Literary Elements In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Literary Analysis: “A Worn Path”

Eudora Welty uses many literary elements in her short story, “A Worn Path,” to allow the reader to stay engaged throughout its entirety. Although there are many literary elements present in this story, there are three that Welty focuses intently on. She uses elements such as imagery, symbolism, and motifs to draw the reader’s attention. It is important for an author to write their story in a way that can be understood but also enjoyed. In “A Worn Path”, Welty focuses in on the elements, such as, symbolism, motifs, and imagery and writes a story that has great meaning and can be discovered by the reader when looked at carefully. The first literary element that plays a significantly important role in this story is symbolism. The most prominent example is involving Phoenix’s name. The name itself can have many different meanings and shows the reader a great implication of symbolism, “The references at the beginning of the story announce rather clearly that a comparison with the legendary bird is intended.” (Jones 1). Welty depicts Phoenix Jackson to resemble that of the ancient bird in both look

Because “A Worn Path” is set during Christmas, critics associate it with a religious pilgrimage. (American Writer) “She went on, parting her way from side to side.” (Welty) “This is similar to Moses parting the red sea.” (Isaacs) 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. He demonstrates the willingness to help