Life Struggles of Phoenix in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

760 Words2 Pages

Life Struggles of Phoenix in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

"A Worn Path," by Eudora Welty is a heartbreaking story about the heroic trip of an old African American woman, Phoenix. The readers won't find out right away the plot of the story or why Phoenix won't give up her exhausting trip to town-the conflict of this story-especially on a very cold day. The title, "A Worn Path," indicates that Phoenix has obviously walked down this path many times before-also the fact that she can cross a creek with her eyes closed confirms the title's message.

Her trip is full of obstacles, from bushes of thorns that get caught in her dress, to her crossing of a creek. These elements complicate the conflict and increase the readers' curiosity about the plot. Phoenix can't trust her eyes, choosing instead to walk along with her eyes closed and sense her way with the help of her cane. While needed rest forces her to stop for a while, she has a vision of a little boy handing her a slice of marble cake. So many questions arise in the minds of the readers. Who was the little boy? Is she halluci...

Show More
Related

  • Perseverance In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    358 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the short story "A Worn Path," the message that Eudora Welty sends to the readers is one of love, endurance, persistence, and perseverance. Old Phoenix Jackson walks a long way to town, through obstacles of every sort, but no obstacle is bad enough to stop her from her main goal. She may be old and almost blind, but she knows what she has to do and won't give up on it. Her grandson has swallowed lye, and she has a holy duty of making her way to town in order to get medicine for him. The wilderness of the path does not scare her off. She stumbles over and over, but she talks herself through every obstacle. Undoubtedly, the theme of perseverance is what Eudora Welty wants to point out to her readers. Just like the name Phoenix suggests

    Read More

  • America's Identy Crisis in Welty's A Worn Path

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the time period this story was written was in 1941 WWII had just begun, but not only that, but also of poverty that was a reality to many—particularly to blacks and people in rural areas. The title itself, “A Worn Path,” refers to life as the journey through a worn path. Obstacles that Phoenix Jackson faced shows the real-life hardships, lies, and aggressions, that minorities face. Despite its simplicity, Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” does show us some of the greatest of life’s realities. The writer starts the story using racial description and symbolism to describe Phoenix Jackson.

    Read More

  • Imagery In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    “A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is a story of an elderly black woman’s journey into town for her grandson’s medicine. Using lots of imagery throughout the story, the narrator tells us that the woman, Phoenix Jackson takes this dangerous journey out of love for her grandson who is in need of medicine. Throughout her journey, she encounters many people who are of great importance to the story.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    During these breaks, the author shows her imagining things. Once she sits down to rest, she did not close her eyes, but she seen a little boy with a plate of marbled-cake on it and as she speaks to him and reaches for the cake, it was just her hand there (Welty). This shows Phoenix was full imagination. She was hungry, but there wasn’t any thing to eat. Her old age was getting the best of her. Also as she is passing through a field of dead corn, she thought "she [had] seen something tall, black and skinny there moving before her" (Welty). Phoenix was traveling for awhile and as the sun is going down, the author shows this trait of her making things out that wasn’t really there to show her

    Read More

  • A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phoenix’s journey is a little long just by walking alone in the middle of the

    Read More

  • Advancements in Medicine: The Black Death

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Middle Ages, medicine was limited. This was critical because in 1348-1350 the Black Death killed millions, nearly one third of the population. Physicians had no idea what was causing diseases or how to stop them ("Medicine in the Middle"). The Catholic Church told its people the illness was punishment from God for their sins (Gates 9). Some of the only procedures doctors could perform was letting blood by using leeches, and mix ‘medicines’ using herbs, spices, and resins (Rooney 106-107). Other medicine was administered by drinks, ointments, poultices, baths, and purges (Rooney 120). One hundred years later, when Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, many scholars moved to Italy, where they freely exchanged ideas. With them the scholars brought their libraries of books, giving European scholars access to the Greek and Latin culture. As new ways of thinking spread from Italy across Europe, this time period became known as the Renaissance, which was an era of discovery. As explorers returned with new discoveries and information, Europeans expanded their knowledge about astronomy, botany, and geography. Scientists like Copernicus and Galileo studied the world using observation and experimentation. Thanks to Gutenberg’s printing press, this new information was available to anyone who could read. For this reason the ideal Renaissance man was expected to be a well-rounded scientist, artist, mathematician, and philosopher all in one. The way people thought about medicine changed during this era. These changes brought about unique surgical methods, instruments, medicines, and practices, with a a few notable people. The Renaissance era of discovery did much for the world of medicine.

    Read More

  • Theme of Determination in "A Worn Path"

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    “A Worn Path” is a short story written by Eudora Welty. It is based on an elderly African-American grandmother named Phoenix Jackson, who goes for a walk to the town of Natchez on a cold December morning to get some medicine for her ailing grandson. This story speaks of the obstacles Phoenix endured along the way and how she overcame them. The theme, central idea or message that the author wishes to convey to his or her readers, in “A Worn Path” is one of determination. Phoenix Jackson is determined to get to Natchez, in order to get medicine for her grandson; she does not let any obstacles get in her way. The theme of determination is shown in many ways throughout this short story.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eudora Welty presents the short story “A Worn Path” in a remarkable way, revealing a lot of symbolism. It travels around multiple themes throughout the story about an old aged woman walking through a grueling trail to a town to gather medicine for her grandson in Mississippi. This short story takes places in December on a “bright frozen day” where an old Negro woman arises by the name of Phoenix Jackson. I believe she signifies a struggle, but when looking at her a bit deeper, she mostly signifies willpower (Welty, 502). As she goes towards the town on the path, she appears to have walked numerous times before; she has to overcome many problems. What’s important is that with each move she takes it looks to be pretty sluggish, but yet a steady move in the direction of her goal. The story gives an understanding to the determination and confidence of Phoenix Jackson to point out the belief of people in identical lives of endless struggle. In “A Worn Path,” Eudora Welty reveals the idea that sometimes our lives can be a lot like an obstacles course, which are made up of difficulties that we have to overcome somehow.

    Read More

  • The Hazards of Ocean Pollution

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ocean Pollution is a serious issue in today's global politics. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem is put in jeopardy when the ocean is not clean. Problem evolving from ocean pollution directly harm marine life and indirectly affect human health and the Earth's many valuable resources. Ocean Pollution is a Broad term that encpompasses any and all foregin matter that directly or indirectly makes its way into the ocean. This includes everything from the extreme: oil spills, Toxic Waste dumping and industrial dumping-- to the small scael: human activities and basic carelessness. Because the oceans and all other water bodies are invariably, somehow connected, and because they account for 3/4 of the Earth's surface, they are an ideal method of transportation for pollution, allowing the rapid spread of seemingly far away toxins into a river near you! It is increasingly important that we educate ourselves as to what, exactly, ocean pollution is, so that we can identify the causes at their source and take action in small and large ways, and hopefully, prevent this terrible form of pollution from getting any worse than it is today.

    Read More

  • The Development of Ancient Medicine & Influences

    1747 Words  | 4 Pages

    The western medicines usually compromise the use of folk remedies and prayers. They now believed that sickness was not a result of punishments sent from gods, but something ‘natural’. Dissection was performed and thus, they knew more about the internal organs of animals – although they were not allowed to dissect humans yet. Plants were also used as medicines. These were known as herbal medicines. In the eastern countries, there seem to be more on religious treatments, and healing the entire body – not just the deformed part. They believed that the whole body is to be treated to maintain a healthy body and prevent disease.

    Read More

  • Medieval Islamic Medicine: A Literature Review

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    The government documents offer translations and provide evidence for concepts of health and disease of medieval Islamic medicine. Often times, physicians discussed in this book provide a brief analogue of the work they published in order to support their argument and validate their points. Each chapter is divided into subtopics; the endnotes and footnotes give the correct evidence to support the arguments within each subtopic. Also, at the end of the chapter, the book provides additional information on the subtopics discussed in order to give the reader a better grasp. As one can see, the works of medical professionals and government documents are found within the chapter in order to provide evidence to support the

    Read More

  • The Effects of Ocean Pollution on the Environment

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Oceans." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 May 2014.

    Read More

  • The Character of Phoenix Jackson in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    1360 Words  | 3 Pages

    Phoenix's precarious journey may seem dangerous, but her determination is what carries her through the obstacles she faces as she makes her way through the woods. Phoenix makes her way across the worn path and discovers many active opponents. She continues forward over barriers that would not even be considered a hindrance for the young. The long hill that she takes tires her, the thornbrush attempts to catch her clothes, the log that Phoenix goes across endangers her balance as she walks across it, and the barbed-wire fence threatens to puncture her skin. All of these impediments that Phoenix endures apparently do not affect her because she is determined that nothing will stop her on her journey. She keeps proceeding onward letting nothing deter her determination. ?The hunter(tm)s attempt to instill fear in Phoenix, a fear she disposed of years ago as she came to terms with her plight in society, fail  (Sykes 151). She ?realizes that the importance of the trip far exceeds the possible harm that can be done to her brittle ...

    Read More

  • A Worn Path Analysis Essay

    1386 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson went great lengths risking her own life for her grandson, who couldn’t help himself. On her worn path she faced the world with courage. Although she faced difficulty in her early life, her faith remained the same to help those who were dear to her heart. She walk a worn path relentlessly facing obstacles along the way with a mind that is diminishing overtime. Through the problems that she is faced with, she remains humble. She is admirable because considering her old age, weakness and loss of memory, she is determined. Welty’s details of character, symbolism, conflict and theme creates a compelling and fierce Phoenix Jackson. The moral message in this short story is to show the setting and characterizations

    Read More

  • Western Vs. Eastern Medicine: Western And Western Medicine

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    Western medicine began after WWII in the nineteenth century. It’s roots developed in Ancient Greece and Egypt. The Greek Physician, Hippocrates, known as the “father of medicine” believed that the key to good health is in moderation. His establishment of medical ethics is the basis of the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors today.

    Read More

More about Life Struggles of Phoenix in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Open Document