A Worn Path Eudora Welty Analysis

The short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, shows characteristics of realism, such as, common setting, believable characters, and conflicts between people. The story tells the journey of an elderly African-American woman named Phoenix who walks “a worn path” many miles from her home to a medical clinic located in Natchez, Mississippi to pick up medicine for her ill grandson. She faces many obstacles including discrimination and assault on the way, but overcomes them in order to aid his suffering. This selfless journey highlights how love within a family can be stronger than any other love. Natchez is a real city located on the Mississippi river with a population of 15,792. The character of Phoenix is determined and feels love which are real human

Phoenix is addressed as “Granny” or “Grandma” and

Jimenez, 1 never Phoenix or Ms. Jackson, which suggests she was not highly respected and was treated like a “charity case.” The author illustrates this when Phoenix arrives at the clinic and is greeted by the attendant which rudely states, “A charity case, I suppose.” This is discrimination because the attendant is assuming phoenix is poor based off of physical appearance.

The emotions the author has given Phoenix are believable because they match the plot of the story. Phoenix is determined to help her grandson because she loves him very much. An example of this is shown when Phoenix describes her grandson’s condition to the nurse by stating, “No missy, he not dead, he just the same. Every little while his throat begin to close up again and he not able to swallow. He not get his breath. He not able to help himself. So the time come around, and I go on another trip for the soothing- medicine.” Determination and love are real human emotions that people have felt. Her emotions are believable because, based on real life experience, we typically assume that love in a family is unconditional and family will do anything for one