A Worn Path Analysis - 1058 Words

Confrontations and Perseverance: â€Å"A Worn Path† Analysis â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, published in the Atlantic Monthly during February 1941, portrays an elderly, southern, African American woman’s endurance through a lengthy journey from her home to Natchez, Mississippi to obtain medicine for her ill grandson, who has lye poisoning. Throughout the journey, the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson, confronts several conflicts testing her. The tale describes the encounters of Phoenix Jackson during her travels using literary devices including symbolism, conflict, and allusion to detail Jackson’s experiences as she overcomes the physical, psychological, and social obstacles she faces that ultimately emphasize her character. The story revolves†¦show more content†¦Since her grandson was stripped of his voice, without any way to speak, the lye poisoning represents the suppression of the African Americans’ voices at the time. Or, perhaps, the lye poisoning represents the laws placed on the African American population taking away their basic human rights. The lye poisoning could also represent the lies told to the African American citizens that eventually â€Å"burned† them. In addition to symbolism about her character, the conflicts present in the story allude a character of extreme determination and perseverance. Among these conflicts are those of man, Phoenix Jackson, against nature, man, and herself. With regard to man versus nature, Phoenix quite plainly faces various troubles along her path to the clinic, including â€Å"a black dog with a lolling tongue [that] came at her† (Welty) causing her to collapse into a ditch â€Å"which is a symbolic burial in the dead weeds† (Daly). Secondly, man versus man entails her confrontations with the hunter and the nurse at the clinic. The hunter helps Jackson out of the ditch, back onto her feet, but then â€Å"he †¦ lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix,† (Welty) yet she was unfazed by the action. Albeit the hunter was disrespectful towards Jackson, the nurse she encounters upon reaching Natchez is charitable: offering â€Å"a few pennies out of [her] purse,† (Welty) but ult imately granting her a nickel. Finally, Phoenix faces anShow MoreRelatedA Worn Path Analysis944 Words   |  4 PagesThe short story A Worn Path, is around an old African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who makes an arduous trip into town needing prescription for her sick grandson. Amid her outing she talks resoundingly to herself in an urging way to bear the troublesome trek. She has made this trek commonly some time recently, yet this one appears to be essentially harder to oversee. After her daring endeavors and love for her lone grandson, she is effective at recovering the solution. Shockingly, the creatorRead MoreA Worn Path Analysis999 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, published in the Atlantic Monthly during February 1941, portrays an elderly, southern, African American woman’s endurance through a lengthy journey from her home to Natchez, Mississippi to obtain medicine for her ill grandson, who has lye poisoning. Throughout the jour ney, the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson, confronts several conflicts testing her. The tale describes the encounters of Phoenix Jackson during her travels using literary devices such as symbolism, conflictRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of A Worn Path1221 Words   |  5 PagesOvercoming Obstacles: A Literary Analysis of â€Å"A Worn Path† Thesis: â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty is one of the best short stories to incorporate different symbolic representations of determination and the will to live. I. Introduction II. Phoenix A. Definition B. Characteristics III. Natural symbolism A. Steep hill B. Thorns of bush IV. Perceived Racism A. Imagined cake B. White hunter V. Arrival in Natchez A. Nurses’ comments BRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of A Worn Path710 Words   |  3 PagesLiterary Analysis of A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty The famous short-story, A Worn Path, has enlightened many readers since it was published in 1941. This story tells the tale of an old woman and her long adventure to town. She experiences many obstacles her journey and people who make her consider giving up, but she keeps her head high and continues on. Welty’s inspiration struck when an elderly woman walked past in the distance on her way through the countryside. â€Å"A Worn Path† is an uplifting taleRead MoreAnalysis of A Worn Path Essay648 Words   |  3 Pageslived a lifetime of hardship. Her role in society is an old black woman in a white world, though she is not ashamed of her inferior position. She has walked a path periodically to get medicine for her chronically ill grandson who drank lye. On a cold December day, she shares one of her journeys to the hospital in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path. This specific journey is examined closely of an old woman full of dedication, dignity and high morale. Before the journey even begins, we come to an understandingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book A Worn Path 1314 Words   |  6 PagesCaleb Clifford Dr. Vogel American Experience, period 6 1 Nov 2014 Racial Prejudice in America: Alive and Well In â€Å"A Worn Path† an old black woman is seen walking through the forest to get medicine for her grandson. Eudora Welty puts the hunter, the doctor’s office, and aspects of the journey itself in Phoenix’s path to symbolize the ongoing struggle of the African American community to gain freedom in post-slavery American society. At the end of her journey, Phoenix obtains medicine that admittedlyRead MoreCharacter Analysis : A Worn Path952 Words   |  4 Pages The main character in â€Å"A Worn Path† is an old woman named Phoenix. She is a very determined and strong woman. The other main character is The Protagonist from â€Å"The Lone Ranger and Tonto†. He is the contrary of Phoenix, he is lost and depressed. Although, both of them are socially isolated or have isolated themselves from society. Both of them come from different -worlds-, the protagonist had a â€Å"good† life full of opportunities. Phoenix had a poor life, from a racist world and little, or no, opportunitiesRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of A Worn Path By Eudora Welty )945 Words   |  4 PagesJourney of Thanks (Literary analysis of A Worn Path by Eudora Welty) How far should one travel to another if they know the will not be thanked for their actions? Eudora Welty, a lady that wrote in a male dominated world, wrote the story A Worn Path, which is consider one of the greatest works of the twentieth century. A Worn Path is about Phoenix Jackson an older woman that goes on a journey through the forest to get to a hospital in another town becauseRead MoreEssay on Character Analysis-a Worn Path918 Words   |  4 Pagesalong with many other things. The word determination is defined as, â€Å"the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.† Will-power is, â€Å"the strength or will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans.† In the short story A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, the main character Phoenix carried out the meaning of these two words throughout the whole story. She had experienced many road blocks during her journey, but she did not let them stop her from reaching the goal she had at the timeRead More An Analysis of Eudora Weltys A Worn Path Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesA Worn Path – An Analysis       The short story A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, is a descriptive story of a grandmothers difficult journey, for a grandson she loves. Her devotion to her grandson and wanting to provide him with a better lifestyle, was her motivation to overcome these trials. On this trip, Phoenix Jackson, the grandmother, struggles against old age, nature, and reality.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phoenix Jackson was certainly a dedicated old lady. She refused to give up, despite the odds