Worn Path Essay - 685 Words

Worn Path Knowing secret information can be a very enlightening thing. Knowing information that someone else does not helps make the reader feel more powerful. Such is the case when the reader knows of the mythical Phoenix and then reads â€Å"A Worn Path.† Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path,† the story of an elderly grandmother’s journey to the doctor’s office for medication for her grandson, explores allusions to mythology, including the character Phoenix and her journey. â€Å"In an Egyptian tale the Phoenix, a large bird, retains immortality by restoring itself every five hundred years by setting fire to its nest and immolating itself by fanning fire with its wings. From the ashes a new Phoenix arises. Then it collects the ashes and†¦show more content†¦When Welty describes Old Phoenix it is very easy to see the similarities with the bird of Egyptian myth. Then after carefully describing Phoenix’s physical appearance, Welty incorporates the use of other senses as well. The sound of a bird that Welty uses is just one example of how subtle Welty can be when mixing the Egyptian bird into the story. These examples prove that Phoenix is not just an ordinary character but instead, Old Phoenix is a character with a higher meaning. Through Phoenix’s journey, mythology is included again. Phoenix’s journey begins in â€Å"December, a bright frozen day in the early morning† (Welty 1). â€Å"She is equated with the morning, the rising sun, for she is the immortal bird which rises from its own ashes as the sun rises, and dies only to be reborn† (Ardolino 2). Eudora does not stop with the opening paragraph to incorporate the old legend. â€Å"After Phoenix’s arduous journey into town, she arrives at the charity ward where she is to obtain the medicine for her grandson, and there she saw nailed up on the wall the document that had been stamped with the gold seal and framed in the gold frame, which matched the dream that was hung up in her head. In this office Phoenix stands, a fixed and ceremonial stiffness over her body† (Jones 5). â€Å"Obviously like the embodiment of the original Egyptian sun-god that flew home every five hundred years, this MississippiShow MoreRelatedA Worn Path841 Words   |  4 PagesA â€Å"A Worn Path â€Å" ENG 125 Introduction to Literature Instructor: Katie Newbanks 4/25/2011 The Worn Path In the short story, â€Å" A Worn Path â€Å" written by Eudora Welty it can be interpreted that Phoenix Jackson is suffering from dementia or some other form of mental illness, and that her grandson that she so lovingly speaks of has been deceased for some time. The analytical approach that was used to enhanceRead MoreA Worn Path1096 Words   |  5 Pagesreally make a person are the actions we take when we encounter obstacles. Life is an obstacle course in which we have to overcome in our lifetimes. In A Worn Path an older woman by the name of Phoenix Jackson takes a long road full of hardships to achieve a goal, which is to get medicine for her grandson. Not only does Phoenix of A Worn Path represent struggle but how we overcome this struggle to achieve a sense of achievement or a goal. Throughout time, people have been going through life’s obstaclesRead MoreA Worn Path874 Words   |  4 PagesA Worn Path A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a short story about an elderly women- Phoenix Jackson and who is taking a long journey though the woods into town to acquire medicine for her sick grandson. On her way she encounters many obstacles such as the thorns in which her dress got caught in, barbed wire, a scarecrow, a large dog, a hunter and the lady, which ties her shoes. All of these obstacles among her dementia and hallucinations, which are implied throughout the story, delay her from reachingRead MoreA Worn Path1129 Words   |  5 Pagesrepeats the same journey again. As we read, it appears to be about a long journey the woman has made throughout the entire story, but by carefully examining the theme, it tells us that there is a greater message than just a long trek. In the story A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, an old woman whose human spirit is full of dedication, dignity and high morale overcomes tremendous obstacles of life in the name of love. Phoenix Jackson is the protagonist of the story who is an African- American woman, oldRead More A Worn Path Essay966 Words   |  4 PagesA Worn Path A worn path is a story about a woman named Phoenix Jackson who needs to go a journey to town to get medicine for her sick grandson. It is a trip she has made before many times before (hence the title A worn Path) but there is something special about this trip, something different. In this paper I plan to dwell into the symbolism behind the Legend of the Phoenix and its relationship to her journey in the story. The legend of the Phoenix is about a fabled sacred bird of ancient EgyptiansRead MoreEssay on A Worn Path1470 Words   |  6 PagesA Worn Path2 Phoenix Jackson: Mind Over Matter Novelist Eudora Welty is often studied and adored by many readers; her much deserved recognition comes from her brilliant, deeply compassionate, and lively stories and novels (Ford 36). Like many of her stories, Eudora Weltys A Worn Path is set in Mississippi. In A Worn Path, Welty focuses on an old womans journey to Natchez and on the many obstacles that she encounters along the way. Phoenix is going to town to get medication for herRead MoreA Worn Path Essay708 Words   |  3 PagesA Worn Path A Worn Path is a frequently studied short story written by Eudora Welty in 1941.This story is structured upon the journey of an old black Negro woman from her home to the city of Natchez to get the medicine for her grandson. The name phoenix Jackson, symbol of life in the face of hardship and death. The name Phoenix comes from an Egyptian bird and symbolize resurrection. This story takes place during Christmas season and the story mainly concern for her grandson representingRead More A Worn Path Essay491 Words   |  2 Pages â€Å"A Worn Path† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"A Worn Path† is, in my opinion, a very good story. It tells of an old black woman and the struggles she’s had to deal with throughout her life. The author names the woman Phoenix after a mythological bird that died and then came back to life through its ashes which makes it immortal. The author makes the woman â€Å"immortal† because she continues to have something to live for, her grandson, whom she apparently considers her biggest gift. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;TheRead MoreA Worn Path By Eudora Welty Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pages A Worn Path Research Paper The introduction of historical figures, events, and documents sparked in the twentieth century. Documents such as, the Declaration of independence, Bill of Rights, United States Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address are some examples of historical documents. These documents carry such a heavy meaning that the blood and gore that were included are often ignored. Although when the Civil Rights movement is mentioned, there are judgments that are made and accusationsRead MoreThe Quests Of Araby And A Worn Path984 Words   |  4 PagesThe Quests in â€Å"Araby† and â€Å"A Worn Path† Both â€Å"Araby† (1914) by James Joyce, and â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty (1941) pursue life through a journey. The protagonists, Phoenix Jackson in â€Å"A Worn Path† and Joyce’s narrator in â€Å"Araby,† embark on an errand out of love. In â€Å"Araby,† Joyce’s narrator develops an infatuation for Mangan’s sister. He laments, â€Å"I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood† (Joyce 200). He volunteers to