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Strength In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

1056 Words5 Pages

The short story, “A Worn Path”, by Eudora Welty, the narrative is told from third person, limited to the main character, Phoenix’s, thoughts. The story takes place in the 1940’s, the main character being an older black woman making a journey through a forest by herself in order to reach town and get medicine for her sick grandson. Phoenix must climb steep hills, cross a wet log over a creek, and deal with the harsh treatment of the people she encounters on her way to the hospital to achieve her goal. Phoenix may be an old woman but that does not stop her from making this long and dangerous journey to get into town. The point of view Welty choses allows the reader to see Phoenix’s physical, emotional, and mental strength the reader would not have seen from first person. Without the narration of third person, the reader would not see these strengths because Phoenix would not share some of the details that a third person would. Through these demonstrations of strength, the reader admires Phoenix. Phoenix demonstrates physical strength throughout her journey toward …show more content…

As Phoenix is making her way through the forest she encounters a hunter. The hunter, a white man, “lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix” (para 51). The hunter is pointing his gun at Phoenix in an attempt to frighten her. Phoenix, “stood straight and faced him” (para 53). Phoenix stands her ground with the hunter after he points his weapon on her, unflinching. The hunter is pointing his gun at Phoenix with the intention of scaring her, “Doesn’t the gun scare you?’… ‘No sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day” (para 54, 55). Phoenix is not scared in this situation because she has been in greater danger in the past. Phoenix’s emotional state is unwavering due to her emotional strength built up over time in these types of situation. With this demonstration of Phoenix’s emotional strength, the reader admires Phoenix

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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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This serves as an example of how a lack of familial ties can prevent an individual from overcoming intergenerational trauma. The relationship between Phoenix and her mother Elsie is portrayed as distant and estranged. This is exemplified in a scene where Phoenix is going to prison and Elsie attempts to reach out to her, but she rejects the gesture by moving away and refusing to touch her mother. Phoenix also expressed disdain for her mother's weakness, “she does not want to look at her, does not want to see Elsie groveling in her Elsie way, being weak. She does not want to feel sorry for her, or feel anything for her” (Vermette 323).

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so she tried to be territorial around the person she loved, Clayton, which caused her to go to lengths in which she raped Emily. The third-person narrative of Phoenix highlights the extreme actions she takes to gain affection and approval. This helps readers understand the desperate desire of victims of intergenerational trauma to be loved as they were split apart and abandoned by their

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“The saddest journey in the world is the one that follows a precise itinerary,” which has not been more so than for Phoenix Jackson whom every year due to her love for her grandson embarks on a dangerous one-day journey to the city of Natchez. In this 1941 short story, “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, protagonist Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African-American women, whom despite her visual impairment, old age, memory loss and senility determines to procure medicine for her sickly grandson. Regardless of Phoenix Jackson’s limitations and negative experiences, she continues her journey undeterred. In order to characterize Jackson, Welty utilizes symbolic and situational archetypes to portray her as a strong, persevering, courageous, and loving women throughout her journey.

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Eudora Welty’s “A worn path” is a short story illustrating the determination of an old woman going on a ritual journey for getting a medicine for her grandson and facing each challenge with success. The story shows the protagonist of Eudora Welty's short story "A Worn Path" an elderly woman named Phoenix Jackson. Welty’s description of the old women realizes on her usage of three artistic tools: imagery, foreshowing, and symbolism. The Three artistic tools will show how “A worn path” of an old women journey begins to achieve her goal. Imagery is one of the artistic tools used in “A Wan Path”.

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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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Given her grandson’s injuries that hope is as fragile as the paper windmill. This reminds us that hope is fragile, and is contingent on historical and civil efforts beyond Phoenix and her grandson.     Phoenix Jackson perseveres to achieve a purposeful goal. Phoenix Jackson stayed true to her faith in times of desperation. Against the obstacles, she was willing to reach her destination to provide her grandson with the medicine he is in need of.

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In the short story, “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty introduces an elderly, African American, woman named Phoenix Jackson, whom for two or three years has made a long quest to town to get medicine for her ill grandson. Initially, Phoenix must overcome many obstacles to reach climax of her journey. Eudora Welty uses these obstacles to demonstrate the theme of her story, which is that Phoenix’s ambition/hope was the leading role in her preserving. The first obstacle that displays Phoenix’s determination to succeed, was when she came to a hill during her quest to town.

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