Phoenix Rebirth

722 Words2 Pages

The Rebirth of a Woman
The Comparison of the Phoenix The Greek mythological story of the Phoenix is one that is greatly known throughout history. The story is about a bird that gets very old, cannot fly, and on its death bed. At its final moment of death, it bursts into flames, then is reborn from its ashes. (Broek) The Phoenix’s rebirth from its own ashes caused it to become a symbol of immortality. The story of the Phoenix is often associated with survival, strength, and glory. In the story A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty, the main character’s name is Phoenix Jackson. There are many connections Welty could’ve made between Phoenix in A Worn Path and the Phoenix in Greek mythology, including a connection to the Civil War and black rights, the
Because the Phoenix bird is a symbol of rebirth, this was a great reason to name the main character of this story accordingly. (Orr) Welty could’ve possibly chosen the name Phoenix for her main character because Phoenix’s life was one of both great struggle and rejoice. The time during the Civil War and after was a time of confusion and poor treatment for African Americans. In A Worn Path, Phoenix is still treated with prejudice, because of her race, gender, and age. Although she was treated with disrespect, her name held up to its standards, because she didn’t let anyone get in the way of her mission for her
Phoenix Jackson used her strength throughout the story to show the readers that no matter the circumstances, you can always do something for someone else, something to help. A Phoenix’s job is to protect, which is exactly what Phoenix did in A Worn Path. (Saunders) Each day, she protected her grandson by getting him the medicine he needed, and keeping him as healthy as she could. She gave her grandson hope, as well as the other African Americans who were discouraged. She showed her strength not only physically, but also mentally, in the fight against her age, and the fight that she had to go through while being treated less than she should have, because of her age, gender and race. Phoenix Jackson’s strength was a perfect portrayal of what the Phoenix bird

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