A Detailed Look At “A Worn Path” By Eudora Welty "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty is a story of devotion and responsibility. It emphasizes an older lady doing whatever it takes to fulfill her grandsons needs. The characters, tone, and symbolism play a major role in relating the story to the theme, but the most important factor is the point of view in which the story is told. The story is told in third person, which allows the readers to understand the text from the main characters perspective. The point of view also sets the tone and mood of the whole story.
The short story, “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is filled with symbolism necessary to convey the message intended by the author. This message is one of courage and dedication on the part of the main character, Phoenix Jackson, an old African American grandmother, on a journey to town for medicine for her grandson. It is the symbolism, however, used by Welty, that takes this story to a higher level of distinction on the part of Jackson’s heroic characteristics. The story begins with the description of Phoenix Jackson aptly symbolized with various metaphors that express her age and her commitment to her task at hand. For instance, “She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grand-father clock.” .
All of these obstacles in front of this women I feel have a meaning, they help not only to better shape Ms.Jacksons personality but it also helps display how determined she is on her mission. The most glaring obstacle to me is the barbed wire. For an old women to do all she has done through this path it illustrates the strong character she is. The author to me is trying to display how strong Woman are in society. An equally glaring conflict is that of Man Vs Society.
In the novel “The Book of Negroes”written by Lawrance Hill, Aminata, the main character, seems to be troubled with death. Why should she live so long and what supported her to go through all these difficulties? There are many factors that make her live longer than the others. The main reason for her to survive and be a better woman is the pride instilled in her mind. Pride can be a postive aspect of humantiy that can lead one down to a successful path.
Worn Path: Symbolism In short, you could say that “A Worn Path” describes the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson who walks from her home to the city to get some medicine for her sick grandson, but it is so much more than that. Phoenix faces many obstacles in her path and she has to overcome all of them to get to the city. She over comes all of these obstacles, not only physically but emotionally as well. Symbolism also presents itself in many parts of “A Worn Path.” When one begins to analyze the symbolism in this story, one should begin at the title. According to Hamm, Jackson’s path is worn not only because she has traveled it many times, but because it has been followed by countless, self-sacrificing others.
“A Worn Path” The Phoenix is known for being consumed by fire, then rising from the ashes, much like Phoenix Jackson, the main character in Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”, because she also possessed a fiery spirit and was consumed by love for her grandson. As she made her way through heavily-wooded terrain, deep ravines, and grown-up fields, not once did she think of herself and the dangers that could arise on such a journey. Phoenix’s undying love for her grandson pushed her to continue on her way despite her age and color; the perfect combination to stack all the odds of completing her mission against her. Phoenix Jackson was and old negro woman living in Natchez, Mississippi in the days of the Great Depression; which made economic living even worse for an elderly black woman in the deep south. She had to endure a life of poverty, oppression and racism in a society that offered very little right and privileges to the non-whites; however, significant interactions with others in the story proved that the nobleness of her character demanded respect despite her age, race and sex.
Rather, this further testifies to the subconscious association the woman had made throughout her life between bravery or fearlessness and the color black. In general, I enjoyed the story and thought that it spoke to many true human emotions. Not only did it focus on subconscious understandings of race and color, it also made profound statements regarding perseverance, faith, love, and commitment. Furthermore, it accurately demonstrated the plight of some African Americans, who were (and in some cases still are) distinguished and discriminated against due to their race. It also speaks to the harsh reality of
It could be deduced that Mary Shelley presents the female characters in ‘Frankenstein’ stereotypically. Caroline Beaufort, the first woman we as readers are introduced to, is presented as a strong female through the way Shelley has characterized her. For example, even after the death of her father, we are told that ‘her courage rose to support her in adversity’, and that she ‘possessed a mind of uncommon mould’. However, her roles in the novel could be criticized from a female perspective as being stereotypical due to the excessive description that could connote women to be soft, vulnerable and purely for maternal purposes. The use of the superlative ‘greatest’ in the quote ‘his daughter attended him with the greatest tenderness’, to describe the scale of tenderness whilst caring for her father and emphasizes the idea of women being extremely kindhearted and comforting towards their loved ones.
A Worn Woman In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”, the main character, Phoenix Jackson, an older, black woman sets off on a long journey to the nearby town, Natchez. Along the way, Phoenix encounters many obstacles such as long paths, wild animals, and people. In addition, she also overcomes racial prejudice. Phoenix finally makes it to the city and receives the free medication for her sick nephew. She walks the worn path because of the love she feels for her grandson.
Phoenix Jackson proves the struggle to find the path to love can be challenging and wrought with insecurities that can fool you. Yet the path to love can be desirous if virtues of patience and respect are tendered. Phoenix Jackson is an old woman whose wisdom showed her age yet her mind is filled with knowledge about the journey of life and love. She is an exceptional character drawn by the love she has for her grandson. She journeys through many obstacles, “thorns,….a log,… a barbed- wire fence…a field of dead corn” (444; 445) just to get medicine for her grandson in town.