradual decline brain function that gets worse with time. It used to be assumed that this change was a normal part of aging we called senility. Several people grow this illness when they become the age of 40 ("Biomarkers Key to Future of Alzheimer's Diagnosis, 2010"). However, the disease is most common in persons over the age of 65. It is predictable about 10 percent of people over 65 years of age may have Alzheimer's disease and that in persons over the age of 85; up to 50 percent may be affected ("Risk Factors", n.d.). Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process. It is not contagious,...
Gillick, Muriel R. (1998). Tangled minds: understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. New York: Penguin Group.
In “A Worn Path” colors are used to emphasize the depth and breadth of the story, and to reinforce the parallel images of the mythical phoenix and the protagonist Phoenix Jackson. Eudora Welty’s story is rich with references to colors that are both illustrative and perceptive, drawing us in to investigate an additional historical facet of the story.
Alzheimer’s disease contains no known single cause. Scientists are patiently and determinedly studying every aspect of the disease in hope to establish a precise cause. Late-onset Alzheimer’s cause relates to the increasing age of an individual and the family history of the disease. (r.1) Statistics exemplify the discovery of one specific gene which contributes to the increasing rate of late-onset Alzheimer’s. Person’s with rare, familial types of Alzheimer’s are found connected to hundreds of families linked to a specific gene. (r.1) Those whom inherit the specific gene are almost guaranteed to obtain the Alzheimer’s disease. The gene also will affect the person by the age of sixty-five, and even as early as their thirties and forties.(r.1) Another popular theory for the cause of the disease other then genetics includes the decreasing of brains cells through either strokes or ageing. Beth Miller, an Alzheimer’s Association representative stated,” Persons may develop a miniature stroke where they may not even notice they are experiencing a stroke, but their brain cell count decreases. Too many of these miniature strokes can cause memory loss and result in Alzheimer’s.”(r.2)
'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 Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson went great lengths risking her own life for her grandson, who couldn’t help himself. On her worn path she faced the world with courage. Although she faced difficulty in her early life, her faith remained the same to help those who were dear to her heart. She walk a worn path relentlessly facing obstacles along the way with a mind that is diminishing overtime. Through the problems that she is faced with, she remains humble. She is admirable because considering her old age, weakness and loss of memory, she is determined. Welty’s details of character, symbolism, conflict and theme creates a compelling and fierce Phoenix Jackson. The moral message in this short story is to show the setting and characterizations