Overcoming Adversity In Phoenix Jackson's A Worn Path

418 Words1 Page

Phoenix Jackson overcame adversity in “A Worn Path” she overcame the dangers of the long journey into town, she stood up to the hunter, and overcame her old age. Phoenix overcame many obstacles throughout the story first of all, she overcame the dangers of the long journey into town. On her journey Phoenix came to a place where a log was laid across the creek. “Now comes the trial,” (388) she knew it was not going to be easy crossing over the creek. Phoenix could have been scared and could have turned back and not step foot on that log but, instead she “mounted the log and shut her eyes” (388) and triumphantly crossed over the creek. As Phoenix continued on her journey she did not even let a barbed-wire fence stop her. She had to “creep and

Show More
Related

  • Life Struggles of Phoenix in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Her trip is full of obstacles, from bushes of thorns that get caught in her dress, to her crossing of a creek. These elements complicate the conflict and increase the readers' curiosity about the plot. Phoenix can't trust her eyes, choosing instead to walk along with her eyes closed and sense her way with the help of her cane. While needed rest forces her to stop for a while, she has a vision of a little boy handing her a slice of marble cake. So many questions arise in the minds of the readers. Who was the little boy? Is she halluci...

    Read More

  • A Worn Path - Eudora Welty

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... ailment and she knows that "faith will heal the sick" (James 5:15). Phoenix is so confident in her faith that even while traveling through silent cornfields, crossing streams, and braving a swamp, she makes the journey with her eyes firmly clamped shut. For as it says in Scripture, "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

    Read More

  • Phoenix Jackson: An Archetypal Hero In A Worn Path

    435 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Perseverance In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    358 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... on foot and that alone is hard as it is. Eudora Welty shows her theme that with an adequate amount of determination and confidence we can tackle any problem or obstacle that is thrown our way and go the extra mile to reach our objective that we had set. Of course being restrained by time and age, Phoenix still fights and steps forward to a goal which is very significant to her heart; she doesn’t allow any barrier get in her way. Phoenix Jackson being the main character of “A Worn Path” is clear

    Read More

  • America's Identy Crisis in Welty's A Worn Path

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the time period this story was written was in 1941 WWII had just begun, but not only that, but also of poverty that was a reality to many—particularly to blacks and people in rural areas. The title itself, “A Worn Path,” refers to life as the journey 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 realities. The writer starts the story using racial description and symbolism to describe Phoenix Jackson.

    Read More

  • Welty’s A Worn Path: The Strength of Love

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the main hindrances that stand in her way is the physical aspect of her age as well as the journey.  Phoenix Jackson is very weak and feeble because of her old age so that makes her long journey very strenuous.  Another physical obstacle is that she has to weave and duck under a barbwire fence.  Her feeble body cannot handle such tasks at her age.  The third hindrance she must defeat is that she must cross over a log that lay across a creek.  This requires concentration, skill, and patients.  Even people whom are twice as young as Phoenix have trouble doing such things.  Not many other emotional force other then love is strong enough to give power to an old woman who is living only for one reason.  She realizes that if she were to die then the fate of her grandson would be damned.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis: "A Worn Path"

    1647 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Phoenix's Hardships and Racism in A Worn Path

    863 Words  | 2 Pages

    It’s December when Phoenix starts on her journey to Natchez and it is a journey she has taken many times before. This journey is no journey an elderly and weaken person should have to make by themselves, yet Phoenix does. She does not allow her age or her condition to keep her from it. Deep through the pines, the path takes her, and her first task would be to make it over a hill that seems to take all her energy and strength. “Seems like there is chains around my feet, time I get this far…” (Welty 5), here the reader can tell Phoenix does not have the strength that she really needs to make it up the hill. Yet somewhere she finds the will to keep pushing on and moving forward. This same type of spirit that allows Phoenix to keep pushing forward in society, and not to back down. Showing the younger generation that you have to fight your way through to a brighter day. It is later down the path that Phoenix comes to a creek and the only way to get across, is by walking on a log. Phoenix walks across this log with her eyes close. Once across she opens her eyes and says, “I wasn’t as old as I ...

    Read More

  • A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phoenix’s journey is a little long just by walking alone in the middle of the

    Read More

  • Theme of Determination in "A Worn Path"

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    One example of the theme of determination in this short story is all the obstacles that Phoenix Jackson encountered. Because Phoenix is so determined to get the medicine for her grandson, she goes through every obstacle with spirit. The following quote depicts many of the obstacles Phoenix encounters on her way:

    Read More

  • A Worn Path: Struggle For Racial Equality

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    In "A Worn Path", a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a "worn path" through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics have speculated that this short story represents the love a grandmother shows for her grandson. Others say this story represents life and death, where Phoenix represents an immortal figure. Dennis J. Sykes disagrees with the other critics by saying, "A parallel exists between the journey described and the plight of the Southern blacks after the Civil War" (Sykes). Ultimately, Eudora Welty demonstrates how blacks have been persecuted in a white world.

    Read More

  • The Character of Phoenix Jackson in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

  • A Worn Path, An Analysis

    324 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although I feel as though there are many literary elements throughout this short story such as characterization and theme, I also feel as though symbolism is very important as well. First of all, I believe that the name Phoenix in itself is symbolic for the type of person the old woman truly is. A Phoenix is a mythological creature who dies in fire and rises from ashes only to be stronger. It is as though all of these hardships only make the old woman more determined to complete her journey successfully.

    Read More

  • A Worn Path Analysis Essay

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

More about Overcoming Adversity In Phoenix Jackson's A Worn Path

Open Document