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A Worn Path Phoenix Jackson Character Analysis

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In the story “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson was an old African American women. She takes a small journey that can be an allegory of someone's whole life. The journey had hard and easy parts, beauty, danger, and confusion. But her quest was to get the medicine for her sick grandson who laid at home waiting for her return. Phoenix was a delusional yet heroic, caring grandmother who would stop at nothing to get what she needed. She is an interesting character because she can have characteristics that are good and bad. The two characteristics that are related to her the most was she can be delusional but yet a heroic person. Phoenix was an old lady so she could have had many medical problems we don’t know about. The most noticeable symptoms …show more content…

A hero can be someone in your life that makes a difference that impacts your life or someone who is selfless. In “A Worn Path.” one of Phoenix’s good characteristic can be she is heroic. “ “Well I scared him off that time,” he said and then laughed and lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix” When she was up against the hunter and he pointed his gun at her she was never afraid of it. She didn’t back down because she had a job she needed to get done and she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything in her way. She is shown as heroic here because she could have been potentially risking herself for someone else's needs. “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.” Phoenix is willing to risk her own health and energy to go out and get things for others. From the insight of the nurse she comes on a regular basis. She is constant on coming because she gets the medicine to try and help her grandson get better. Phoenix is doing this out of her selfless and kind heart for her loved ones. If she never cared and was selfish then she would never be making these difficult journeys and wasting her time for someone

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Given her grandson’s injuries that hope is as fragile as the paper windmill. This reminds us that hope is fragile, and is contingent on historical and civil efforts beyond Phoenix and her grandson.     Phoenix Jackson perseveres to achieve a purposeful goal. Phoenix Jackson stayed true to her faith in times of desperation. Against the obstacles, she was willing to reach her destination to provide her grandson with the medicine he is in need of.

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Yes, the journey is a great risk especially in her condition but Eudora shows how Phoenix’s spirit causes her to persevere in the face of adversity. In the end, Phoenix Jackson reached her destination and received the medicine for her grandchild. What starts out as a long quest filled with dangerous obstacles ends in a meaningful lesson for the readers’. Eudora Welty short story, “A Worn Path,” exemplifies what it means to persevere through any tribulations that stand in the way of your goals.

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Beyond the Walk to Natchez A historical great piece of literary art, “A Worn Path” published in 1941, is a story of an old woman’s journey to town through the forest. The setting is rural Mississippi in the 1940’s, a time when racism was a way of life and a trip to town, especially for an old black woman, was often a long journey and thus a trip not often taken. The old woman’s name is Phoenix Jackson and she has quite an adventurous trip through the forest to town. One is made to believe this is just an average walk down the path for this old woman; however the reader is entertained by Phoenix’s mannerisms and realizes there is deeper meaning of the story.

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