In the short story “A Worn Path,” author Eudora Welty portrays the main character “Old Phoenix” as a determined and resilient elderly woman. After overcoming numerous obstacles and dilemmas Phoenix eventually achieves her objective of returning home with medicine for her nephew. Throughout her journey there are several incidents that hint at Phoenix’s nephew being deceased. These incidents and how Phoenix’s nephew being deceased effects the theme of the story will be addressed in this essay.
The character old Phoenix embarks on a journey to the town of Natchez so she can acquire medicine for her sick nephew. With her “small cane made from an umbrella,” old Phoenix starts her journey through woods full of pine needles (1, 2). Next she struggles …show more content…
For instance, after Phoenix crosses over the log that laid over a creek, she sits down to rest and begins daydreaming about a little boy handing her marble-cake but when “she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air” (3). Although this incident does not directly provide evidence for her nephew being deceased it does provide a starting point for questioning. After arriving at her destination, Phoenix sees a gold seal hanging “which matched the dream that was hung up in her head” (8). This incident suggests that Phoenix’s intention to get medicine for her nephew might be based on a formulated dream, a dream where her nephew is still alive and needs her assistance. More evidence is provided during Phoenix’s encounter with the nurse. The nurse states to the attendant that Phoenix makes “these trips just as regular as clockwork,” which suggests that Phoenix’s nephews’ sickness has some unreal sequence to it. After being asked how her nephew is doing Phoenix does not respond to the nurse (9) as if the question was a reminder that her nephew was deceased. The nurse then asks if her nephew had passed away which prompts Phoenix to say “My grandson … there I sat and forgot why I made my long trip” (9, 10). Phoenix forgetting the reason for her journey suggests that she must have embarked on a similar journey when her nephew was alive and that her sequenced
The character old Phoenix embarks on a journey to the town of Natchez so she can acquire medicine for her sick nephew. With her “small cane made from an umbrella,” old Phoenix starts her journey through woods full of pine needles (1, 2). Next she struggles …show more content…
For instance, after Phoenix crosses over the log that laid over a creek, she sits down to rest and begins daydreaming about a little boy handing her marble-cake but when “she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air” (3). Although this incident does not directly provide evidence for her nephew being deceased it does provide a starting point for questioning. After arriving at her destination, Phoenix sees a gold seal hanging “which matched the dream that was hung up in her head” (8). This incident suggests that Phoenix’s intention to get medicine for her nephew might be based on a formulated dream, a dream where her nephew is still alive and needs her assistance. More evidence is provided during Phoenix’s encounter with the nurse. The nurse states to the attendant that Phoenix makes “these trips just as regular as clockwork,” which suggests that Phoenix’s nephews’ sickness has some unreal sequence to it. After being asked how her nephew is doing Phoenix does not respond to the nurse (9) as if the question was a reminder that her nephew was deceased. The nurse then asks if her nephew had passed away which prompts Phoenix to say “My grandson … there I sat and forgot why I made my long trip” (9, 10). Phoenix forgetting the reason for her journey suggests that she must have embarked on a similar journey when her nephew was alive and that her sequenced