An Underling Theme: a Comparative Essay

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An Underling Theme: A Comparative Essay Bethany Dowdy ENG 125 Macy Dailey August 5, 2013 “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “I Used to Live Here Once” by Jean Rhys, at first blush, do not seem to be related in theme. When looking at short stories it is impossible to see it all in a literal form; there is always some sort of underlying context that occurs within the body of the text that adds insight to the story. One is a short story about a woman going to town through woods; the other, a story about a woman revisiting her old home. In reviewing the journey of each piece, however, the relationship is clear. The underlying meaning or theme of a story is often depicted through symbolism, but what is symbolism? It can be defined differently by many people. Our text book describes it as “something that has a literal identity but also stands for something else—something that is widely understood and has been developed over a long period of time or by common agreement” (Clugston, 2010). Even when looking at a dictionary it does not typically give a thorough answer. It is because symbolism is created by the author. However, it can be contradicted or have a completely obscure meaning to the reader. This is the exact reason why symbolism cannot be defined. However, it can be interpreted. Understanding the journey that characters take and their symbolic nature is definitely worth decoding. In fact, the symbolism of the journey is usually the basis behind the literary work itself. One of the well-known literary works with a symbolic journey is Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path.” In the story there is an elderly woman named, Phoenix Jackson, who is on a long journey through the woods into town to get her beloved grandson medicine for an injury he received after swallowing lye years ago. From time to time Phoenix has to make this journey because the grandson’s

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