Phoenix Jackson in A Worn Path

The phoenix is a powerful symbol. This symbol is often used in literature for its symbolic meaning. The mythological bird bursts into flames at the moment of death, but that is only the beginning of the bird’s story. When the bird has transformed into a mere pile of ashes, it is reborn out of those ashes. Therefore, the phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, resurrection, renaissance, and persistence. The UXL Encyclopedia of World Mythology actually clarifies that, “The main theme of the myth of the…

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…

A Great Journey An Analysis of Eudora Welty’s, A Worn Path Why do children never value what their parents or other elders do for them? Why do teenagers only think of themselves, and never stop and say thank you to those who help them? Many people say it is because children and teenagers are ungrateful beings who do not appreciate or respect the help others give to them. However, maybe it is not that children and teenagers do not know respect; maybe it is simply the fact they do not know how…

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,…

symbolic to what anyone may go through in life. In the story “A worn path”, an old women goes through many obstacles as she is on the pathway to acquiring what she sought after. In order to better convey the hero’s journey in the story A Worn Path, Eudora Welty uses characterization, symbolism, and conflict. In the story characterization is used to describe the main character Phoenix Jackson. Every story must have its hero and Phoenix Jackson is the “hero” in this journey. In the story she is…

In the story entitled “A Worn Path, the author, Eudora Welty, develops an “old, negro woman” by the name of Phoenix Jackson. The story starts off as Phoenix Jackson traveling through the pinewoods. Despite her long dress that draped over her unlaced shoes, she looked straight ahead with rage. She was determined. Throughout the story, Phoenix Jackson perseveres many obstacles. Her first encounter was with a “quivering in a thicket” in which she exclaims, “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls,…

One is to analyze the “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty that narrates of the old black woman who has to walk through the fields in order to achieve the medicine for the grandchild (Stang). It was written in 1940 and published - in 1941 (Stang). Besides, one has to mention that in Eudora Welty`s “A Worn Path”, Phoenix Jackson - the main character - undergoes all six stages of the hero`s quest: statis, answering the call, experiencing complications, finding allies, achieving a breakthrough and…

“The Possibility of Evil” a short story written by Shirley Jackson describes the protagonist, Miss Adela Strangeworth, as “knowing everyone in town.” On the other hand “A Worn Path” written by Eudora Welty explains a journey taken by an old Negro woman named Phoenix Jackson who was the story’s protagonist. In both these short stories the author purposefully uses a non-participating narrator to help the readers understand the story by developing a detailed setting and not allowing the readers to…

The main character Phoenix is a symbol of sacrifice. In the story phoenix sacrifices her life by traveling on the Natchez Trail into town. Scholar advisor suggest “Right from the poor eyesight to slow walking pace, there was nothing in her favor.” Mrs. Jackson already knew how bad her eyesight was. Her determination got the best of her so she kept pushing herself. The determination even got…

Way back when, an elderly African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson went on a familiar journey to town. On this journey, she was met with difficulty and disrespect, but that did not stop her from getting to her destination. As one critic says,” In “A Worn Path,” the author utilizes the conventions of the heroic journey to describe the adventures of a woman who is unaware of her own heroism” (Reisman). The story tells about the journey Phoenix goes on and how much trouble she goes through. The…