Sam Larson AP English, Period 8 Mrs. Koenig 24 October 2011 The Role of Race in “A Worn Path” “A Worn Path” is a short story about an African-American woman from the Deep South who must travel to a nearby town in order to buy medicine for her sick grandson. Written by American author Eudora Welty, famous for writing stories about the Deep South, this story is criticized by many for its use of race and how racism is openly alluded to. “A Worn Path” begins by introducing the reader to an old African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix is traveling through the woods on her way to pick up medicine for her grandson, for he is sick with a throat ailment. While traveling through the woods, Phoenix talks to herself and to her surroundings, sounding off against the native animals so that they may leave her alone.
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.
In "A Worn Path" Eudora Welty uses conflicts to exemplify Phoenix's will and strength. These conflicts make her journey seem extremely heroic and put her in a class above her own. Phoenix willingly takes on this "worn path" with great determination and vigor. Her major conflicting battles are struggles between the strength of her mind versus the strength of her body, nature’s relentless cruelty, and her most important dilemma of all the choice between her grandsons well being over her own. From the beginning to the end of the path, Phoenix's mind and body are working together; her conflicts begin when her mind is asked to take over.
Curley’s wife has taken complete control of the situation by implying that she would get him lynched, this was typical of the time period the book is set in. Crooks goes from being exceptionally confident and self-assured to not saying anything and trying to make himself as small as possible. “Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself.” This shows that Crooks feels that he is out of place and certainly intimidated by Curley’s wife’s sudden outburst of hostility, he knows he has no hope of winning the confrontation. Curley’s wife enjoys the power she is exercising over Crooks, knowing that she has the power in their relationship and exercising it
They continue on the journey discussing Brown’s father and grandfather and how they came through the woods many times. While continuing their walk through the woods the second traveler is greeted by a woman from the Salem village ,“the devil (551)”. Goodman Brown recognizes the woman to be Goody Cloyse. She and the devil have a discussion about a witch recipe and the meeting that is being held later that night. Brown tried to remain faithful to his beliefs and cries out to the sky “ with heaven above , and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil (553) ”.
Despite these differences, both stories surrounding these two women are realistic and of real women who are conflicted in their role as women in a man’s world and this ultimately led them to take control of their life even if it meant killing themselves. Hedda is someone who does not have a regard for people that are close to her unlike Chandara who cared for her husband tremendously. It is clear that both of these women are different emotionally and intellectually. From the beginning of Hedda Gabler, the protagonist, Hedda Gabler has always been aloof and condescending; it is shown in page 1470 where she commented that they could not keep Bertha the maid because she accused Bertha of leaving her old hat in the living room when in fact it was Miss Tesman’s hat. She is not afraid to manipulate her friends and family and does not seem to have a regard for people close to her.
One of the unforgettable women, An-mei Hsu, enters the dark forest and embarks on a dangerous journey when she chooses to leave her family and go with her mother. She is put into trials to undertake the hero’s journey and transform. She fulfills the journey by making her ultimate sacrifice and brings new possibilities to her daughter Rose Hsu. In the eyes of Joseph Campbell, An-Mei Hsu qualifies as a hero. According to Campbell, the hero’s journey begins when she ‘‘has moved out of the society that would have protected [her] and into the dark forest.’’ An-Mei’s adventure begins when she chooses to disregard the angry admonitions of her aunt and uncle, and leave with her mother to live in Wu Tsing’s house.
“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.
Sykes, on the other hand, is as evil as Delia is good. This is never more apparent when he answers Delia's question as to why he enjoys making her suffer: "'If you such a big fool dat you got to have a fit over a earth worm or a string, Ah don't keer how bad Ah skeer you'" (883). Unempathetic to the hardships and fears his wife endures, Sykes sees sport in all aspects of life, including frightening his wife. Abusive and unfaithful, Sykes doesn't care how his infidelity is seen not only by his wife but by the townspeople as well. His lack of morality and faith, his rejection in the belief of the same moral equanimity that Delia fosters in, frees him from the constraints of personal or communal responsibility.
Especially that of Emily Sanders “Charlize Theron” being a woman in a man driven occupation seemed to be one of the many themes presented in this film. The little to no respects she receive from her superior and fellow coworkers there is a little bit of a war happening in the local police station for Emily make all the progress she makes on the case seem that much more amazing. The movie was also well received by many movie critics and