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. In fact, the journey was tough for an old lady like her, and she would have not been able to complete it without her strong will. At this point, we can easily compare her journey to the prejudice and hardship endured by the black population during slavery. For instance, I think that the author meant to
