A Worn Path is the story of an aged woman named Phoenix who makes a treacherous journey into town. During this journey Phoenix encounters many obstacles, including a large black dog, thorny bushes, and barbed wire. She meets a white hunter on her way into town, pocketing a nickel he drops accidentally. Phoenix also asks a woman to stop and tie her shoes, because she does deem it appropriate to have untied shoes in a nice building. Her reason for traveling to Natchez is to pick up medicine for her ill grandson, who swallowed lye a few years before. Phoenix tells the doctor that the damage to his throat never completely heals, and his throat often begins to swell shut. Phoenix’s love for her grandson causes her to face the trial of the journey …show more content…
to town, each time it is necessary.
This work is unified in dialogue form, but with a few descriptive paragraphs. Several literary items are repeated throughout this short story. The repeated themes are love, perseverance, racial prejudice, and redemption. Phoenix makes a long painful journey in order to obtain medicine for her grandson simply due to the fact that her love for him is so strong. The theme of perseverance is displayed when Phoenix travels to Natchez despite being treated as less than those she encounters, not only does she continue traveling but not a single complaint leaves her lips. Phoenix continues to persevere during this long journey, because she loves her grandson and knows that his suffering will end for a short while after the trek is complete. Not only does Old Phoenix endure physical pain she also experiences racial prejudice. The author does not tell us that all of the people Phoenix …show more content…
encounters are white, but there actions leading us to believe they are. The white hunter repeatedly calls Phoenix “granny” and states that colored people would not miss a chance to go to town. While the woman is tieing Phoenix’s shoes she calls her grandma, but is less disrespectful toward Phoenix than the hunter. Upon entering the hospital to receive her grandson’s medicine the nurse calls Phoenix “auntie” and refers to her as a charity case. Phoenix can also be seen as a Christlike figure, providing opportunities to others so they may do good deeds which will help to redeem their lost souls. The people she encounters do treat her with some form of respect and kindness—a sign that America is making gradual progress in racial equality. But not until the civil-rights movement of the fifties, sixties, and seventies did blacks gain all their rights under the law. A Worn Path is written in third person point of view, since a narrator tells the story. The writer’s diction allows the reader to read between the lines by giving us insight to Phoenix’s mind, while also seeing things from an outside perspective. Phoenix speaks in a manner common to her social class and geographical region. She leaves words out, runs the words together, and in some instances this not only represents her social status and level of education, but her level of fatigue she experiences in the story.The author is also able to give background knowledge without stating it straight forward, and the descriptions given help the reader to perfectly imagine the event as it is unfolding. Alliteration, similes and metaphors are the most commonly present literary devices, and are used throughout the story. Metaphors and similes were used in order to provide vivid comparisons, so we can more clearly view and understand certain situations. Vocabulary is used as foreshadowing such as the repetition of the word grave, which leads the reader to believe her grandson has passed away. The tone of the story is sympathetic, due to the writer adding minor characters,who force the feelings of sympathy for Phoenix upon you. Phoenix tends to view the world with a more optimistic view than others would, so the mood is usually happy. During a few points of the story Phoenix encounters characters, such as the white hunter, which cause her positive attitude to become negative leaning the mood towards sadness. The tone, however, remains the same throughout the entire story even during the times of changing mood. The author brings in minor characters who talk to Phoenix in a way which enables you to sympathize with her. Phoenix gives us some of her direct thoughts through dialogue, and most of these thoughts are bursting with optimism and chocked full of the nature scenes she sees. The author uses a setting and a colloquial voice to create the mood and tone of the story. The author uses irony several times during the entirety of the work, but the most important scene involved the white hunter and Phoenix. The white hunter laughed saying,”I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!' This statement angered Phoenix.
The hunter did not understand the irony of his previous statement. Phoenix was the Santa Clause. She was going on a journey to obtain and deliver a life saving bottle of medicine to the most important person in her life, her grandson. The statement made by the hunter was ironic because there is so much character inside of Phoenix -- so many years, so much suffering, so much awareness. When, at the story's end, she is finally treated with slight hints of compassion at the hospital, Phoenix demonstrates the miraculous ability of acceptance towards the harsh circumstances of her life, and her ability to move on. Phoenix's path is worn not only because she herself has traveled this path so many times, but because it symbolizes the path traveled by poor oppressed people everywhere. Another instance of irony was Phoenix’s failing eyesight, but when the nickel fell from the hunter’s pocket she saw it right away. The hunter says,”I’d give you a dime if I had any money with me.” The irony of course is that the hunter does not know he has given Phoenix a nickel without realizing he has dropped it. The hunter thought he would be doing Phoenix a favor by giving her a dime, but he accidentally “gives” her a nickel. A while later after Phoenix has collected the medication for her beloved grandson, the nurse at the hospital takes pity on her and graciously hands her another nickel. The story ends when Phoenix decides to buy her grandson a paper windmill with
the two nickels she has. Phoenix Jackson greatly relates to the large mythological bird, the Phoenix. Phoenix being the name of the mythical allusion referring to a bird that is reborn every 500 years to take care of her offspring. The bird is said at the end of the 500 years to nourish the infant bird to health just as Phoenix Jackson does for her sick grandson. She also has to make this journey over and over in a continuous cycle just as the Phoenix bird. With unlaced shoes and tired steps, she seems an unlikely “phoenix.” Usually depicted with lavish plumage, the phoenix immolated itself in a vibrant pyre before re-emerging, young again. There is very little that seems lavish or vibrant about Phoenix Jackson, and renewed youth and vigor seem as alien to her as the perfume and tinsel in town. But her name is not purely ironic. Phoenix is strong, seen in the way she deals with obstacles like thorns and a hunter’s gun. Welty hints at this when Phoenix remarks that she isn’t as old as she thought. Her strength and dignity, even when she temporarily forgets the reason for her errand, bespeak a phoenix-like ability to rise from the ashes of poverty and racial isolation. The final image, a colorful pinwheel she intends to buy for her grandson, confirms that childlike wonder can still arise in her. Phoenix begins her long journey during the beginning of the story, and this journey does not end until the end of the story when Phoenix begins a new journey home. The author does not tell us directly that Phoenix is beginning to walk home, but we are able to infer this from the context. During the story Phoenix exhibits the qualities of love and perseverance, which she carries with her until the end. The relation between the beginning and the ending of this story are uncanny, because Phoenix remains true to herself despite the trials and tribulations she encounters. Nearing the ending Phoenix has endured physical, emotional and physiological pain and she is worn out. She is on the brink of collapse when she reaches the doctor's office and the only thought that fills her mind is that she has made it. She has been pushing herself so hard for so long that she no longer remembers why she must get to the city, but only that she must somehow make her way to the doctor's office. The story ends with Phoenix going out to a store to buy her grandson a toy with the money that she has acquired during the journey. She doesn't even think for a second to go and buy herself something to eat something to sustain her on the long and cold walk home. Her love and devotion support her and give her an endless source of almost supernatural strength. The strength that she radiates toward her grandson, the strength that nourishes his life. Works Cited "A Worn Path: a Study Guide." Free Study Guides for Shakespeare and Other Authors. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. "An Analysis of Phoenix Jackson and the Symbolism, an essay fiction FictionPress." N.p., Web. 20 Nov. 2014. "In "A Worn Path" and "Thank You M'am," tone is the attitude implied in the writing toward the subject of a literary... - Homework Help .com." eNotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
We know this because the hunter states, “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus!”(Welty, 1941, p.22). On this chilly morning, an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson was making her way into town to get medicine for her grandson who swallowed lye. She was walking slowly but surely, tapping along with a cane in her hand. While she was on the Natchez Trace in the forest, she would talk to the animals and the thorny bushes telling them to stay out her way. The story begins to get more interesting after she crosses the stream. When she sits down to rest under the tree, she tries to take the slice of cake from a boy, but when she opens her eyes she finds her hand stretched out, taking nothing. The terrain gets so difficult, that Phoenix mistakes the crow for a ghost. She blames these mistakes on her eyesight and her old age. The climax of the story is when she encounters the hunter and his dogs. The hunter draws and points his gun at the old woman. While pointing his gun at her he asked if she was afraid to which she answered no. After this encounter, Phoenix reaches the town where everything is decorated for Christmas. Her journey ends with her getting the medicine for her grandson and nickel to buy a present for her
For such a simple tale, "A Worn Path" is full of hidden symbols and allusions. By realizing that Phoenix Jackson is a biblical character as well as a Christ figure, Phoenix assumes a more human image. Rather than carrying the image of a gentle demigod, Phoenix's sin allows readers to relate to a concerned grandmother who is doing everything in her power to heal her ailing grandson. But, I am sure that most will agree with me that "all things have a fervent love for one another for 'love will cover a multitude of sins'" (1 Peter 4:8).
... 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
In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yet another perilous journey to a near by city to get medicine for her ailing grandson. On the way this old woman faces many obstacles, both natural and man-made. Phoenix draws upon her perseverance and willingness to sacrifice herself to help her throughout her journey, but it is the undying love for her grandson that truly guides and drives her to her final goal. She is described as being a very old woman. “Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color run underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark (Welty 386). These all show an indication of her old age. Also, her loss of memory indicates her old age. It was only until Phoenix reached the doctor’s office she remembered why she went on her journey. “My grandson. It was my memory had left me. There I sat and forgot why I made my trip”(Welty 394). Another character in the story was a white man who was a hunter. When Phoenix falls in the ditch, he helps her out of the ditch. Even though the hunter helps Phoenix, he still poses as a threat to her, because it seems he did not want her to finish her journey. This is made apparent when he states, “Why, that’s too far! That’s as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble”(Welty 391). In addition, like her name, Phoenix seems ageless. When she stops to drink water from the spring she says, “Nobody know who made this well, for it was here when I was born”(Welty 391). When she encounters the hunter and he asks her how old she is she says, “There is no telling, mister, “said, “no telling” (Welty 392). Again her age is emphasized when she goes to the doctor’s office and the nurse ask her why she never went to school. “I never did go to school, I was too old a...
...urtful act that should have caused guilt. Another instance was guilt, it was shown when the clinic attendant gave Phoenix another nickel; although it was kind this seems to be her way of compensating an earlier offensive statement “Are you deaf?” to Phoenix. What she chose to do was not coming from being kind buy because it was a sense of duty. The same can be said with the woman who tied Phoenix’s shoelaces—that she did it out of duty of Christmas season rather than genuine concern for the elderly.
Phoenix Jackson had a vivid description painted for herself by the author. Phoenix was a small and frail elderly Negro woman. She wore a red rag tied upon her head holding up her yet black, curly hair that fell into ringlets. Upon her, she wore a long and dark striped dress with an equally long apron over the top of it. Upon her feet were untied tennis shoes. She always carried her thin and small cane with her, which was actually an umbrella. Her old eyes were blue with age, and her skin had become a pattern of numberless branching wrinkles. By being able to create a vivid picture of Phoenix, the author has allowed a connection between her character and the reader where the reader can now comprehend Pho...
In “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona,” Alexie creates a story that captures the common stereotypes of Native Americans. For instance, in the story the narrator states, “Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks salespeople?” (Alexie). This quotation shows that the narrator addresses the idea that all Native Americans must own businesses that sell fireworks and/ or cigarettes in order to be successful. In this example, Victor is shown to not identify with the Native Americans because he does not pursue the same job opportunities as many Native Americans do. Victor's character is used as a contrast to the stereotypes that , there he represents reality. Another instance in which the author incorporates a stereotype about Native Americans is when Thomas-Builds-the-Fire first makes conversation with Victor. Thomas-Builds-the-Fire informs Victor about the news of Victor's ...
In the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty shows an old woman living in a time period where racial prejudice is rampant and out of control. Phoenix Jackson is a grandmother whose only motivation for living is to nurture her grandson back to health. The strength of love may make people do or say unusual and implausible things. The central idea of this story is that love can empower someone to over come many life-threatening obstacles. The idea is shown when an old woman conquers all odds against her to show her everlasting love for her grandson. Throughout the story Phoenix Jackson has to overcome many types of obstacles that hinder her in her devotion to help her grandson.
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.
...f questions and she answers all of them respectfully and honestly. Phoenix cleverly distracts the man, with the two dogs that are fighting and he goes off to scare the big black one away by shooting at it. It is when he comes back and points his gun at her, that Phoenix shows no fear if it. When she is asked if she is afraid of it, her reply is, “No sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done” (Welty 58). Her unusual courage shows just how far racism stretches. Normally a human being would show fear when staring a gun down, but with years of white people making slaves out of them; black people had learn to face persecution head on. Therefore, Phoenix faced her trial head on, and the white hunter left with a little more respect for her than before. Which in the society she lived in respect was a gift and to be cherished.
The short story genre ‘A Worn Path,’ by Eudora, Welty is in third person omniscient point of view, and the theme is of undying love and devotion. The story theme is similar to the poem “The Road Not Taken”, yet is dramatically different as the setting along with characterization gives a detail and clear images in the plot. 3 Intriguingly as stated by the South Central Review (1997)… ‘The Worn Path presents the detail of Phoenix’s journey along the Natchez Trace. The first two Paragraphs deliver meticulous description’:
“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.
The title, "A Worn Path," is not only the actual path Phoenix travels throughout the story, but it also stands for the road blacks have walked on in order to reach freedom. Slaves had to walk many paths in order to escape their owners and the paths led to the freedom away from their plantations. Many slaves escaped plantations by walking all day and all night in wretched
'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