Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” demonstrations hardships face by Phoenix Jackson through symbolism and motifs. While developing her character within the flawed imagery Welty leaves her readers with a paradox of their own, who Phoenix truly is. During the 1940’s, Mississippi countryside was neither a kind place “color people” nor an elderly woman on her own but Phoenix got by on her wits and grit. Although this path lies open to interpretation, Phoenix Jackson reveals her own nature with her little…

In a “A Worn Path”, Welty gives examples of how an old colored female travels through the woods twice a year to get medicine for her grandson. Questions and answers about this short story have affected the views on the way readers see Phoenix Jackson and the journey she has for not only herself but also for her grandson. As Phoenix travels through the woods to get to town, she sacrifices so much to achieve the goal she has set for herself. The multiple characteristics of Phoenix will explain…

Phoenix Jackson, the main character in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty (1940), was an elderly woman with more determination than someone half her age. She is a woman living up to her first name! She is on a mission, and she will not allow anything to stand in her way. In this short story, we see a similarity between the mythological bird, the phoenix, and Phoenix Jackson. Throughout multiple obstacles in Phoenix’s passageway to her destination, her strength, resistance, and spirit persisted beyond…

Through the course of the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson had several moments or opportunities along her way to abandon her mission. Phoenix’s first moment or opportunity was when her skirt was entangled with a thorn bush and she could not let her dress get torn. According to the quote of Welty (1940), " Her eyes opened, their widest, and she started down gently. But before she got to the bottom of the hill a bush caught her dress. Her fingers were busy and intent,…

Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path” follows the journey of Phoenix Jackson, an old Negro woman who, time and time again, makes the difficult journey through the forest to town. Despite her old age and obvious inabilities, she finds the strength to make the journey through the pinewoods, down through oaks, thorny bushes, and barbed wire. The theme of her “hero’s journey” is found through the author’s use of characterization, symbolism/imagery, and conflict. The author’s use of characterization makes…

viewpoint shift that separates these two eras of writing is astounding. However, subtle differences are present within. Such similarities in story structure, characterization, and conveyed messages connect James Fennimore Cooper’s “The Deerslayer” and Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”.…

Eudora Welty grabs the attention of her readers by making them feel as if they are part of the story. She tells her readers about how a grandmother goes out of her way to help her disabled grandson. As she begins her journey, old Phoenix Jackson overcomes challenges large and small to get medicine for her disabled grandson. While reading along with the story about her challenges the story opens the reader’s eyes and start to feel what the main character is going through. The author shows that…

Hinton 1 Hinton, Venekia Joshua Bowen English 1123 7 February 2017 A Worn Path “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is a story of determination and hope. The short story takes place during the 1940’s in Mississippi. This was a time when African Americans were not treated equal to whites. Welty’s story talks about an elderly African American woman named Phoenix. Phoenix is on a burdensome journey from the country to Jackson, Mississippi. For many people, the journey from the country to the…

Though on the surface it seems to be a simple story about an old woman on a journey, Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is highly symbolic. With a name like Phoenix, her allegorical potential is obvious, even if the meaning is slightly more cryptic in nature. Because phoenixes are symbols for cyclic death and rebirth, one could interpret Phoenix's character as a symbol for the oppressed, fighting or lose faith. They’re spirit will never perish. However, there are two other symbols whose presence in…

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…