The first time that Phoenix could have abandoned her mission in the short story “A Worn Path” is when she encounters the thorny bushes. Each time the Phoenix removes one part of her dress another part gets caught. She carefully removes her skirt from the bushes because she refuses to let her skirt get ripped. The thorny bush represents Phoenix’s life, once she has overcome one obstacle there seems to be another one in her way. Phoenix meets these obstacles in her life head on and shows a sense of humor. The second moment in which Phoenix could have abandoned her mission is when she come upon the barbed-wire fence. To get through the barbed-wire it required Phoenix to “creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her finger like a baby