A Worn Path

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A Worn Path
“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is about Phoenix Jackson’s journey. Within her journey, she overcomes obstacles and is determined to help her grandson. She has a symbolic connection to a mythical bird known as a phoenix. The phoenix is a mythological bird and there are many different stories and beliefs about this creature. According to a legend, a phoenix can be reborn and has the ability to heal. The author intentionally makes Phoenix Jackson an allusion to the mythological phoenix bird by a correspondence in physical characteristics, character traits, and a rebirth.
The similarity that Phoenix Jackson and the bird from mythology share is that they are both on a journey. Phoenix’s journey is to go and get her sick grandson some medicine. While on that journey, she experiences obstacles such as getting stuck in a ditch, …show more content…
The phoenix bird lives for hundreds and hundreds of years. Occasionally, they may surpass living for a whole century. In accordance to Greek mythology, after the bird dies it is later reborn from ashes. A tale about the phoenix bird reveals that their ashes could heal wounds. The rebirth that occurs in the story is when Phoenix Jackson makes a trip into town to get medicine for her sick grandson. With the medicine her grandson is being reborn into good health. Phoenix Jackson is considered a healer because her decision carried out treatment for her grandson.The significance of both rebirths is that it is coincidentally connected to some form of healing.
Phoenix Jackson is connected to the mythical bird because of all the similarities. The author did this on purpose to give her name a meaning. Their connection is not only because of their name. They are connected because of their journey, physical similarity and rebirth. The author does not directly say that they have a connection, but due to all the similar details, the story is an allusion to the mythological

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