The Two Paths

In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path," Phoenix Jackson has a sick grandson. He is very ill and in need of medicine. Phoenix shows dedication throughout the story by going on a journey and getting the necessary medicine for her grandson despite the many obstacles along the way. She embodies the characteristics of a strong African American woman who faces challenges along her path. Phoenix Jackson is characterized throughout the story by her devotion, pride, and perseverance. One way, Phoenix Jackson…

Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reveals the tale of a well-known physician, Henry Jekyll, whose experimentations in the realm of human consciousness lead to his transformation into the horrifying, violent Edward Hyde. Many literary critics have speculated that the novella is a metaphor for multiple personality disorder, however, I believe that Stevenson was symbolizing a darker fear present during the Victorian era: the rise of cocaine use and the…

however, unintentionally creates a separate being comprised solely of his pure evil nature, known as Mr. Edward Hyde, who controls Jekyll’s mind and body and produces an independent existence for himself. As each version of the story begins its own path, the book with a lengthy description of Utterson, a lawyer with a seemingly unfriendly personality but undying loyalty for his friends, and the movie with a monologue from Dr. Jekyll, they both…

Ideological Analysis of The Dark Knight Rises The 2012 film, The Dark Knight Rises is the third installment of the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. The film is a portrayal of the constant battle between good and evil, and does so through the representation of our justice system. The lines between good and evil are hard to distinguish, however due to the police force in Gotham being as well known for its corruption, as it is for its actual crime fighting, and the Villains of the…

When a family member becomes ill many people will begin to sacrifice all they have to see the person well again. Phoenix Jackson, in Eudora Welty’s short story “A Worn Path” not only gives up all she has but her dignity as well. Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African-American woman who survived the cruelty of slavery before and during the Civil War. She is described as plain, wrinkled, and socially unimportant. When her grandson becomes ill after swallowing lye Phoenix Jackson travels to the…

Seeds of an Allegory; A Cane, a Hunter, and a Worn Path Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is written about an old black woman named Phoenix Jackson who travels a long worn path to town where she can get medicine for her ill grandson. Many components of the story demonstrate a deeper meaning of the story. The symbols in the story could have been anywhere from Phoenix’s name to the ground she walked on, but some were more important to the underlying meaning of the allegory. Through the symbolic…

Peru is a country located on the western coast of South America that borders the South Pacific Ocean and was the center of many ancient civilizations. Such as the Incas whose empire the Spanish conquistadors Diego de Almagro and Francisco Pizarro initiated an invasion and capture in the early 1500 's during the Spanish exploration of South America. The Spanish took control of the country and began to kill most of the Inca highest rulers. However, the biggest killer that the Incas received…

Phoenix Jackson, a protagonist in “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, embarks on a journey to town through the Natchez trail. Though there is no actual knowing of her people make an assumption about her age and her inabilities, in society we often like to discriminate against people before evaluating them. When old age comes to mind what do you think of: Crippled? Weak? Those are just some mere first impressions we make which shape our basic perception. Yes, Phoenix may embody some effects of old age…

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…

“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.”-Dr. Seuss. Eudora Welty, an author that lived from 1909-2001, was raised in a closely-knit family that resided in West Virginia. The passage is about Welty’s unique love and passion for reading; however, the librarian, Mrs. Calloway serves as an obstacle to Welty. Welty desperately attempts to quench her thirst for books. Welty possesses an insatiable love for reading and books that is…