Phoenix Jackson Hero

Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson, is a hero. Jackson fits all of the requirements Reeve describes. “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty revolves around the heroine Phoenix Jackson who is heroic for her mysterious origins, heartfelt goal, and her descent into darkness, according to Joseph Campbell’s Hero Quest Chart. The reader begins the story with no prior knowledge as to who Jackson is and at the time of the story, she is already an old woman. The short story opens with a description of the setting filled with imagery. As a part of the scenery, there is “an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag” (47) in reference to Phoenix Jackson. Before the reader even learns the name of this old woman, her appearance is described as though the reader is seeing a random person for the first time, which they are in a way. Jackson’s …show more content…
Jackson’s adventure is already underway when the reader joins the story. Although her objective starts out unknown to the reader, he or she can induce it is of great importance because Jackson puts “...her right foot out, she mounted the log and shut her eyes...she began to march across. Then she opened her eyes and she was safe on the other side” (48). The path Jackson adopts has become a part of her and she can literally cross it with her eyes closed.When she finally makes it to town, Jackson visits a doctor’s office. The reader understands at this point why Jackson makes her trek through “...a barbed-wire fence” (49), past “A black dog” (50), and even after she falls into a “ditch” (50): for her sickly grandson. The reason for her tremendous travels seems so simple in her mind and yet she does not see how plucky her actions are. Despite her commitment to her grandson, Jackson’s age cannot be