After Jackson receives her reward for her journey, she must prepare a return out of her world of adventure, and back to her normal environment. In “A Worn Path,” this involves the mental preparation of Jackson to return home, in order to actually put her reward to good use. Jackson makes a plan for her return, as she says she will “march [herself] back where [her son] waiting, holding [her prize] straight up in this hand” (Welty 7). This plan for Jackson’s return is the stage of flight in a hero’s journey, as she plans to return to her land of comfort and use her reward.
