Symbolism in A Worn Path by Eudroa Welty

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is an interesting short story, full of symbolism. This story is about an old African American lady named Phoenix Jackson. The story does not directly tells us that she is old, but we know she is old because she forgets the reason why she went to the town. Welty writes about Phoenix’s journey through the woods of Mississippi to the town of Natchez to get medicine for her grandson. Along the way, Phoenix encounters several obstacles in her way, which have symbolism and on the things she says on her way to the town. Symbolism is shown on the obstacles she encounters on her way to the town. The obstacles show and represent racism for example on the big dead trees, cake, and mistletoe. In her story “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty used symbolism to demonstrate that determination and will enabled Phoenix to survive in life no matter how difficult the struggle was.

The story shows that there could be still slavery or it has already passed, but we know that there is still racism. Slaves were escaping from their owners to free land where African American would be free. The town of Natchez Trace was an overland trail between Nashville, Tennessee, and Natchez, Mississippi. In the early 1800s, it was a "worn path", which promoted progress for the African American slaves. Her journey was along a "worn path," this means that she had walked this trip many times. This worn path is also symbolic for the pilgrimages made by all pilgrims who were on a quest, religious or otherwise, in all of history; the worn path is full of challenges and hardships along the way. The pilgrims were like the African salves because they also wanted to be free and do whatever they wanted to do. Many blacks probably wanted to go to Natchez t...

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... to get her grandson the help that he needs. Eudora Welty wrote the short story based on the southern way of life that she had observed. The modernist theme focused on overcoming and problem no matter what it took. Welty’s writing was a focus on the African American lifestyle in the South in the early nineteen hundreds. It was a tough road for the African Americans but they did what they had to. For example Phoenix encounters many things that Eudora Welty describes the readers to racism in the south. Welty symbolizes racism by the dead trees, the cake, and mistletoe. Also, racism is shown by the actions on the white people towards her.

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Work Cited

Welty, Eudora. "The Atlantic." The Atlantic Monthly. Feb. 1980. 22 May. 2014. .