No matter where a person may come from, everyone encounters a similar journey. The journey that is heard in stories is symbolic to what anyone may go through in life. In the story “A worn path”, an old women goes through many obstacles as she is on the pathway to acquiring what she sought after. In order to better convey the hero’s journey in the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty uses characterization, symbolism, and conflict. In the story characterization is used to describe the main character Phoenix Jackson. Every story must have its hero and Phoenix Jackson is the “hero” in this journey. In the story she is described as an old Negro woman. The story says “She was very old and small and walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps”
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This may depict that she is not that she is a frail lady who is probably weakening as she get older. She has to make a journey on a cold winter day in December and see that she is old and most likely weak this journey will a difficult one for Phoenix. Heller states “mainly because of her age, the simple walk from her remote home in Natchez is a difficult enough journey to take on epic proportions.” Phoenix is really old and this journey is a hard one for her to make.In the story old Phoenix says “Out of my way, all the foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals” (275). This conveys that Phoenix may be old but she is determined and fearless. She will not let anyone or anything conquer her in this conquest that she was called upon. In fact there is a plethora of symbolism that occurs within the story. This story that Eudora has written follows the theme that many stories seem to follow; which is the hero’s journey. Symbolism occurs many times in this theme. Phoenix Jackson is separated, Initiated, and she returns. Phoenix says to the nurse “….. He not get his breath. He not able to help himself.
This may depict that she is not that she is a frail lady who is probably weakening as she get older. She has to make a journey on a cold winter day in December and see that she is old and most likely weak this journey will a difficult one for Phoenix. Heller states “mainly because of her age, the simple walk from her remote home in Natchez is a difficult enough journey to take on epic proportions.” Phoenix is really old and this journey is a hard one for her to make.In the story old Phoenix says “Out of my way, all the foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals” (275). This conveys that Phoenix may be old but she is determined and fearless. She will not let anyone or anything conquer her in this conquest that she was called upon. In fact there is a plethora of symbolism that occurs within the story. This story that Eudora has written follows the theme that many stories seem to follow; which is the hero’s journey. Symbolism occurs many times in this theme. Phoenix Jackson is separated, Initiated, and she returns. Phoenix says to the nurse “….. He not get his breath. He not able to help himself.