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A Worn Path Theme

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In the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African-American woman who plans to go on a very difficult journey. This journey is not only arduous for Phoenix physically, but mentally also. Through the journey she succumbs to challenges such as crawling on the forrest floor despite her old age, and often loses focus from the purpose of her journey. The setting of the story creates a strenuous path for Phoenix to travel, and also enhances the mental strain Phoenix experiences on a daily basis. From the beginning of the story, the description of the setting alludes to a somber mood, “It was December—a bright frozen day in the early morning. Far out in the country.” Phoenix lives far out in the country and is …show more content…

“When a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him. 'That would be acceptable,' she said. But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air.” This incident does not frighten Phoenix, or even phase her at all. Once she realizes the boy is not there, she simply continues on her path, making it seem as though a hallucination is not out of the norm. Likewise, it is revealed that this journey is routine through the line “There was a fixed and ceremonial stiffness over her body.” The word ceremonial shows that this is not new to Phoenix and she does this often without even knowing why. The hospital is where the reader can truly see Phoenix is very unreliable. The nurse says “She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork” in reference to Phoenix. With the faulty memory of Phoenix and and the attitude from the nurses, the reader can infer that Phoenix’s grandson may not be alive, or if he was sick he is probably better by now, making her journey a routine as a result of her mental deterioration. The physical complications of the path help enhance the feeling of uncertainty and turmoil Phoenix feels when traveling the path and thinking about her grandson. This journey is not only arduous for Phoenix physically, but mentally

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Pheonix Jackson’s grandson is dead because she shows signs of dementia, she hesitates when asked about how the boy is doing, and she says words that imply the boy isn’t changing. The story “ A Worn Path” follows the difficult trip routinely made by Pheonix on foot to a nearby town for her grandson’s medicine which he needs for his swollen throat. Pheonix shows signs of dementia which would affect her perception of reality and her grandson being alive or dead. In the line, “At first she took it as a man,” referring to her encountering a scarecrow, Pheonix shows that her senses are inadequate enough to believe a scarecrow is a man dancing in a field (762). Pheonix is more reliant on her body remembering the trail than her sense of sight

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339 Words | 2 Pages

The story of Phoenix Jackson and the Narrator are based on the point of view of both the writers. “A Worn Path” is a story of a small, old, African American woman with wrinkles, who wore an apron bleached sugar sacks, hold a cane made from umbrella and shoe laces that are dragging, walking down the winter landscapes and describing everything she notices. While, “The Lone Ranger” is a story of a typical Native American youth, who is recounting his view of his society and struggles with identity, alcohol, and family relationships. The two characters have a few things in common and are opposite from each other. Even though staying in a marginalized environment, she is determined to do miles of walking to the urban area where she have to face

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2075 Words | 9 Pages

Finally, Phoenix has trouble recalling the last time she met her mother “Phoenix tries to remember the last time she saw her mother. A year, no, fourteen months ago” (Vermette 314). These examples demonstrate the lack of a strong familial bond between Phoenix and Elsie, highlighting the impact of intergenerational trauma on the characters' relationships. It also becomes

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485 Words | 2 Pages

Also like Everyday Use, A Worn Path takes place at a time in the 1900s when racism existed. Just like Mama, Phoenix also takes care and protects a child. However, the child she takes care of is her grandson. Many years ago, her grandson swallowed lye. This is a strong substance which is used in making soap.

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1083 Words | 5 Pages

When Phoenix notices her uncle's house is filthy, she decides to clean it up because her uncle likes it "when she does girl things like that" (Vermette 25). Phoenix is portrayed in the text as harsh and commanding, but in reality, all she wants is to be liked, which demonstrates how victims of intergenerational trauma desire to be loved. Phoenix is also seen to be jealous and go to extreme lengths when Emily receives affection instead of her. Phoenix has been pregnant for “seven months” with Clayton’s child (Vermette 320) and now is in prison for raping a girl, Emily, who Clayton was hanging out with. Readers understand that Phoenix has never received a lot of affection when she was younger

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488 Words | 2 Pages

In the short story Welty’s want the reader to be comfortable with Phoenix as a character. Welty describes Phoenix wearing a long dress reaching her shoe top and a long apron of bleached sugar sacks. When Phoenix talks aloud to herself the author wants the reader to imagine an old woman with characteristics of a warm, comical, young spirited woman side of her. The short story also uses images which evoke from the biblical imagery. Phoenix’s uses biblical connection to show the reader how important her story and the

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526 Words | 3 Pages

She exemplifies Christ along her journey when she stops under a mistletoe tree; the same type of tree in which the cross was made. The thorns she encounters also relate to Christ’s death on the cross, the crown of thorns he wears on his head. The journey she takes to get her grandson’s medicine, is considered to be an example of self-sacrifice. Phoenix gives others the opportunity to help her and accomplish good things. One example is when the hunter helps her out of the ditch.

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678 Words | 3 Pages

The Phoenix is a mythological creature that lives for five centuries

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539 Words | 3 Pages

Phoenix insisted, “No sir, I going to town” (Welty 466). Phoenix continually displays the will to get her grandson’s medicine and not letting anything or anyone stand in the way of achieving that goal. The hunter even pointed his gun at Phoenix but she showed no fear. She put her life at jeopardy, yet again, for the sake of her grandson. The hunter said, “Doesn’t the gun scare you” (Welty 467), Phoenix replies, “No sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for far less than what I’ve done” (467).

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810 Words | 4 Pages

While walking up the path, Phoenix has had to overcome obstacles while it seems like death is in the form of chains around her feet. Even so, she continues onward to freedom. The scene continues while Phoenix passes trees and birds and animals, and suddenly she is crawling through a barbed-wire fence. The change in scenery indicates how Phoenix might be somewhat confused, especially because she is old. It also indicates how Phoenix’s journey was not one of peacefulness, rather, it was one of survival.

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1459 Words | 6 Pages

Personally, I believe so. Claudius acted, at times, for the slaves and almost obeying their orders. Most ancient sources present him as a submissive idiot but they also ignore the good he did for the Roman Empire. I am aware of both but I still form a strong idea that Claudius was controlled by his freedmen.

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883 Words | 4 Pages

Some references even suggest Phoenix may have once been a slave; such as the chains the old woman feels on her feet as she climbs the path uphill. Racial inequality is unmistakably clear when the old woman falls in the ditch and is confronted by the white hunter. One would believe the hunter calling Phoenix Granny to be a harmless reference to her age; however, Granny is a term coined by southern whites in the thirties and forties and refers to a single elderly black woman: a granny is an old black woman who takes care of the white

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738 Words | 3 Pages

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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1101 Words | 5 Pages

Most people, at some point in their life, hit a wall of negativity. Mary Oliver, in her poem, “The Journey,” emphasizes the trouble negativity has in the accomplishment of her goal, and later on how she pushes through it. Oliver’s purpose of writing this poem is to motivate those who may not have the overall strength to conquer all the hardship that is against them. She adopts an ardent tone in order to attract an audience who may be lost within life and to pull them into her writing. Oliver used emotion, voice, and ethos in order to strengthen her overall message of overcoming negativity.

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740 Words | 3 Pages

Because she is an elderly African-American in Mississippi of the early 1900s, it is extremely likely that Jackson lived through the days of slavery and it is indisputable that she is living during the Jim Crow era of segregation. These circumstances mean that Jackson is looked down upon because of her race, despite how determined and courageous she really is. People disrespect Phoenix by referring to her as “granny” multiple times. A hunter also tells her that old colored people “wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus” (59). Later on, the young white hunter points a gun to her face and asks if it scares her, but she says that she saw plenty of guns go off in front of her.

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