Eudora Welty’s “A worn Path” talks about a elderly black woman by the name of Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix travels through the pinewoods all alone with her small cane and eyes blue with age. She encounters many hardships including disrespect. Phoenix does have a goal during her journey and it was to get medicine for her grandson because he swallowed lye. The theme of the story was that Phoenix would go through many hardships, disrespect, and loneliness for the love of her grandson.
Ellie Linton’s character is tested when she comes home to find the family pets dead. She must choose between right and wrong in her follow-up actions, battling through trauma and distress. Then her best friend, Corrie, witnesses her home being destroyed. It is in the group’s human spirit and empathy for each that keeps them strong. Ellie again questions herself and her actions when she blows up a lawnmower to save her friends.
Addy was still weak from the efforts of her labour, and still sore and bleeding, but she knew she had to leave and she had to leave today" (Lansens 271). Then, when Addy loses Chick, she handles the situation in a better way: "She would not pass through the big oak doors though. Instead she climbed the fire escape stairs, stepping around Mr. Baldwin's winter wood and kindling, intent on keeping her memories at bay" (Lansens 472). Addy is able to overcome the feeling of hurt fast after the death of her second child because she already faces a similar dilemma with her first child. She leaves a whole country to conquer the feeling of loss of her first child whereas she simply decides to ignore the passage her family used to take together in her building after her second child dies.
Lucy’s mother, Eutychia, tried to arrange a marriage for her with a pagan. Lucy knew that her mother would not be convinced by a young girl's vow so she devised a plan to convince her mother that Christ was the most powerful partner for life. During an early morning mass, Lucy and her mother heard the story of the famous Saint Agatha who cured a woman with dysentery. Lucy and her mother went to the tomb of Saint Agatha and her mother's long illness was cured miraculously.
A Northern Light ISU Theme Essay Alicia Leonard Ms. Owens June 2, 2013 In A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, a girl named Mattie shows us through her story how difficult rural life was in the 1900s and how no matter how you feel about your neighbor in times of emergency everyone pitches in to help. The author shows that a real neighbor will help you even if he or she has nothing to gain from doing so, other than knowing if the need arises you will return the favor as long as you are able. Once Mattie has gone to work at the Glenmore and left her family alone, they all get very sick and the young neighbor Tommy runs all the way to the hotel to tell her to come home. As she leaves the hotel she finds another neighbor Mr. Denio arriving and he quickly turns around to drive her home as soon as he hears that her family is sick. Just as she is arriving home she finds another neighbor arriving Royal Loomis who has heard what happened and says “Saw
Angela Brown Professor Amber Brooks Hybrid English 1102 October 07, 2011 In the story by Eudora Welty, “The Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson is a complex character who defies a stereotype in a symbolic way. Welty's story describes Phoenix as the old lady who had to travel miles a day in order to prove to the other characters that her grandson was not dead. Having to prove that her grandson was not dead, Phoenix had three traits of characteristics. She loved her grandson, determined throughout her errand, and persistent to accomplish her goal. These traits helped her to overcome being stereotyped and ultimately her overcoming these stereotypes made her symbolic in her journey to the doctor’s office.
Each of these characters shows their will to survive in their own ways throughout the novel. For example, Lina is forced to draw the NKVD officer attractively and smuggle an owl for her and her family’s survival. She goes against what her favourite artist showed her to draw like and shows her will to survive by hiding a dead bird in her jacket. On the other hand, her mother Elena shows her will to survive in another form. Elena firstly trades her father’s pocket watch to bribe the NKVD officer to not take her son.
Kim Adams Professor Jones English Comp II 20 September 2012 IT’S NOT THE DESTINATION, IT’S THE JOURNEY In Eudora Welty’s story “A Worn Path” about an elderly black woman making a long journey, I realized this journey she is making is the biggest and, perhaps most important, journey of her life. In this story Phoenix Jackson takes a worn path to the city every year to get medicine for her sick grandson. Throughout her journey she comes across many obstacles; animals in the wild, a harassing hunter, untied shoelaces, and snippety nurses. In spite of all these obstacles she carries on and trudges through her journey to get to her destination. (Welty, 1941) We would all be wise to take a lesson from Phoenix on carrying on through the tough
Symbolism of the Journey Kimberly Larese Eng.125 Introduction to Literature Ms. Julie Alfaro March 3, 2013 Symbolism of the Journey 1 A Worn Path "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty is full of symbolism and theme that makes this an interesting story. Phoenix is an old Negro women who is determined to get to town for the medicine for her grandson and she will not let anything nor anyone get in her way. And the struggles she faces along the way. But also racism not just because of color but the way she is treated but some of the people.
In the novel Every Last One, by Anna Quindlen, she creates a portrait of a mother, a father, children and violent consequences. Mary Beth Latham, is a suburban, white women who is a mother of three teenaged children that had always came first, before her role as a wife to a doctor or even her career as a landscape gardener. Mary Beth cared deeply for her family and preserved their everyday life as sovereign. However, when Max, one of her sons, becomes very depressed, Mary Beth became focused on her son, and is blindsided by an outrageous act of violence when half of her family became murdered by her daughter Ruby's ex-boyfriend Kiernan, leaving her with only one son, Alex. Every Last One is a novel about a women having to face difficult situations in life while being emotionally and financially responsible for the rest of her family.