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.
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 Eudora Welty’s, A Worn Path, is about an elderly African-American woman in the 1930’s named Phoenix Jackson, whose love for her grandson takes her on a long and difficult journey. Phoenix’s mission is to make it through the Mississippi woods on her way to town to get medicine from the doctor for her sick grandson. She is faced with many physical, mental and racial obstacles and has to overcome adversity throughout the course of her journey. Phoenix Jackson is a very feeble, old woman who clearly should not be trekking through the forest alone. She first hears a noise in the bushes and warns the wild animals in an effort to show her determination.
“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is a story of an elderly black woman “ her head tied in a red rag, coming along path through the pinewoods. Her named was Phoenix Jackson” (Welty 82). Phoenix travels a long journey to town to acquire medicine for her grandson at the doctor’s office and the elderly woman goes through struggles against intense fatigue and poor eyesight, as well as such obstacles as thorn bushes and barbed wire and loose dogs such as.“ A black dog with a lolling tongue” (Welty 84). On that note, this illustrates that Phoenix Jackson overcomes many obstacles to reach her destination. It’s December when Phoenix starts on her journey to Natchez and it is a journey she has taken many times before.
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.” . This use of symbolism is very direct in its approach of Jackson’s character, but as the story progresses, Welty begins to utilize symbolism in a more ambiguous way which makes the reader think about the message conveyed. One such example is found in the following passage, “Putting her right foot out, she mounted the log and shut her eyes. Lifting her skirt, leveling her cane fiercely before her, like a festival figure in some parade, she began to march across. Then she opened her eyes and she was safe on the other side.”.
Anthony Acierno Prof. Wood A Worn Path 1-30-11 SUMMARY A Worn Path is about an old black woman on a journey down a path to her destination. Her name was Phoenix Jackson. During her journey up a hill and down, she passes through a few obstacles, animals and a man. The first obstacle was the green bush that caught her dress at the bottom of the hill. The other obstacle was the big log in her way.
Even she knows this journey will be exhausting and full of the obstacles; she is not giving up. Every step she makes seems to be slow, but each step she makes really helps her toward to her goal. Phoenix is willing to do everything for her grandson because he is all she have in this world. The atmosphere or mood of the story was nervous by placing obstacles on Phoenix’s way of her journey. The harsh weather, distance and the animal attack represent the obstacles on her journey.
Throughout the story we observe the racism African-Americans endured during the Civil Rights movement, and the duties and responsibilities of an elderly woman. Although the 1940's were the turning point for the Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans were still scrutinized by whites routinely. During Phoenix's trip to get medicine, she gets knocked into a ditch by a dog, and can't get out by herself. Eventually a white hunter helps her out. Although the man helps her, he immediately makes it clear that he has prejudice thoughts towards African-Americans.
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. For example, when the hunter pointed his gun at her, Phoenix responded by standing firm and facing him eye to eye. The respect from the hunter was evident when he replied, “Well Granny, you must be a hundred years old and scared of nothing” (p.288). Phoenix also exerted her nobleness when she asked the elegant lady on the street to tie her shoe; “She put her packages down on the sidewalk beside her and laced and tied both shoes tightly” (p.288). It seemed as if Phoenix had chosen this particular character, the “elegant lady”, in order to example her nobility.
She had gotten so far and came along a track and as she followed, she had seen a black dog. She hit the dog lightly with her cane and hid down in the ditch. A white man came along and pulled her out the ditch and asked her if she was ok and if she had anything broken. She stated that she was far away from her home and advised that she was going into town. Nothing was going to stop her.