“It’s best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes” quoted by Anne Baxter. In a Worn Path Phoenix Jackson rises from the ashes to receive her grandson medicine. Even though she is sick and the journey is dangerous, she is determined not to fail. Throughout the story, Phoenix Jackson character symbolizes that of the legendary bird as it relate to their journey, appearances, and fearlessness.
Phoenix Jackson expedition is similar to the bird journey. It states that phoenix resides in the wilderness of the Indian Jungles from where, after every 500 years, it flies to the cedar forest of Lebanon, washes itself in the fragrance of the trees and then summons the head priest of the Egyptian
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Ron D’Silva says “It states that the phoenix is of the color of precious stones, its feet resemble the color of fire and it bears a crest on its head. Also, Pliny the Elder, in his 'Natural Histories ' states that the phoenix is as big as an eagle, has golden feathers around its neck, a purple body, a blue and rose-colored tail and a feathered crest on the head. Numerous scholars have given varied sources from which the word 'Phoenix ' may have been derived. According to one opinion, it comes from a Latin word 'phoeniceus ' meaning deep-red or scarlet and that is why it is described as having scarlet feathers. The color 'red ' stands for blood as well as fire, the two interpretations that fit perfectly within the phoenix myth. It thus symbolizes both war and purity, which more often than not depends on the context.” Of course Phoenix did not have feathers or a tail, but she wore the colors such as red, gold, and blue either on her head or in the clothing she wore. Eudora Welty says “Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own 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 dark. Under the red rag her hair came down on her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, and with an odor like
Strength is the only reason Phoenix accomplished her journey and Phoenix's love for her only living relative is her greatest strength of all. Although the old Negro woman suffers from many handicaps, she starts her journey mentally prepared for the obstacles awaiting her. Phoenix uses her inner strengths and prevails over every barrier. She relies on her trustworthy feet to make up for her impaired vision. Her wit makes up for her frail body. Her determination makes up for her aged memory. But most of all, her love for her grandson her keeps her going. Clearly, the frail, forgetful, and loving old woman can overcome anything.
Phoenix Jackson must endure racial prejudice as part of her everyday life. It is interesting though, that the people she encounters don’t treat her with any respect and kindness. From nowadays to back then signifies perhaps that America is making progress in racism and discrimination. But not until the civil-rights movement did blacks gain all their rights under the law.
Everything was great, every day was the same except that particular day when your life
Throughout the course of humanity, people have sought ways to promote a society where moral unification and motivation are present. It is essential for a community to coincide with such values; therefore, tradition and folklore are transcended though generations as customs which people follow mostly without question. In Shirley Jackson’s short story, The Lottery, such traditions are exploited through a futile box along with a brutal ritual which symbolizes the way a society might mindlessly abide by them and feel powerless to divert from such illogical acts. The storyline contains a constant tone which depicts normalcy to present normalcy itself as seen by the villagers, yet whispers eerie to the reader by setting up hints and indications of what is really occurring.
There are also mental obstacles that obstruct Phoenix’s journey. She has to triumph over her weariness because of her old age and her mental fatigue. As she is walking her mind plays tricks on her, such as the time when she is in the field and mistakes the scarecrow for a dark mysterious figure that she is frightened of. Another time is when she talks to herself and the animals in the woods. She tells them not to get in her way because she has a long trip ahead of her. The love that one person gives to another is never truly appreciated until the recipient realizes what that person has actually done. The grandson may be too ill or even too young to realize what his grandmother is doing for his safety.
In almost every story, one can find symbolism throughout the text to help the reader better understand what the writer wants the reader to takeout from his/her story. Symbolism is something that must be analyzed and explored to experience a deeper meaning to the story. Sometimes, symbolism throughout a story may not be noticeable when first read, but going back to analyze the text can add a deeper meaning to words and can also help to enhance the meaning behind the story line. In some instances, symbolism can leave a reader to ponder what the writer is trying to express with the symbolism used in the story; for symbolism can be interpreted differently and can have many layers of meaning to it. Some good examples of short stories that use symbolism to extend the meaning behind the story line are “The Lottery,” “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” and “The Jury of Her Peers”.
It’s December when Phoenix starts on her journey to Natchez and it is a journey she has taken many times before. This journey is no journey an elderly and weaken person should have to make by themselves, yet Phoenix does. She does not allow her age or her condition to keep her from it. Deep through the pines, the path takes her, and her first task would be to make it over a hill that seems to take all her energy and strength. “Seems like there is chains around my feet, time I get this far…” (Welty 5), here the reader can tell Phoenix does not have the strength that she really needs to make it up the hill. Yet somewhere she finds the will to keep pushing on and moving forward. This same type of spirit that allows Phoenix to keep pushing forward in society, and not to back down. Showing the younger generation that you have to fight your way through to a brighter day. It is later down the path that Phoenix comes to a creek and the only way to get across, is by walking on a log. Phoenix walks across this log with her eyes close. Once across she opens her eyes and says, “I wasn’t as old as I ...
The bird indirectly represents Enda’s failure to seek liberation and defy against the restrictions society sets upon her. The fall of the bird is reflective of Enda’s spiritual awakening as it represents society’s fatal misjudgment as she desires to rebel against society and participates an infatuation with her lover Robert. As the bird falls into the water, is like Enda as Enda rejects Victorian motherhood, only seeing destruction as an
Welty uses her main character, Phoenix, to portray colored people who represent the fight for freedom. When Phoenix is described in the beginning, she is wearing a “red rag” and a “dark striped” dress (Welty 212). The red rag represents...
In “Welty’s The Worn Path” Dennis Sykes asserts the similarities between phoenix Jackson and the struggle for black equality after the civil war in the south. Sykes compares Phoenix Jackson to the blind prophet Tiresias in the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Elliot. The author also points out insightfully that a parallel exists between phoenix’s journey and the journey of southern blacks after the Civil War. The writer observes phoenix's perseverance as she struggles through the journey. Sykes points out the similarities between phoenix's journey and the journey of black southerners: against scurrying hogs or thorny bush. The author adds that Welty showed phoenix’s struggle through imagery. Sykes asserts that the document or the wall reflects
“The Lottery” written by Shirley Jackson is a short story about an annual lottery held in a small village amongst the three hundred villagers. A lottery is usually associated with cash prizes or free trips, but in this story, the winner of the lottery is rewarded by being stoned to death by the townspeople. “On a late summer morning, the villagers of a small New England town gather to conduct their annual lottery” (Mazeeno 1). As the villagers gather in the square, everyone is chipper and anxious to get the lottery over with. Mr. Summers conducts the lottery and other civic activities in the town, so he calls everyone up to come pull a piece of paper out of the black box. There is a piece of paper for everyone in the village, but there is only
In Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" symbols are used to enhance and stress the theme of the story. A symbol is a person, object, action, place, or event that in addition to its literal meaning, suggests a more complex meaning or range of meanings. (Kirszner & Mendell 330) The theme of the story is how coldness and lack of compassion can be exhibited in people in situations regarding tradition and values. That people will do incredibly evil and cruel things just for the sake of keeping a routine. Three of the main symbols that Shirley uses in the story is the setting, black box, and the actual characters names. They all tie together to form an intriguing story that clearly shows the terrible potential if society forgets the basis of tradition. The story also shows many similarities between the culture of the village, and the culture of Nazi Germany. How blind obedience to superiors can cause considerable damage to not only a community, but the entire world. Symbolism plays a large role in "The Lottery" to set the theme of the story and make the reader question traditions.
Symbols can be used to convey a special meaning to the reader by association, especially when a material object is used to represent something abstract. Throughout the years, American writers have been using their works as a way to describe society to their broad audiences. As time periods change, writers as well as readers change their view about society. Several factors affect how readers view society in a piece of literature. To get a better understanding of the society expressed in a piece of literature, one must consider not only the time period in which the work was written, but also the life of the author, the style in which the work was written, and criticism of the piece. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” the society is demonstrated as unchangeable due to the underlying fear and evil of human nature. By using, main types of symbols represented in this story, are characters' names and objects.
In life, everyone experiences a time of hardship, and for the most part, those affected find methods of overcoming the adversity. The idea of getting through hardship is best reflected in; Sherman J. Alexie’s story “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” (274). In the story, victor whose father had recently died from a heart attack has to travel to phoenix Arizona to reclaim his father’s ashes and his truck. Victor is joined by his former childhood friend “Thomas Builds-the-fire”, who finances the trip to phoenix since Victor did not have the means. They drove back truck from phoenix to the reservation. Throughout the trip, Thomas is always telling stories mostly reminiscing about their childhood. It is through Thomas stories that we learn much about Victor’s father. Through the use of symbolism, and character development, Alexie conveys the idea that, when someone is experiencing an adversity, reconnecting and embracing the past may lead to a discovery of a brighter future.
Thesis: The short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson found in Perrine's Literature written by Thomas R. Arp is a story full of symbolism.