Phoenix's Determination

Eudora Welty establishes “The Worn Path” in the midst of the twentieth century – in an era where African Americans were not considered as equal to white Americans. Welty tells the story of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African-American woman, who makes a lengthy voyage into town to get medication for her chronically ill grandson. For most people the journey from the countryside to a town in a city, would not be very difficult. However, the fact that old infirm Phoenix is faced with hindrances and some racist attitudes of people she encounters along the journey; she endeavors onward despite frequent hindrances in her path that include her own deteriorating health and the grandchild’s slim chance of subsistence.
In “A Worn Path” Eudora Welty uses symbolism and characterization to show that utter determination and self-discipline enables Phoenix to accomplish her ultimate goal (get medication); and without these attributes, she almost certainly would have not accomplished it. In fact, Phoenix develops into a great example for people who face disrespect and degeneration of health, and perfectly illustrates the features needed to succeed when hindrances obstruct success.
Welty uses many nature symbols to help illustrate her hope and perseverance, and strength in the face of destitution. These symbols occur at several different sentences in the story, and helps show Phoenix’s struggles against nature to get what she needs (medicine for her grandson). One of the major obstacles she faces is the hill. Every time Phoenix climbs the hill, she says, “Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far” (Welty 503). This sentence symbolizes the hard life that Phoenix lived through the period of slavery and racism, and also the trave...

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... happiness only. In the end, she is a very striving old woman, she is always determine to make that little boy very happy, even if it is to give him medicine to get rid of the pain or just to buy him presents to ease the emotions he is going through.
Welty presents Phoenix, throughout the story, as a determined woman who is persuaded by compassion and encouraged by humor to defeat the hindrances so that she can help her chronically ill grandson. This story gives a wonderful lesson for all people who feel like the afflictions of life are too immense to overcome, and also provides advices for how to persevere when realizing goals that may seem impossible. Consequently, the ways Welty uses symbolism to make clear of how difficult Phoenix’s mission is, but the way she depicts her character shows how humor and compassion help a person make it through tough situations.