On Overgrown Paths

The Quests in “Araby” and “A Worn Path” In the two short stories “Araby,” by James Joyce, published in 1914, and “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty, published in 1973, both stories view life as a journey. Both protagonists, Phoenix Jackson, the main character in “A Worn Path,” and the Narrator in “Araby” embark on an errand out of love. In “Araby,” the Narrator develops an infatuation for Mangan’s sister, who for the longest period does not notice him. He laments, “I had never spoken to her, except…

spent days crossing over wide fields and tripping across the slick rocks buried under the water of rushing rivers. My body was in great pain but my mind had never felt so fresh, so alive. When I finally reached the long path winding down the door of Wuthering Heights, I reached the path winding down to my revenge on Hindley. I laughed an almost unhuman laugh and took off running across yet another…

A Worn Path During our life we face many challenges. We have the ability to either choose to face them or run from them. Some challenges can be more difficult than others, for we are alone to face them. We encounter many crossroads during our journeys where we have to choose which path we take in life. Sometimes we open a door just to see that on the other side there is another closed door. Even though sometimes we are defeated by challenges they make us stronger and give us the ability to keep…

What is symbolism? Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas, objects, or qualities. It helps the reader distinguish the literature in a deeper meaning. Short stories, novels, and literature revolve around the use of symbols. Anything from a character to an object can be used as a denotation. You see symbolism in just about everything you read or even see. Directors and Authors use it to create vivid pictures to the audience. For example, in The Color Purple, Purple represents a…

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty. Eudora Welty’s explanation of symbolism basically says how the Character Phoenix Jackson goes out of her way to do all that she can for her grandson because he is sick and can’t take care of him-self. She is a good grandmother by going out of her to take the whole day to walk all the way into town to get him his medicine. During her excursion she talks aloud to herself coaxing before, but this one seems significantly harder to manage. Eudora Welty “A Worn Path” is…

In a scene from the 2006 Peruvian film Madeinusa, Don Cayo—mayor of the fictional Andean town of Manayaycuna, breaks a clay pot full of food on the ground, as a gesture that signals the beginning of tiempo santo. As they file out of church after mass, the people of the town prepare to celebrate a period that starts at 3pm on Good Friday—the time of Jesus’ crucifixion—and ends at 6am on Easter Sunday, the time of his resurrection. According to local custom, during this period there is no sin:…

Octavia and [the] Phoenix At first glance, the two stories A Worn Path by Eudora Welty and The Sky Is Gray by Ernest J. Gaines and the characters in them may not seem to be so comparable. Phoenix Jackson from A Worn Path and Octavia, mostly called Mama, from The Sky Is Gray, are actually quite similar in character but also different in other ways. They are both strong and compassionate, although Phoenix is more friendly than Mama. Both Phoenix and Mama display strength in their actions and…

In Knight’s journal, she detailed daily accounts of her travel including descriptions of her surroundings. For example, “we entered a thicket of tress and shrubs” and then “we were on a descent of a hill” (Knight A: 381). She described the path she traveled as narrow and also mentioned the steepness of the hills. As she continued her trip, she noted the places she stayed at overnight, the type of food she ate and the quality and personality of the people she met. She wrote, “There are plenty…

There are various symbols in the prose such as; the worn path, and Phoenix herself. The “worn path” is where most of Phoenix’s struggles occur. She is a sickly women who is walking a long distance on a road that has been taken by many before. The reader can also hint that this path shows her determination and endless love for her grandson. This is a symbol because where she is going is just not an easy walk she is put right in the middle of harsh weather conditions especially for her old age,…

wrinkles in her face, and the shoes she wore were unlaced. She carried a thin umbrella that she used for a cane. After reading Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” we see Phoenix Jackson as an old woman who lives life in her own reality. Phoenix Jackson has a grandson whom she cares for. The child swallowed some lye years ago and Phoenix travels a worn path to town in order to get the child’s medication. Phoenix sets out on her journey and begins to talk to herself. Phoenix said, “Out of my way, all…