Rights and equality for any race, gender, or wealth class defines social justice. Three short stories that symbolize social justice are “Saboteur,” “A Worn Path,” and “The Lesson.” In the story “Saboteur” the antagonist is a police officer who treats the protagonist unjustly. The social justice issue being portrayed is inequality. In contrast, “A Worn Path” is a story of an elderly African-American woman who is on a quest. While on her quest, racism is illustrated as the social issue. Lastly, “The Lesson” is a story of two main characters who are being taught the value of a dollar. Economic inequality is the social justice issue in the story. Particularly, these three stories brought to my attention of racism, social inequality, and
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Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African-American woman who is on an extremely weary and exhausting quest to the city, to receive medication for her sick grandson. While on her quest, Phoenix encounters a young Caucasian hunter who is awfully rude and racist. Before having an encounter with the young hunter, Phoenix has to walk a vast number of miles through the woods, walk through thorn bushes, climb up steep hills, and crawl through a barbed-wired fence. Phoenix faces a countless amount of hardships while on her extensive journey such as, ripping her long stripped dress on a branch, scratching her arms and legs on branches while walking through the thorn bushes, and low temperatures of a cold December morning. Too top all of these obstacles Phoenix has to deal with a racism. She meets the young hunter, while she is resting on a hill. The hunter calls her granny, laughs at her, and asks her what is she doing so far away from home. The young Caucasian male tells her go on home, this indicates that the hunter did not want Phoenix around that area because of the color of her skin. He goes on to say “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa clause.” (Welty 237) This statement is racist, judgmental, and a stereotype of African-Americans. The term colored people is highly disrespectful, because he calls Phoenix out of her name. He does not know the importance of her journey, he just sees that she is African-American and begins to tell her too go home and senses she does not belong in the area. Secondly, the hunter starts to make his dogs mad by throwing sticks and shouting “Sic him, Pete! Sic him” (Welty 237). This would get the dogs to fight and scare Phoenix. Lastly, after chasing his dogs, the Caucasian hunter points a gun directly in Phoenix’s face. Phoenix stands straight and faces him. He asks her “doesn’t this gun
Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African-American woman who is on an extremely weary and exhausting quest to the city, to receive medication for her sick grandson. While on her quest, Phoenix encounters a young Caucasian hunter who is awfully rude and racist. Before having an encounter with the young hunter, Phoenix has to walk a vast number of miles through the woods, walk through thorn bushes, climb up steep hills, and crawl through a barbed-wired fence. Phoenix faces a countless amount of hardships while on her extensive journey such as, ripping her long stripped dress on a branch, scratching her arms and legs on branches while walking through the thorn bushes, and low temperatures of a cold December morning. Too top all of these obstacles Phoenix has to deal with a racism. She meets the young hunter, while she is resting on a hill. The hunter calls her granny, laughs at her, and asks her what is she doing so far away from home. The young Caucasian male tells her go on home, this indicates that the hunter did not want Phoenix around that area because of the color of her skin. He goes on to say “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa clause.” (Welty 237) This statement is racist, judgmental, and a stereotype of African-Americans. The term colored people is highly disrespectful, because he calls Phoenix out of her name. He does not know the importance of her journey, he just sees that she is African-American and begins to tell her too go home and senses she does not belong in the area. Secondly, the hunter starts to make his dogs mad by throwing sticks and shouting “Sic him, Pete! Sic him” (Welty 237). This would get the dogs to fight and scare Phoenix. Lastly, after chasing his dogs, the Caucasian hunter points a gun directly in Phoenix’s face. Phoenix stands straight and faces him. He asks her “doesn’t this gun