In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson is the main character of this short story. Eudora Welty describes Phoenix Jackson as an old woman who goes on a long journey through the woods. Throughout her journey, Phoenix Jackson starts to experience emotions such as hardship and joy. Many people have argued about Phoenix Jackson’s journey being connected through religious, historical, or racial criticism. Furthermore, I will carefully analyze her conscious and unconscious mind through the Psychoanalytical criticism by the way she shows her love for her grandson by making the trip every Christmas, her fear while on her journey through the woods, her dark side for taking the nickel, and appreciation of the help she receives.
Sigmund Freud terms of Psychoanalytical …show more content…
However, does this scene make Phoenix not a good person at all? Robinson introduces Robert Towers argument in which he argues that Eudora Welty’s story is a sad story about an elderly African-American woman that was living in the South. Robinson uses this scene and argument to show his beliefs. That if it was a sad story, than Phoenix Jackson would be “pure goodness” that would not give in to evil thoughts as to taking the nickel from the ground, or giving the hunter the nickel back after she picked it up. However, Phoenix Jackson did not give the nickel back, she kept it and continued on her journey. In this scene, Phoenix shows a dark side of her personality. She consciously take the nickel, and afterwards she speaks out loud saying what she does, and says out loud that god is watching her do a crime. In another part of the story, the assistant at the medical office offered her pennies, but instead Phoenix says that pennies becomes a nickel. Phoenix Jackson throughout her journey was conscious and unconscious of her choices, and the reason she was doing them, but she was doing them unconsciously because of her denial of her grandson’s condition. If she was doing them consciously, she would have taken the nickel from the hunter the way she did by tricking him, and would not say sorry or realize that she was doing a crime. Even through her hardship and crime, she was very grateful and appreciative of what she was able to receive. As Robinson stated, if she did not have evil thoughts or remorse she would be “pure
Sigmund Freud terms of Psychoanalytical …show more content…
However, does this scene make Phoenix not a good person at all? Robinson introduces Robert Towers argument in which he argues that Eudora Welty’s story is a sad story about an elderly African-American woman that was living in the South. Robinson uses this scene and argument to show his beliefs. That if it was a sad story, than Phoenix Jackson would be “pure goodness” that would not give in to evil thoughts as to taking the nickel from the ground, or giving the hunter the nickel back after she picked it up. However, Phoenix Jackson did not give the nickel back, she kept it and continued on her journey. In this scene, Phoenix shows a dark side of her personality. She consciously take the nickel, and afterwards she speaks out loud saying what she does, and says out loud that god is watching her do a crime. In another part of the story, the assistant at the medical office offered her pennies, but instead Phoenix says that pennies becomes a nickel. Phoenix Jackson throughout her journey was conscious and unconscious of her choices, and the reason she was doing them, but she was doing them unconsciously because of her denial of her grandson’s condition. If she was doing them consciously, she would have taken the nickel from the hunter the way she did by tricking him, and would not say sorry or realize that she was doing a crime. Even through her hardship and crime, she was very grateful and appreciative of what she was able to receive. As Robinson stated, if she did not have evil thoughts or remorse she would be “pure