How Does Eudora Welty Use Imagery In A Worn Path

Imagery is one of the most vital details in a good story, and it is key that an author properly uses this tactic. Eudora Welty effectively uses imagery in the timeless “A Worn Path” to enhance the meaning of this story. The use of imagery can be seen in the description of the main protagonist Phoenix Jackson and can also be seen in the journey to her destination.
To begin with, imagery is present in Phoenix Jackson’s descriptive appearance. Right away, the reader learns that “She was a very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps…”(Welty 3-5). Welty’s ingenious use imagery in these three short lines gives the reader a vivid image of an old lady who may have arthritis, as she has a sway to her steps. The reader gets an even more accurate image of Phoenix Jackson when Welty describes her clothing. The reader learns that Phoenix “...wore a

From the start of the story, the reader learns that Phoenix Jackson has embarked on a journey to a destination that is unknown to the reader. Phoenix passes through “the whispering field” (Welty 90) of corn husks and comes to “... a wagon track where the silver grass blew between the red ruts” (Welty 90-91). Welty’s use of imagery in describing the landscape that Phoenix Jackson travels gives the reader a sense of the harsh winter conditions that Phoenix is traveling through. This image of a winter landscape is further enhanced when Phoenix “... followed the track, swaying the through the quiet bare fields, through little strings of trees silver in their dead leaves, past cabins silver from weather, with the doors and windows boarded shut…”(Welty 94-95). Welty’s flawless use of imagery in describing the harsh winter landscape that Phoenix Jackson must traverse through to reach her destination allows the reader to have a sense of just how important Phoenix’s final destination must