Jackson, Mississippi

In the short story “A Worn Path,” author Eudora Welty portrays the main character “Old Phoenix” as a determined and resilient elderly woman. After overcoming numerous obstacles and dilemmas Phoenix eventually achieves her objective of returning home with medicine for her nephew. Throughout her journey there are several incidents that hint at Phoenix’s nephew being deceased. These incidents and how Phoenix’s nephew being deceased effects the theme of the story will be addressed in this essay.…

Eudora Welty uses her main character, Phoenix Jackson, to symbolize and represent the hardships that African Americans, women and others faced during the early and mid-1900’s in her short story “A Worn Path”, and also shows that hard work and perseverance can help achieve any goal one has in mind. Phoenix is a very strong character that embodies the true meaning of perseverance and never giving up. Throughout the story, she faces obstacles living and non-existent. Along her journey, she faces…

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…

In her autobiography, entitled One Writer’s Beginnings (1983), Eudora Welty claims that her childhood experiences directly influenced her occupation as an author. Welty supports her claim using imagery, parallelism, metaphors, diction, and lists. Using a nostalgic tone Welty writes to a general audience. Eudora Welty describes childhood memories in order to allow readers to fully understand the value and intensity of these experiences. In the beginning of the excerpt from her autobiography,…

“Family means, no one gets left behind or forgotten” (Stiers). “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is one of the short stories whose theme is familial love. The story is about an old and small African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson from the Old Natchez Trace, who was occasionally on a journey to town to pick up a specific medicine for her grandson who has swallowed lye. During her trip, she encounters various obstacles that would hinder her from her goal. In the end, she succeeds and brings home…

In the short-short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, an incredible journey filled with intestinal fortitude and sheer determination transpires. An elderly woman, of considerable age, named Phoenix Jackson makes a foot journey from her home far out in the middle of the country to town (Kirszner & Mandell, 2012). Many obstacles complicate and intrude on her journey that might have caused her to abandon her mission, which was to get medicine at the doctor’s office in town for her grandson…

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…

Most people today when things get tough in a certain situation they give up, but it is always inspiring and influential to hear that someone preserved. The story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, is a fantastic example. An old woman named Phoenix Jackson makes her way along a treacherous path. She travels through this path with one goal in mind, that goal being to help her grandson get medicine for his sickness. This path was not easy for her and she came across many hardships. The theme of “A Worn…

A worn path by Eudora Welty Phoenix Jackson and the phoenix bird of mythology are very similar they both overcome obstacles and keep going no matter what and they both go on a journey. Phoenix jackson and the mythological bird both overcome obstacles. Phoenix jackson overcome obstacles throughout the story when she walking the path she is an older women and it is during the winter and it's cold so her bones are weak and it takes alittle longer for her to do things. She also has something like…

its own ashes” (Bartel). Considering the age and state of Phoenix Jackson, she seems like the least person to relate to the vibrant bird-like phoenix. However, Phoenix Jackson and a phoenix have a lot in common. Eudora Welty named her main character in A Worn Path, Phoenix, because she is strong and resembles a phoenix, she rises again, and she also makes a healing journey like the mythical phoenix. At first glance, Phoenix Jackson in A Worn Path, seems like a feeble old woman, but when one…