Two Strong Willed Women
It is so admirable and such an honor to be in the presence of a strong willed woman. Since day one, women have been made to feel inferior to men in many situations. Women have had to fight for rights and equality for centuries. The fact that there are very strong minded, domineering, and opiniated woman that exist is such a bonus for us. So many women continue to take no for an answer instead of just standing up for ourselves. In reading “ A Worn Path”’ by Eudora Welty and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”’ by Katherine Anne Porter, the main characters both portray that strong willed persona that most women desire to have. Both characters show the trait of the ability to perservere and maintain head strong and true to themselves.
Phoenix Jacksons’ character,although elderly, has her mind set and determined to travel in town. She across so many obstacles on her journey . Granny Weatheralls character is not traveling anywhere, but seems to be having a mind journey going back and forth. She is a very cranky woman instead of calm like Phoenix.She is determined that she is not ill and doesn’t need to see Dr.Harry. After reading both short stories, I found so many common themes and traits that the authors use. The one that stands out the most is that both woman are strong.
Phoenix is determined to get the medicine that is neededfor her grandson and refuses to let anything or anyone get in her way. She has such a determined spirit on her journey through trees and thorn bushes. The story describes her as having eyes blue with age. This is such a great analogy of her wisdom. Just by reading the story, you can tell that Phoenix has been through and has seen a lot. This can also be gathered from the way she spe...
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...ed to have helped her along the way. She was able to move on from Goerge and eventually marry someone else. On her deathbed , she advises them to get Goerge. She wants him to know that after all that, she was still happy and able to have a family. This is a bold statement that says she didn’t need him to survive. She is also a very indeoendent woman. She feels she does not a doctor. She is often rude with him. Granny tells the doctor, “Where were you forty years ago when I pulled through milk leg and double pneumonia?”. This is letting him know she doesn’t need him. She can survive without him. Being on your death bed can mentally affect anyone. She just didn’t want to be bothered.
The authors in both stories developed a main character, of female gender, who was strong and able to overcome anything. Both women had the will to endure anything that came their way.
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...
... mold of a traditional woman throughout her entire life. She set new standards for women regarding relationships. She dared to get divorces, to leave an abusive man, to leave a cheating man, to have a lover, even to marry a much younger man, but more importantly she dared to write about these controversial topics. Readers may get a sense of Granny's bitterness toward men, but they cannot ignore her strength and independence. Porter was a part of the "era of exuberance" because she played her role in the evolution of women. The answer to the question posed at the beginning of this paper is the same question women of the early twentieth century began asking themselves. This question became a choice for them. Porter chose to be strong because of her ability to move on, and by the time she became Granny Weatherall she knew she had achieved what she had set out to do.
works of literature have tremendous amounts of similarity especially in the characters. Each character is usually unique and symbolizes the quality of a person in the real world. But in both stories, each character was alike, they represented honor, loyalty, chivalry, strength and wisdom. Each character is faced with a difficult decision as well as a journey in which they have to determine how to save their own lives. Both these pieces of literatures are exquisite and extremely interesting in their own ways.
The story opens with Granny trying to refuse the care of her doctor. The story is viewed through limited omniscient and through her eyes we see that she feels she is strong enough to care for herself. She sees the doctor as unnecessary and views herself as a well woman. She actually tells the doctor to "Get along and doctor your sick. . . leave a well woman alone. I'll call for you when I want you" (1682). This is the reader's first insight into Granny's stubbornness to receive help of any kind. She also regards the doctor as disrespectful, making comments like "that brat ought to be in knee britches" and "I'd have you respect your elders young man." (1682). She tries to command respect by invoking colloquialism of age equating to wisdom and/or a right to be respected and exercise control over their juniors. When the doctor treats her with patronizing actions Granny dismisses him.
... her children, and gave people hope to see through the darkness. The theme truly is "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger". Granny is humanity. Humanity's need to give reason and purpose to life sets us up for disappointment. It is human nature to expect, whether good or bad, there is reason for our existence that someone will always be there to save us, especially in something as final as death. Granny surely believed her "jiltings" would be corrected upon her death because of her religious beliefs. But even in death, life tries to break you, and even in death you can find strength, the strength to blow out your own candle.
The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century brought about revolution, fueled by the energy and freedom of a new horizon…but it was still just around the bend. In this era, during which both short stories were published, members of the weaker sex were blatantly disregarded as individuals, who had minds that could think, and reason, and form valid opinions.
In the stories “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, you see two different ways that women are seen and the different times that they are living in. For example in one story we have a college student who comes back home for the first time and has a different outlook on life now. In the other story we have an older lady who is willing to endure whatever to make sure that her loved one is taken care of. Even though these two stories are very different in the way the roles of women are seen, they show how women roles in society are seen from the past and present and how something have changed but are still the same.
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.
Although it’s a long and treacherous route to Natchez, Phoenix has a wealth of previous experience. Every time she has done this though, she has faced great discouragement. The doctor who provides her with the medicine time and time again tries to demoralize Phoenix by claiming that the grandson’s sickness is “an obstinate case”. Although faced with hearing this dispiriting comment every time she visits the doctor, Phoenix stays determined and continues to make the journey for medicine as many times as needed. This inner determination is also what allows her to face the many obstacles and hardships found on the path itself. When she encounters animals in her way that cause her trouble, she firmly says, “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!...Don’t let none of those running my direction. I got a long way.” These animals attempt to cause hardship for Phoenix, however she stands stronger than ever. The doctor and animals could have easily caused Phoenix to give up, but Phoenix’s love for her grandson as a true parent invigorates her determination letting her continue on this journey no matter setbacks are thrown at
...hetypes of these primary characters, both of these novels make a parallel statement on feminism. The expectations of both themselves and society greatly determine the way that these women function in their families and in other relationships. Looking at the time periods in which these novels were written and take place, it is clear that these gender roles greatly influence whether a female character displays independence or dependence. From a contemporary viewpoint, readers can see how these women either fit or push the boundaries of these expected gender roles.
...ave brings them out of their protective and secluded shells. In both stories the theme of oppression, one mental the other physical, resulting in a victory, one internal the other external, prove that with determination and a belief in a higher power you can survive any situation.
Both stories show feminism of the woman trying to become free of the male dominance. Unfortunately, the woman are not successful at becoming free. In the end, the two women’s lives are drastically
To begin with, I will begin with a brief summary of both stories in order to better
22). The imagery of the clock gives a visual image of Phoenix unsteady walk and partial reasons why she carries a cane. After reading the first two paragraphs of A Worn Path one might wonder why is an elderly woman in such conditions out in the cold. Not until further along in the story does the author go into depth of the character’s reasoning for traveling out in the cold. In spite of Phoenix’s condition and old age you see her determination in paragraph three. In paragraph three she demands any obstacles or troubles that may try to come along her path to move out of her way because she has a long ways to go. The story goes into description of the pathway the woman is following; along the way she may have had little hope or faith until, “Down in the hollow was the mourning dove-it was not to late for him.” (Weltz, 1941, p. 22). Doves have many significant symbols and in paragraph four the dove symbolized hope for Phoenix. This symbol may have encouraged the woman that she still has time. We also learn in this paragraph that the reason Phoenix is traveling this pathway is to help someone she cares
Then, after burning, the creature rises back to life as a young bird from these ashes and the cycle repeats itself. Phoenix the main character shares a name with a creature that reflects her nature, her constant striving towards her goal, as well as her optimism and high spirits throughout the entire story. The name also suggests Phoenix’s long life though the story takes place in 1941, and she even said she was already too old in 1865 to go to school. Like a phoenix, a mythological creature, Phoenix Jackson makes her journey again and again without failure. Finally, the phoenix, her name was also seen as a symbol for Christ, who was resurrected. So her name Phoenix even marks her as a Christ figure in the story. Phoenix vs. Nature symbolizes many things such as her rebirth as stated above, her love and faith, sacrifice and triumph and even that she is poor and uneducated. She also had a long and cold journey outside since it was December. During the journey, she came across many animals the birds she came across symbolize the dangers and delights of her life. Another animal she comes across was a dog and it catches her off balance and she falls into a