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Why Is Phoenix Jackson Named After The Mythological Bird The Phoenix

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Coincidence or Intentional?
“In Discussion: Reason Phoenix Jackson was Named After the Mythological Bird the Phoenix”

When people talk to you do they ever relate you to something, like an animal, a flower, or a bird? Eudora Welty names the main character in A Worn Path Phoenix Jackson. She is supposedly named after the mythological bird the phoenix (French). A Worn Path is about an old, black lady – Phoenix Jackson - making a journey into town to get medicine for her grandson. Her grandson is very ill and is going to die soon. This is all happening during Christmas time. Most of the story is recounting Phoenix’s journey into town. The story ends before Phoenix Jackson makes her voyage home. A Worn Path never tells you if the grandson dies or lies through his illness. Was Phoenix Jackson really named after the mythological bird the phoenix? There are many signs indicating that Eudora Welty did name Phoenix Jackson after the bird in A Worn Path. …show more content…

The phoenix avoids killing for food. The Persians call the phoenix “huma”. The Persians say that if the bird falls in your shadow or lands on your head then you will have great fortune (“phoenix”). The Egyptian’s and Persain’s theory are very similar. Most of the stories do relate to each other although they do differ in places. Phoenix Jackson is a very compassionate person. She makes a very long hike into town just for her grandson that is deadly sick. On this hike she had to go through the woods, through barb wire fence, over a creek and much more. Phoenix had two encounters with people. The fist one was with a white hunter. At first the hunter is not too rude, but as the conversation continues he gets beyond disrepectful to her. The second encounter is with a white nurse. The nurse isn’t too disrepectful to Phoenix Jackson’s face. Compassion means sympathetic, pity, and comncern for the sufferings or misfortune of

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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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The old woman is unfazed, which leads the reader to believe she is quite used to this behavior from young white men; in fact, Phoenix actually has the upper hand and the hunter does not even realize it. Elaine Orr points this out in her essay, stating “While he appears the authority, she employs his definitions and rewrites them as riddles, thus deconstructing his privilege”. In another essay the writer states “she is confronted by a white hunter who levels his shotgun at her in an obvious allusion to Jim Crow racial violence” (Moberly). The fact that Phoenix calls the hunters bluff with a gun pointed at her proves this is not her first run-in with an arrogant young white man. The old woman is used to this form of racism and is not daunted by it as she has mind set to complete her walk to

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So the time come around. And I go on another trip for the soothing medicine.” Phoenix is willing to risk her own health and energy to go out and get things for others. From the insight of the nurse she comes on a regular basis. She is constant on coming because she gets the medicine to try and help her grandson get better.

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