The Hero Sojourner In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

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The Hero Sojourner in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

In A Worn Path by: Eudora Welty, the main character emulates the necessary nuts and bolts of the archetypal journey as it's hero; answers a call to an adventure, has to go through trials of fear, and ending with the retrieval of two prizes. Eudora Welty's short story "A
Worn Path" takes place on a "bright, frozen day" in December.
Representing a struggle, but most of all represents determination. Her name is Phoenix Jackson. This story is about sacrifice, Good versus
Evil, and overcoming obstacles. She shows all the qualities of the
Hero archetype and a Hero's journey.

"Fate can take control of humans lives and can help humans reach the end of the challenging path. The path is a journey which can not be totally controlled by humans." In A Worn Path, an old "Negro" woman goes through and through again a path to get her grandson his medication for his throat. She has to go on a path, a worn path.
Phoenix's path is worn not only because she herself has had to travel it so many times, but because it symbolizes the path traveled by poor and oppressed people everywhere. These elements of the archetypal hero employ various situations, symbols and characters for the character to go through a long journey. The story is a large metaphor for the path through life. Phoenix, the main character of the story, follows the long, well-used path, and defeats many odds. She begins the journey with general symbols of everyday life. The journey itself is like life, it has its ups and downs. "The woods were deep and still" (Welty paragraph 4) and "Down in the hollow was the mourning dove" the void of death. Eudora Welty uses many symbols to illustrate how Phoenix went through this journey. Such as oaks...

... middle of paper ...

...d a pattern of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under the bark". (Welty paragraph 2) Old age may seem like something to prevent one from traveling "A Worn Path" but does not necessarily have to. Trials and obstacles create a sense of essence a sense that this
"Negro" woman is determined to get the medicine for herself. Phoenix
Jackson is a vibrant person, willing to go through the trials of the long arduous journey for someone she cares about.

"Fortune befriends the bold."(John Dryden)

This element of the archetypal hero employ various situations, symbols and characters in order to point out the cause of this journey the prize. "Nil mortalibus ardui est" (Horace) Nothing is to great for mortal
men.

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