Symbolic Source In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

I think the trip to the city to get the medicine represents the mythological trip that the Phoenix takes to the sun to die. I say this because by going on this journey Phoenix is using the last of her energy and will probably die soon after it. On her way to the city Phoenix faces many obstacles. One obstacle she faces is old age “Seems like there is chains about my feet “ she says this because her old age has left her almost immobile. The first actual obstacle she comes across is the scarecrow who represents death or the grim reaper because he is described as wearing all black and is trying to get her to come with him. Another thing that links the scarecrow to death is the simple fact that he is in a field. The next obstacle is the white hunter who tells her to go back and represents evil forces ” Well, granny you must be a hundred years old and scared of nuthin I’d give you a dime if I had any money with me. But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you”. He is lying about having no money so she steals a nickel from him, a trivial amount of money for him that won’t be missed so we the readers find ourselves justifying the theft.

for her grand child with lye poisoning. Along the way she encounters several obstacles. Welty throughout the story the author makes several points to connect this work to other famous works of literature to strengthen her character without directly doing so. The author uses imagery to recreate famous parts of The Bible also the main character's name, Phoenix Jackson is a reference to the mystical bird the phoenix which is a symbol for rebirth. Phoenix Jackson symbolically is reborn several times throughout the story. The stories title and main plot point is the path she walks which holds many similarities to the path of life.

Also during Phoenix’s encounter with the hunter, the reader and Phoenix face the possibility of her death at the hands of the hunter. Yet, even as the hunter tries to exercise his racial superiority and intimidation over Phoenix, she again never hesitates. When the hunter points his gun into Phoenix’s face her response is simply, “...I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done.” The hunter even threatens, “But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you.” Phoenix’s answer is simply an unflinching, “I bound to go on my way, mister.” Again Phoenix symbolises the bird as she refuses to give in to even the

Phoenix also symbolizes a mythical bird; she has “the regenerative qualities of the bird are seen in Phoenix’s determination each time she suffers a setback,” Like the bird how it gets reborn again Phoenix keeps on getting up from the challenges and keeps on going just like getting reborn again. That is why the author named the main character Phoenix because she is like the mythical bird the phoenix in many ways even the description of Phoenix gives symbolism of her being like the bird. Phoenix wears a red rag to tie her hair and running underneath her skin “a golden color” [welty1274]. The image of the bird is shown in Phoenix’s face “the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark” [Welty 1274]. Her golden tone skin represents the fiery golden red feathers the bird has.

The story of A Worn Path goes perfectly with the title; it is a slow paced mood with lots of symbolic messages associated with life. Phoenix Jackson is just representation of one person reaching a simple goal but for her may take a little more effort. Bound by her physical ailments of being old, slow, and brittle she never turns back giving up her goal. Through the symbolic obstacles that author Eudora Welty so cleverly puts together, puts a sense of what everyone goes through in life. Eudora Welty brings forth a theme; with enough persistence and boldness we can overcome any obstacle that we face and reach our goal. As we go through our life no matter what circumstances we may be in, there should be nothing that keeps us from achieving. Just like Phoenix Jackson she works towards a goal so important to her heart; she doesn’t let any obstacle come in her way.

“A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.

The title of the story, “A Worn Path,” is foreshadowing something coming to an end. In Phoenix Jackson's case, it could mean the last time she walks the path or it could even very well be her life. Eudora Welty describes Phoenix walking slowly in the dark pine shadows with a cane, indicating the rough journey ahead. Early on in the story, she encounters a thorn patch. In this story, it states,“Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let old folks pass, no sir. Old eyes thought you was a pretty little green bush.” The thorns represent some of the hurdles that hinder you if you are born black in America, especially in Jackson's time. The author uses imagery in the story to make the reader feel as if they know her. “God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing.” When Jackson talks to herself aloud the reader imagines the young spirited side of her.

Phoenix Jackson is a symbol herself she represents a mythical bird. The bird symbolizes rebirth and rising from the flames. This is just the beginning of Eudora Welty’s list of symbols. The title signifies that she has gone through that path many times before.

A phoenix is a bird that lives to symbolize rebirth at its finest. A phoenix goes through the many stages of life, to get to the very moment where it burns itself up and becomes reborn once more. The phoenix comes from greek mythology and is used as the reincarnation symbol in most stories. In the story “Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the main character’s name is Phoenix. Although I will touch more on this specific meaning, but the story has an incredible amount of hidden meanings that touch on even the most sensitive discussion topics of the modern age. Whether it is about racism, internal conflict, or natural conflict there is always a lesson to learn from this story. Eudora Welty clearly wants to make it known that even as her main character goes through a simple task of walking from her home to the town, she discovers many issues along her journey.

Phoenix’s very name, which is derived from the name of the mythical Egyptian bird that is burned and resurrected from its own ashes, is the reader’s first hint at the character’s perseverance. Secondly, Phoenix is making this long, cold, difficult journey on foot, which is yet further testament to her determination. She is depicted as having “ skin [with]...a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead,” and these connections between Phoenix and trees, which often represent endurance in nature, paint a vivid picture of the woman’s strength (Welty). Perseverance is even more so revealed when Phoenix is faced with the challenge of crossing a creek on a log, to which she says, ““Now comes the trial,”” and “leveling her cane fiercely before her like a festival figure in some parade, she began to march across” (Welty). After she has completed this feat, she remarks, almost proudly and with satisfaction, “'I wasn't

In the short story ‘a worn path’ by Eudora Welty she uses symbolism to describe many of the characters and objects that are given in the short story. Symbolism is to use symbols to represent ideas and qualities. In ‘a worn path’ Eudora does so she uses manifolds of characters and objects to express the way the story is being told in her own way. As doing so she helps the reader understand it more sufficiently and to show that what is going on is still happening today.

Phoenix lived in a society where racism was still running strong. Yet she faced and dealt with that every day of her life. As an African-American slave, she would have toil in the fields, wondering if she would still be alive by the time the sun was setting. Phoenix is visible shaken with a run a scarecrow she believed to be a ghost. She says to image, "'Ghost,' she said sharply, 'who be you the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by” (Welty 24).Slave mothers would often show that same fear as they watched the shadows return from the field; wondering if their loved ones were still alive or was going to come home unharmed. Phoenix faced those same fears as a mother and grandmother. If Phoenix was caught in the

One of the most important objects in this story is the ancient phoenix it represents so many things that Phoenix Jackson represents. Michael J. Cummings declares that “Phoenix Jackson is like the mythical bird in that she rose from ashes of the civil war to lead a long long and apparently fruitful life.” (cummingsstudyguides) The phoenix bird sacrifices itself for others which in this case Phoenix Jackson is sacrificing herself for her grandson in which he will be the next phoenix. The marble cake represents racism, when blacks and whites tried getting along together. Michael J. Cummings points out that “When a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him. That would be acceptable. But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air.” (cummingsstudyguides) the marble cake is like when the hunter and herself met just like in her dream but did not exactly get along because just like the marble cake they were not quite there yet. The buzzard and scarecrow both represent death but

Thesis statement: In “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson displays extraordinary perseverance in the face of difficulty, which ultimately allows her to accomplish her goal.

In "A Worn Path", a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a "worn path" through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics have speculated that this short story represents the love a grandmother shows for her grandson. Others say this story represents life and death, where Phoenix represents an immortal figure. Dennis J. Sykes disagrees with the other critics by saying,