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Symbolism in eudora welty a worn path
Symbolism in eudora welty a worn path
What are somethings in the story "A Worn Path symbolism
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In Eudora Welty’s short story “A Worn Path”, we encounter a determined and courageous elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson. In this story, she is traveling a long path in order to obtain medicine for her sick grandson, though she travels this path frequently we see Phoenix come up against many obstacles and challenges. Despite Phoenix being surrounded by obstacles, she overcomes each of them and reaches her destination successfully. In “A Worn Path”, Eudora Welty uses symbolism to create a very vivid image of a courageous elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson who teaches the readers to never give up, no matter what we may encounter on our path of life.
In “A Worn Path” we see Eudora Welty use quite a bit of symbolism, an example of her symbolism is the trees. There
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are plenty of different types of trees in the story; evergreen trees, oak trees, pine trees, dead trees, etc. Eudora Welty even uses a tree to describe Phoenix’s wrinkles, “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…” (Welty 418). Different kinds of trees can have separate meanings, such as wisdom, strength, patience or a representation of life. Throughout “A Worn Path” there are mixes of evergreen trees, which are trees that seem to live forever. However, there is also use of deciduous trees which seem as if they die as their leaves fall off. Welty uses these two very different trees to represent the cycle of life, life and death. The usage of the 2 trees can also represent Phoenix herself, to society Phoenix seems to be more worn down than she truly is or truly feels, such as a deciduous tree. Additionally, another tool that Welty uses skillfully throughout “A Worn Path” is imagery, more specifically biblical imagery. One reference that comes from the Bible is a snake that Phoenix mentions when talking to herself, “and the good Lord made his snakes to curl up and sleep in the winter. A pleasure I don't see no two-headed snake coming around that tree, where it come once” (Welty 420). In the Bible, the snake tempts Eve to eat forbidden fruit, somehow Phoenix feels tempted by this snake. Phoenix mentions that in the summer it takes a while to pass by the snake, snakes can be symbols of evil, as it is in the Bible. In addition, there is a reference of Moses stretching his hands to part the Red Sea, “parting her way from side to side with the cane, through the whispering field..” (Welty 420). When Moses parts the Red Sea in the Bible, he does this to lead others to safety. Phoenix does this to guide herself safely through her path. The Bible can be extremely powerful to some and hold important lessons, similarly to Phoenix Jackson. Furthermore, Welty’s style of writing through symbolism and imagery allows the readers to visualize very vivid images of the entire story.
From the first page Welty creates an illusion of stepping into Phoenix’s world and walking through this path with her, this illusion is produced by intense descriptions. For example, as Phoenix passes by cabins, Welty could have simply said she was walking by the cabins and moved on. However, Welty choose to go in lengths about the cabins, “through the little strings of trees silver in their dead leaves, past cabins silver from weather, with the doors and windows boarded shut, all like old women under a spell sitting there.” (Welty 420). Not only does Welty choose to brilliantly use descriptive words to enhance the imagery, she also chooses to spice up regular objects with descriptive words that you would not normally use in certain situations. Again, the example of the cabins; instead of the cabins being boring and old, they are glittering silver and described as woman sitting. Welty turned something that may have not had potential and gave it some. Although Phoenix’s journey is quite long and she endures plenty of conflicts, Welty transitions us quickly but yet
brilliantly. Correspondingly, Terry Heller, someone who did extensive research on this short story to create a literary critique on it, agrees. “This story exemplifies Welty’s special power of placing the reader inside convincing and interesting characters without reducing the essential mystery of human character. This power makes her characters seem complete and real.” (Heller). Altogether, Welty creates a rich mental image of the main character, Phoenix Jackson by using tools such as imagery and symbolism. In the short story “A Worn Path”, readers will receive a strong message through skillful symbolism and vivid imagery; to never give up, no matter what life throws at you on your journey.
"A Worn Path," by Eudora Welty is a heartbreaking story about the heroic trip of an old African American woman, Phoenix. The readers won't find out right away the plot of the story or why Phoenix won't give up her exhausting trip to town-the conflict of this story-especially on a very cold day. The title, "A Worn Path," indicates that Phoenix has obviously walked down this path many times before-also the fact that she can cross a creek with her eyes closed confirms the title's message.
“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.
For that, Welty needs exemplification. When coupled with the diction, exemplification serves as the main device implemented merging her experiences into a essay the explains the her relationship with fiction, and reading as a whole. Welty is a storyteller and she uses her skill to craft the narrative that describe her relationship with fiction. She describes the near mythological terror of the minotaur of the librarian, Ms. Jackson, who guarded the labyrinthian library of her hometown. She reminisces over the titles countless books she inhaled, two by two, as she rushed, back and forth, day after day, to the library for more. She speaks of her mother, who shared that same joy of reading, and who also enabled her to get her first library card. She illustrates about how books were ever present in her house. It’s through this exemplification and description that Welty is able to justify to the reader why books had such an intense role in her life, and why reading has held such value to her. Books were everywhere, they permeated her childhood. The effect of her vivid descriptions are that the reader and the author's perspective are merged. Rather than reading than reading the text, the reader experience’s it, and it's through the shared viewpoint that reader is able to realize the intensity and value reading brought to Welty’s
" Symbolism enables us to tell a story one way, while trying to say another. I believe Tim O'Brien has achieved success in doing so in "The Things They Carried. " Works Cited The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Book Notes.
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.
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.
“A Worn Path” tells of an elderly and frail black woman and of the hardships that she must overcome. Upon reading the story, you realize that there is more to the story than meets the eye. She faces many roadblocks along her way. Phoenix faces many dangerous obstacles along her way, for a person of her age. She faces racism from some of characters she meets along the way. Phoenix faces inferior treatment, as though she is nothing more than some insect to squash. This story is about not only her ‘journey’ to Natchez, but also about her journey through society and the struggle to overcome the dangers, being treated inferior, and the racism.
Noelle M. “Symbolism in Eudora Welty’s ‘A Worn Path’” Study mode N.P., Oct 2012. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
“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.
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.
'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
Les Brown once said, “Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength of character.” In Eudora Welty's, “A Worn Path”, an elderly black woman goes on a journey on a worn path to town to get medicine for her grandson. She has trials and problems going through the path. The character, Phoenix Jackson’s persistent and her easygoing, which impacts on her braveness.
People often face many roadblocks on their way to success that deter them from believing that they can reach their goal. They allow trials to get in the way of the real end goal, and thus, stop short of achieving. In the short story "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, the main character Phoenix Jackson provides an example to people on how they should not allow trials to hold them back. Welty's use of character, symbolism, and similes help to reveal the theme that with patience and determination, people can achieve anything.