• Home Page
  • Essay On A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

Essay On A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

Decent Essays
Show More
Story Title: A Worn Path
Author: Eudora Welty
Theme: The main character of “A Worn Path”, Phoenix Jackson, is the epitome of determination. She does not let anything, whether it is thing she can control (the route she takes) or the thing she can’t (her advanced and her memory loss) stop her from getting medicine for her grandson. This story shows you have no limits other than the ones you set for yourself. It also beautiful exemplifies that even though she couldn’t remember her grandson, that didn’t stop her from going to get him medicine.
Characterization: Phoenix Jackson was very emotional strong and persistent. She doesn’t let, her memory, the harsh woods, or the wild animals get in the way of her making it down that worn path. She is

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Phoenix Jackson Obstacles
    • 225 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Phoenix Jackson Obstacles

    On her path to the city, she encounters numerous obstacles. The way the character proceeds with each hardship builds her character. She faces racism and criticism of her old age. However, Phoenix’s willpower allows her to overlook the criticisms that she confronts. The short story, "A Worn Path" written by Eudora Welty illustrates the determination of Phoenix Jackson by analyzing…

    • 225 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    A Worn Path By Eudora Welty Analysis
    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Worn Path By Eudora Welty Analysis

    A “Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is a strong regional and ethically expressed story written from the perspective of a senile elderly woman named Phoenix Jackson. Ms. Jackson undertakes a journey every year around Christmas to the city of Natchez in order to attain medicine from the doctors to help heal her grandsons inflamed throat. Though she undertakes this journey in the hope of helping cure her grandson’s condition it becomes clear through the text that her grandson has died and she is still experiencing difficult problems grasping reality. Though dead the journey to the city plays an important part in Ms. Phoenix healing process and allows her to come to terms with the truth. In this paper I argue that the journey to Natchez is a pilgrimage…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Phoenix Jackson In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Phoenix Jackson In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    The myth of the phoenix is that not only does it experience rebirth, but that the phoenix travels long, long distances to heal individuals with its tears. Now, not only is Phoenix Jackson traveling on a journey like the phoenix, but she is also traveling on a healing journey. The whole reason behind Phoenix’s trip to the town is to get medicine for her sick grandson. She puts herself at risk and danger, just to help out the one she loves. “No, missy, he not dead, he just the same.…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Old Phoenix In 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's'
    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Old Phoenix In 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's'

    What you just mentioned here above shows how the theme of a story can be slightly different for each individual. Like you said, old Phoenix was not physically strong, but she pushed through her journey with a sort of stubbornness. Certainly, she did not allow any trouble to defeat her. In other words, she showed perseverance and persistence. Personally, I believe her strong will to go hand in hand with her physical endurance on such journey.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Perseverance In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Perseverance In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    An anonymous writer once said, “Is there anything more wonderful than a grandmother’s love for her grandchildren? It is just pure love nothing but pure love". In Eudora Welty’s short story, “A Worn Path”, Phoenix Jackson embodies a loving grandmother that would do anything for her sick grandson. While the difficulty of her unexplained journey her body and her mind never pleads her to stop. Phoenix’s perseverance is demonstrated by the meek fact that she keeps walking.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Eudora Welty's Why I Live At The P. O.
    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Eudora Welty's Why I Live At The P. O.

    “Why I Live at the P.O” by Eudora Welty is about the main character 's sister and “adopted” daughter who moves back in with their Mama, Papa-Daddy, and Uncle Rondo because of a divorce with Mr. Whitaker. When Stella-Ronda, the main character 's sister, arrives on the Fourth of July, the main character, Sister, starts questioning if Stella-Ronda 's adopted daughter is really adopted. Sister is suspicious that Shirley-T is actually Stella-Ronda 's real, biological, daughter. Stella-Ronda becomes frustrated with Sister and starts a rumor that Sister wants Papa-Daddy to chop off his beard. This infuriates Papa-Daddy…

    • 1267 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    A Worn Path Analysis Essay
    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Worn Path Analysis Essay

    Phoenix is the main character, and protagonist of Eudora Welty’s short story “A Worn Path”, Written in 1941. Throughout the story, we follow Phoenix on a long journey that she is taking through the woods, for which we are at first given no origin point or destination. On her journey, we see Phoenix display a memory both with incredible ability, and with faults of old age. We also see her encounter and overcome many obstacles set by both her environment, and her poor eyesight, a symptom of old age. Finally, we learn of phoenix’s compassion, and caring nature as she reaches the end of her journey, and we are given explanation as to what would compel such an old woman to travel so far on her own.…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    What Does It Mean To Say Phoenix Jackson A Vibrant Character
    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Does It Mean To Say Phoenix Jackson A Vibrant Character

    Phoenix Jackson was quite the vibrant character. If I could break down Phoenix altogether, she had many qualities that contributed to shaping both her role and her effect on other encounters in the story. Phoenix is surprisingly a positive individual. Although she encounters many obstacles that knocks her off of her path to her destination, she remains surprisingly strong and positive. From the dog knocking her off her path, to the roads themselves being dirty and grimy she remains positive in responding to the somewhat dull and uninspiring environment the story depicts.…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    A Worn Path Symbolism
    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Worn Path Symbolism

    Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” demonstrations hardships face by Phoenix Jackson through symbolism and motifs. While developing her character within the flawed imagery Welty leaves her readers with a paradox of their own, who Phoenix truly is. During the 1940’s, Mississippi countryside was neither a kind place “color people” nor an elderly woman on her own but Phoenix got by on her wits and grit. Although this path lies open to interpretation, Phoenix Jackson reveals her own nature with her little gestures for the readers to follow. Phoenix Jackson’s journey; a path well-worn, is not without purpose or meaning thou it unravels with each step as it follows a pattern set by her untied shoelaces which drag behind.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Modernism In A Worn Path, By Eudora Welty
    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Modernism In A Worn Path, By Eudora Welty

    Literature has been around for many centuries, and each piece is either influenced by something, or has the ability to influence a single person, or an entire society. It is quite obvious to the eyes of a reader that pieces written during the Modern Era of literature reflect the time period of that in the Roaring Twenties, which was a time period in America where the rich were too wealthy, but their hearts were poor and filled with greed. These pieces also reflect the time period of the thirties, which was not even near as prosperous as the twenties, times were hard, and the lifestyle lived then was difficult. Modernism writers used these times in America to influence their writings by drawing attention of the readers to problems that our nation…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty
    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    She is hopeful that she will heal her grandson because he is all she had. A phoenix is told to rise over and over again, and that is what Mrs. Phoenix does in this story; she takes this worn path often to retrieve the medicine for her grandson. Because she has dementia, she forgets that her grandson is really not alive any more. Therefore, Old Phoenix will constantly be seeking for something. Her trips in search for the medicine in hopes of healing her grandson’s throat may, or already has, become a regular thing.…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Runaway By Alice Munro Essay
    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Runaway By Alice Munro Essay

    Nicki Minaj once stated, "I believe that life is a prize, but to live doesn't mean you're alive." This quote contains a valuable life lesson. In Alice Munro's Runaway, the female main characters are characterized to be disappointed with the life they have. Most of the women's dreams have perished due to their romantic relationships, predestined lives, or family. In the short story, "Runaway", the main character, Carla states, “I have always felt the need of a more authentic kind of life" (Munro 76).…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Literary Criticism In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
    • 2168 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Literary Criticism In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    From her name and appearance to her behavior and the symbolism running throughout the story, Phoenix Jackson is the embodiment of the phoenix. Her name represents her strong determination and her willingness of doing something that even a young person would not do, due to her severe condition. Some of the literary criticism that can be found throughout the text of A Worn Path are, historical, social ( Marxism ), cultural and psychological criticism. Eudora has successfully applied all these literary criticism to make the story more…

    • 2168 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    The Importance Of Memory In Toni Morrison's Beloved
    • 1009 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Importance Of Memory In Toni Morrison's Beloved

    Beloved is a novel that focuses on the importance of memory as a way of dealing with pain. Sethe throughout the novel struggles to find peace in herself, mainly because the memories of her daughter’s death and her slave years at Sweet Home are too painful to recall deliberately. In order to cope with grief and suffering, people need to go through 3 different stages which includes denial, bargaining and finally to come to terms with various feelings and acceptance.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Critical Analysis Of A Worn Path By Eudora Welty
    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Critical Analysis Of A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    Phoenix Jackson the protagonist of the story is a “very old and small”, also described as “old Negro woman” shows us the true meaning of what a hero is. She clearly shows this because she is going on an adventure into town so that she can get her grandson some help as he is very sick. Which then leads us to the call of adventure which is the grandson being sick, so Phoenix Jackson, the grandma, has to go into town to meet with a doctor to get some medicine for her grandson to prevent his throat from closing, and allow him to swallow normally, and allow him to be himself again. Even though the mentor which gives guidance to be successful in the special comes later in the story when she’s already in the special world, the mentor in this case is the nurse because she gives her wisdom and facts about what the medicine will do for her grandson. The nurse is the main reason that Phoenix Jackson, the grandma, was able to get the medicine for her…

    • 1080 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings