Perseverance In A Worn Path

The common theme in A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty, is perseverance, which is shown through imagery, characterization, and the setting. The story uses many tactics to show that people should never give up on their goals, no matter what struggles lie in their way, and this is shown through the character of Phoenix Jackson, who encounters several physical and mental struggles on her journey.

In the very beginning of the story, the setting is already shown, and it is shown to provide the audience with the knowledge that Phoenix is not travelling in easy conditions, “It was December—a bright frozen day in the early morning.” Phoenix chooses to begin her journey in a cold winter month, and also in early morning before the sun has had time to

As she was walking through the woods she begins to have trouble seeing through the trees, because of the light and the thickness of the forest, “ The woods were deep and still. The sun made the pine needles almost too bright to look at, up where the wind rocked.” As she eases her way through the forest she encounters struggle after struggle, such as having to cross the river on a log, “Lifting her skirt, leveling her cane fiercely before her like a festival figure in some parade, she began to march across. Then she opened her eyes and she was safe on the other side,” yet she never stops her journey, because she knows that the outcome of the journey will be worth it.

The theme of perseverance is shown in many ways, because Phoenix Jackson is the embodiment of perseverance in many ways. At any point in her journey she could have stopped, decided it was too much, and gone home, but instead she did not. She proved to herself that it was possible for her to make the journey, even though people probably told her she couldn’t, and Eudora Welty described this to the audience through characterization, imagery, and setting, within A Worn