Seeds of an Allegory; A Cane, a Hunter, and a Worn Path
Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is written about an old black woman named Phoenix Jackson who travels a long worn path to town where she can get medicine for her ill grandson. Many components of the story demonstrate a deeper meaning of the story. The symbols in the story could have been anywhere from Phoenix’s name to the ground she walked on, but some were more important to the underlying meaning of the allegory. Through the symbolic meanings of her cane, the hunter, and the long worn path, “A Worn Path” was able to show the will of the human spirit, despite conflicts caused by nature and society.
Phoenix Jackson was so old and frail that she had to walk with a cane just to get …show more content…
It was evident that she was in no condition to walk many miles to town given the quote “‘seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far’”, showing that she certainly struggles walking her way to town. Anyone who had to walk that far with little strength to do so would have had temptation to give up, much like the hunter that tried to sway Phoenix from going to town. Every time he tried to do so, however, Phoenix Jackson abruptly declined his offer. As seen in the quote “‘take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you’”, her own temptation used her previous accident of falling into the ditch to try to convince her to go home. Because Phoenix Jackson fell into that ditch, she began to question herself and her reasons to keep going to town. The hunter showed up during her journey just as she fell into the ditch because this was the moment that Phoenix began to give up on her journey. Despite her fall and the hunters attempts to make her go home, Phoenix remained persistent in going to town. The only reason that Phoenix was able to make it to town was because of her own persistence and her ability to remain strong, no matter how many times her own temptation tried to get the best of …show more content…
As seen throughout the whole story, Phoenix had many challenges in her life, but the way she handled each of them showed the integrity of her spirit. From climbing hills with her old and frail legs, to ignoring her temptation to return home, to finally obtaining the medicine her grandson needs, Phoenix Jackson was able to triumph through these challenges and finally be at peace, after her long journey through the path. She also experienced guilt throughout the story, especially in terms of her stealing the nickel. As she had said “‘God was watching me the whole time. I come to stealing’”, she had known that what she had done was wrong, and she then had to deal with that guilt the rest of the way through the path. The nickel she had stolen was not worth much, but to her it was important, and she was therefore inclined to stealing, even though she knew in her heart that it was wrong. Finally, throughout the story Phoenix had insisted that she was afraid of nothing, including the animals who she knew were there, but she did not let that stop her from continuing. Even the hunter had said “‘you must be a hundred years old, and scared of nothing’”, but when she finally came to town with tons of people, she seemed to turn a bit scared. Phoenix would barely speak when she came to town, which was unlike her seeing how she communicated with the hunter in the woods.
Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is written about an old black woman named Phoenix Jackson who travels a long worn path to town where she can get medicine for her ill grandson. Many components of the story demonstrate a deeper meaning of the story. The symbols in the story could have been anywhere from Phoenix’s name to the ground she walked on, but some were more important to the underlying meaning of the allegory. Through the symbolic meanings of her cane, the hunter, and the long worn path, “A Worn Path” was able to show the will of the human spirit, despite conflicts caused by nature and society.
Phoenix Jackson was so old and frail that she had to walk with a cane just to get …show more content…
It was evident that she was in no condition to walk many miles to town given the quote “‘seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far’”, showing that she certainly struggles walking her way to town. Anyone who had to walk that far with little strength to do so would have had temptation to give up, much like the hunter that tried to sway Phoenix from going to town. Every time he tried to do so, however, Phoenix Jackson abruptly declined his offer. As seen in the quote “‘take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you’”, her own temptation used her previous accident of falling into the ditch to try to convince her to go home. Because Phoenix Jackson fell into that ditch, she began to question herself and her reasons to keep going to town. The hunter showed up during her journey just as she fell into the ditch because this was the moment that Phoenix began to give up on her journey. Despite her fall and the hunters attempts to make her go home, Phoenix remained persistent in going to town. The only reason that Phoenix was able to make it to town was because of her own persistence and her ability to remain strong, no matter how many times her own temptation tried to get the best of …show more content…
As seen throughout the whole story, Phoenix had many challenges in her life, but the way she handled each of them showed the integrity of her spirit. From climbing hills with her old and frail legs, to ignoring her temptation to return home, to finally obtaining the medicine her grandson needs, Phoenix Jackson was able to triumph through these challenges and finally be at peace, after her long journey through the path. She also experienced guilt throughout the story, especially in terms of her stealing the nickel. As she had said “‘God was watching me the whole time. I come to stealing’”, she had known that what she had done was wrong, and she then had to deal with that guilt the rest of the way through the path. The nickel she had stolen was not worth much, but to her it was important, and she was therefore inclined to stealing, even though she knew in her heart that it was wrong. Finally, throughout the story Phoenix had insisted that she was afraid of nothing, including the animals who she knew were there, but she did not let that stop her from continuing. Even the hunter had said “‘you must be a hundred years old, and scared of nothing’”, but when she finally came to town with tons of people, she seemed to turn a bit scared. Phoenix would barely speak when she came to town, which was unlike her seeing how she communicated with the hunter in the woods.