A Character Analysis of Phoenix in Eudora Welty’s “a Worn Path”

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“A Worn Path” written by Eudora Welty outlines the struggles of Phoenix Jackson, an old Negro woman on one of her many treacherous journeys through the Natchez, Mississippi wilderness to a medical clinic in town sometime after the Civil War. She makes the journeys for her infant grandson who is in need of medicine for his throat which he injured by drinking lye on a previous occasion. Phoenix is very determined and persists to overcome all the obstacles encountered on her journey and demonstrates her determination, unselfishness, and courageous nature even though she obviously suffers from dementia. We join Phoenix on her latest journey down the worn path through the thick woods where she is determined to accomplish her ultimate goal. She must keep the animals from scurrying under her feet by swishing the cane about her feet. “Under her small black-freckled hand her cane, limber as a buggy whip, would switch at the brush as if to rouse up any hiding things.” (Welty 95). She pushes on without hesitation to accomplish her goal. “Up through the pines,” she said at length. “Now down through oaks.” (Welty 96). Phoenix continues to cross obstacles in her path but determination and persistence carry her through a barbed-wire fence where “she had to creep and crawl” (Welty 96) then she continues over a creek by walking across a fallen log. After confronting a hunter who tells her to go home and points his gun at her, Phoenix boldly states “I bound to go on my way, mister” (Welty 98) and walks on. Her persistence carries her through a successful journey and in the next to last paragraph she states “This is what come to me to do,” (Welty 100). This demonstrates a determination deep rooted in her soul which Phoenix may not understand. As the writer lays out the journey for the reader to enjoy, Welty sheds light on Phoenix to reveal her unselfish and courageous

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