Did Phonix really make the trip? An old black lady make a trip to get a medicine for her grandson. The trip took half a day. For an old lady, it's a mission impossible. I believe that Phoenix did the trip in her mind because she is too old for a half day trip on foot and because there are a lot of imaginary encounters in the story.
Some say she did the trip, and it was a heroic trip. Marilyn Keys says,” It is read most often as a simple narrative depicting an heroic act of sacrifice” (354). Keys also sees the story as parable for the journey of life. Regina Dilgen agrees with Marilyn Keys that Phonix made the trip and agrees that the trip was herioc. Dilgen says,” Her journey, a walk of many miles on part of the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, …show more content…
In the story Phoenix said about herself " I too old. I the oldest people I ever know." Another thing that prooves her old age is when she said, “'I never did go to school—I was too old at the Surrender.” When Phoenix says the surrender she means the Civil War in 1865. Let us assume that Phoenix at that time was too old and her age in 1865 was 25 years old. By 1941, when Eduora Welty wrote the story she was 101years old! Also when she encountered the white man he said to her "you must be a hundred years old, and scared of nothing." Because she was too old at the end of the story she forgots why she went to the clinc. Another reason is that the trip was in december which is winter. An old lady walking throgh bushes and farmes in cold december, this really mission impossible. Beside the cold and the bushes there are another obstacles such as the log bridge which was naraow. There is also the big black dog. Theses obstacles made the trip even impposible.
Another thing that makes believe that her trip was imaginary is Phoenix imaginary encounters. She talks to birds and animals to get out of her way. She also encounter with white people and make them do what she wants. Fisrt the white hunter, who svaed her from the dog. She made him go after the black dog and maybe kill it. Second encounter with a wihte young lady and she made the lady to tie her shoes. At that time the raceism was at it maximum high point. So, at that
Some say she did the trip, and it was a heroic trip. Marilyn Keys says,” It is read most often as a simple narrative depicting an heroic act of sacrifice” (354). Keys also sees the story as parable for the journey of life. Regina Dilgen agrees with Marilyn Keys that Phonix made the trip and agrees that the trip was herioc. Dilgen says,” Her journey, a walk of many miles on part of the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, …show more content…
In the story Phoenix said about herself " I too old. I the oldest people I ever know." Another thing that prooves her old age is when she said, “'I never did go to school—I was too old at the Surrender.” When Phoenix says the surrender she means the Civil War in 1865. Let us assume that Phoenix at that time was too old and her age in 1865 was 25 years old. By 1941, when Eduora Welty wrote the story she was 101years old! Also when she encountered the white man he said to her "you must be a hundred years old, and scared of nothing." Because she was too old at the end of the story she forgots why she went to the clinc. Another reason is that the trip was in december which is winter. An old lady walking throgh bushes and farmes in cold december, this really mission impossible. Beside the cold and the bushes there are another obstacles such as the log bridge which was naraow. There is also the big black dog. Theses obstacles made the trip even impposible.
Another thing that makes believe that her trip was imaginary is Phoenix imaginary encounters. She talks to birds and animals to get out of her way. She also encounter with white people and make them do what she wants. Fisrt the white hunter, who svaed her from the dog. She made him go after the black dog and maybe kill it. Second encounter with a wihte young lady and she made the lady to tie her shoes. At that time the raceism was at it maximum high point. So, at that