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Literary criticism of "A worn path" by eudora welty
“a worn path” by eudora welty journey literary
“a worn path” by eudora welty journey literary
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Phoenix Jackson A Worn Path Hero The hero’s quest is the most common story used. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty follows the hero’s quest archetype rules. Phoenix Jackson, the main character/hero of the story, was born a slave but is now a free old woman who needs to get medicine for her grandson. Her grandson drank lye, an acid, and needs medicine to help sooth his burnt throat. The only way she can get the medicine is by going into town and getting it from the doctor's office, which is thirty miles away. Phoenix is considered a hero because she has more than one quality that shows her to be one. Her past is mysterious, her journey is beset with dangers, loneliness, and temptation, and her goal is just a symbol for what she actually wants. Phoenix Jackson’s past is mysterious, she is born a slave so her parents are unknown. It is never said that she was a slave the readers assume she is when the hunter points his gun at her and asks if it scares her and she says “No,sir,I seen plenty go off closer by,in my day, and for less than what I done,” (51). She responded this way because slaves lived very hard lives and were threatened often for anything that they would do wrong, or even for no reason at all. It is also unknown who her grandson’s mother and father are, or if …show more content…
One danger on her journey are the thorns in the brush that cut her at the start of her long walk. after she got out of the thoery bush she said “‘Sun so high!’ she cried leaning back and looking,while the thick tears went over her eyes” (48).Another danger is when the hunter points his gun at her because she wouldn’t turn back and go home. Phoenix was alone through the whole journey, she couldn’t take her grandson with her because he is sick. Her journey is beset with temptation when the hunter drops some money and Phoenix decides to pick it up. That’s how Phoenix's journey is beset with dangers, loneliness and
Her journey takes place in the cold, rough, middle of winter, "It was December - a bright frozen day in the early morning" (p. 98). Phoenix pays the weather no mind and continues to press on to save her sick grandson’s life. She had to endure walking in the harshly cold temperatures. The story shows us that regardless of the circumstance the weather shows no mercy. Since her trip is far out in the woods, Phoenix leaves early the morning of her journey in order to get started as soon as possible. Phoenix emerges from the woods to a very steep hill to say, " Seems like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far" (p. 99). Even though Phoenix is very determined in her journey the hill gives her an extreme challenge. "Something always take a hold of me on this hill--pleads I should stay" (p. 99). We then see how Phoenix endures the pain and challenge of the hill for her grandson. Just another of the many ways that Phoenix shows love for her
Phoenix Jackson is a great archetypal hero. Phoenix is full of mysterious and obscure origin, she has a goal, and she is not the same after emerging from the darkness of her descent. Not all heroes are
She has to go on a path, a worn path. Phoenix's path is worn not only because she herself has had to travel it so many times, but because it symbolizes the path traveled by poor and oppressed people everywhere. These elements of the archetypal hero employ various situations, symbols and characters for the character to go through a long journey. The story is a large metaphor for the path through life. Phoenix, the main character of the story, follows the long, well-used path, and defeats many odds.
She is always polite and courteous to all the town's people. For a woman of
The protagonist of this short story is Phoenix Jackson. She is portrayed as a lively person because of the vivid color descriptions given by the author. Her complexion is described to have yellow, golden and copper colors. This colors state she is a black woman. The author uses imagery to shows us that Phoenix is
Phoenix Jackson survives the great depression, which tells us that she is an older woman who is very wise, and maybe a little scattered. In the beginning of the story, Phoenix is on a journey, she walks slowly in the dark pine shadows through the pinewoods. The author introduces Phoenix, as an old black woman and the author writes, “Far out in the country there was an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag, coming along the path through the pinewoods” (183). The reason why she is taking such a long trip into town is because her grandson is very sick, and she needs to get medication for his throat.
Although it’s a long and treacherous route to Natchez, Phoenix has a wealth of previous experience. Every time she has done this though, she has faced great discouragement. The doctor who provides her with the medicine time and time again tries to demoralize Phoenix by claiming that the grandson’s sickness is “an obstinate case”. Although faced with hearing this dispiriting comment every time she visits the doctor, Phoenix stays determined and continues to make the journey for medicine as many times as needed. This inner determination is also what allows her to face the many obstacles and hardships found on the path itself. When she encounters animals in her way that cause her trouble, she firmly says, “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!...Don’t let none of those running my direction. I got a long way.” These animals attempt to cause hardship for Phoenix, however she stands stronger than ever. The doctor and animals could have easily caused Phoenix to give up, but Phoenix’s love for her grandson as a true parent invigorates her determination letting her continue on this journey no matter setbacks are thrown at
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 ...
Phoenix’s journey is a little long just by walking alone in the middle of the
most critics have noted, Phoenix Jackson’s first name links her to the Egyptian myth of the bird that renews itself periodically from its own ashes”(Bartel 45). 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 at the Surrender” (Welty 394).
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.
We are told of Phoenix?s journey into the woods on a cold December morning. Although we are know that she is traveling through woodland, the author refrains from telling us the reason for this journey. In the midst of Phoenix?s travels, Eudora Welty describes the scene: ?Deep, deep the road went down between the high green-colored banks. Overhead the live-oaks met, and it was as dark as a cave? (Welty 55). The gloomy darkness that the author has created to surround Phoenix in this scene is quite a contrast to the small Negro woman?s positive outlook; Phoenix is a very determined person who is full of life. As Phoenix begins to walk down the dark path, a black dog approaches her from a patch of weeds near a ditch. As he comes toward her, Phoenix is startled and compelled to defend herself: ?she only hit him a little with her cane. Over she went in the ditch, like a little puff of milk-weed? (55). Here, the author contrasts the main character?s strong will with her small, frail phys...
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...
There are also mental obstacles that obstruct Phoenix’s journey. She has to triumph over her weariness because of her old age and her mental fatigue. As she is walking her mind plays tricks on her, such as the time when she is in the field and mistakes the scarecrow for a dark mysterious figure that she is frightened of. Another time is when she talks to herself and the animals in the woods. She tells them not to get in her way because she has a long trip ahead of her. The love that one person gives to another is never truly appreciated until the recipient realizes what that person has actually done. The grandson may be too ill or even too young to realize what his grandmother is doing for his safety.
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 ...