See more
Who is the antagonist in A Worn Path?
These antagonist forces are: nature, poverty and old age. Nature puts many obstacles in Phoenix's way as she walks to the town. Not long after she begins her journey, her path goes up a hill, considering she is old, this makes her journey a little harder.
Who is the main protagonist in Welty's story?
Phoenix Jackson is Eudora Welty's main character and protagonist in A Worn Path.? Phoenix is an old, frail woman who attempts to proceed on a long and treacherous journey through the woods to Natchez.
Why Is Phoenix a good name for the protagonist in A Worn Path?
The name also suggests Phoenix's longevity: though the story takes place in 1941, she was already too old in 1865 to go to school. Like a phoenix, too, she makes her journey again and again without failure. Finally, the phoenix was also seen as a symbol for Christ, who was also resurrected.
What kind of character is Phoenix Jackson in A Worn Path?
In “A Worn Path”, Phoenix Jackson shows many characteristics. She is cunning, consistent, selfless, and forgetful at times. Devoted to saving her grandson at all costs, she goes above and beyond to do so. She will do anything for him, even if that means putting her life in danger.
What is the main conflict in A Worn Path?
The main conflict in “A Worn Path” is of man vs. nature. Phoenix Jackson must travel this worn path, a path not necessarily fit for an old woman to be traveling.
What is the role of the main character in the worn path?
The main characters in “A Worn Path” are Phoenix Jackson, Phoenix's grandson, a young hunter, and the staff at the medical clinic. Phoenix Jackson is an impoverished, elderly Black woman whose deep and abiding love for her grandson gives her life meaning. She frequently walks into town to get medicine for him.
Who is the protagonist in This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona?
Victor. Victor is the story's protagonist. He is a Native American who lives on a reservation in the pacific northwest. At the beginning of the story, he has recently been fired from his job working at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Is Phoenix's grandson alive?
Phoenix's belief that he is still alive could be the result of old age and losing her memory, making it hard to remember and easier to move on with life and feel she has a purpose. In conclusion, Eudora Welty hides clues throughout the story to inform you that Phoenix Jackson's grandson is unfortunately dead.
What does Phoenix look like in A Worn Path?
Phoenix is our main character and heroine, though she doesn't fit the usual description. She's a small, old, African American woman who walks around with an apron made of sugar sacks, a cane made from an umbrella, and shoe laces dragging.
Is Phoenix Jackson blind?
Phoenix Jackson is an elderly black woman that is nearly blind. She is experiencing many difficulties in life but she still manages to be very courageous throughout the story.
Does Phoenix have dementia in A Worn Path?
Symbolism In A Worn Path By Eudora Welty Welty tells the reader that, “Old Phoenix would have been lost if she had not distrusted her eyesight and depended on her feet to know where to take her” (Welty 60). A contributor to this never-ending cycle is the fact the Old Phoenix has dementia.
How Old Is Phoenix A Worn Path?
She mentions it numerous times throughout the story. The white hunter that points a gun at her states that she "must be a hundred years old".
What is the point or points of view of Eudora Welty's story?
The story is written in the third-person point of view, also known as the limited omniscience. The narrative is delivered in this point of view because the author does not reveal many of the protagonist's details by presenting her realistically to allow greater objectivity.
What is Eudora Welty's best short story?
"A Worn Path" was also published in The Atlantic Monthly and A Curtain of Green. It is seen as one of Welty's finest short stories, winning the second-place O. Henry Award in 1941.
What is the main theme of A Worn Path?
The main theme represented in "A Worn Path" is that a person would endure and overcome the forces of nature and society for those they love.
What is the plot in A Worn Path?
"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty is a short story about an elderly African American woman who undertakes a familiar journey on a road in a rural area to acquire medicine for her grandson.
Who is Phoenix in A Worn Path?
T he main characters in "A Worn Path" are Phoenix Jackson, Phoenix's grandson, a young hunter, and the staff at the medical clinic. Phoenix Jackson is an impoverished, elderly black woman whose deep and abiding love for her grandson gives her life meaning. She frequently walks into town to get medicine for him.
Who is the protagonist in the story of Phoenix Jackson?
Phoenix Jackson. Old Phoenix Jackson is the protagonist of the story. She is described in vivid colors, suggesting her lively nature: she wears a red rag in her hair and her skin is described as "yellow," "golden" and "copper.".
What does the hunter do to Phoenix?
The Hunter#N#The hunter encounters Phoenix after she has fallen into a ditch, the unfortunate result of an encounter with one of his dogs. He helps her up, demonstrating his willingness to assist a person in need. But his subsequent conversation with her reveals his disrespect for her and biased attitudes towards African Americans in general. When he learns that she intends to walk to town, he assumes Phoenix is not able to make the long journey and he tells her to go home; he has no qualms about issuing the order. But when she persists, he relents, assuming that the only reason "old colored people" would embark on such a long trail would be to see Santa Claus. In a second instance of disrespect, he tells Phoenix that he would give her a dime if he had one, unaware that Phoenix has already picked up the nickel that fell out of his pocket. In a third example, he points a gun at her face and asks if it scares her. He is amused by the fact that it does not, further emphasizing his insensitivity. Throughout the conversation, he refers to her as "Granny," as the other characters do, all of whom are unwilling to look beyond Phoenix's age and see her as an individual.
What does Phoenix say about his grandmother?
There has been no change in his condition, Phoenix tells the nurse, he sits with his "mouth open like a little bird.". She also says that though he suffers, he has "a sweet look.".
Does the Grandson Phoenix's grandson appear in the story?
The Grandson Phoenix's grandson does not appear in the story , but his medical condition is the reason for the old woman's journey. Having swallowed lye (a strong alkaline substance used in making soap) several years ago, the boy's throat is permanently damaged. His grandmother is the only relative he has...
What is the story of a worn path?
In which "A Worn Path" follows an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson as she ventures toward a town. The story is set in Natchez, Mississippi during the Great Depression era. As Phoenix journeys along the Natchez Trace, she periodically encounters many obstacles, including thorny bushes, barbed wire, and a large dog, among others. She meets a hunter, pocketing a nickel that he drops, and a lady who ties her shoes. The story concludes with Phoenix arriving at the town having completed the journey yet again. Her motivation for having done so is also revealed as she laments how her grandson swallowed lye damaging his throat from the reaction. She tells the nurse supplying the medicine that the damage to his throat never fully heals, and every so often his throat will begin to swell shut. It is Old Phoenix's love for her grandson that causes her to face the trial of the journey to town, every time it is necessary, with no questions asked.
What is the theme of the story of Phoenix?
A commonly cited theme of the story is unselfish love, which Orr has stated is the ""charitable" view of Phoenix that the white community in the text finds acceptable". : 59
Who is Phoenix Jackson?
The character of Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African American woman who uses a thin small cane made from an umbrella to tap the ground, akin to a white cane. Elaine Orr identifies Phoenix as a fabulist who has "a penchant for re-creation (making up stories) rather than resolution." She has also been identified as "a completely and beautifully harmonious person" and Nancy K. Butterworth has noted that the character is neither a stereotype or stock character.
Kiship, Courage, And Honor In The Anglo-Saxon Culture
The Anglo-Saxons were a complicated people with an even more complicated society but they are nonetheless a very interesting people’s. Beowulf swiftly implied since the beginning that “courage” is the ultimate form of “greatness” (“shmoop”).
Ap English Literature Realism Essay
A second example of regionalism is can be viewed in A Matter of Prejudice by Kate Chopin. Madam Carambeaua was a very prejudice French women who did not like children, hated pets, white servants, Americans and other races and everyone of different faiths.
Role Of Obstacles In The Odyssey
We all face many obstacles throughout our life. Obstacles such as going to work, exercising, or even making your bed. Since our lives are our own journeys we all face different obstacles. John Kuol is an 18 year old who has been on an inspirational journey his whole life.
Who is the protagonist in A Worn Path?
Eudora Welty uses Phoenix Jackson as the protagonist in her short story, A Worn Path. Phoenix Jackson undergoes various character transformations throughout the story. Firstly, Phoenix is portrayed as being determined. Phoenix sets for a voyage to the city with an aim of getting drugs for her ailing grandson at home.
What does the old Phoenix say?
The Old Phoenix said, 'Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!
What is Phoenix proud of?
Phoenix is particularly proud of her grandson perseverance and humility amidst the face of hardships. We is the only two left in the world, he going to last (Welty A Worn Path). Phoenix comes across as being bold and courageous.
Does Phoenix surrender when caught by her dress?
She does not surrender even when she is caught by her dress in thick thorny bushes. Phoenix manages to free herself safely without causing any injuries to her dress or her body Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks passno, sir. (Welty A Worn Path).
What is the theme of "A Worn Path"?
Much of its appeal lies in that it appears to be a simple story—an elderly woman travels through the forest to a city where she can get medicine for her ailing grandson—but that simplicity is belied by deeper themes of race, myth, religion, and life and death. There have been many critical interpretations of the story in the eighty or so years since its publication, and we will consider some of those here.
What is the lesson in a worn path?
It is Welty’s literary intelligence that transforms “A Worn Path” into a powerful lesson in the art of limited omniscience. The simple construction of the information that “a bush caught her dress” immediately situates the reader into scene from Phoenix’s perspective. The verb choice here personifies the bush; more than making it human, it also indicates intent. This trip through nature is not going to be just any sort of walk; the natural world wants to tell this woman something on this day. Welty also manipulates language to allow fantasy and reality to intrude upon the old woman’s journey without making any clear distinction. For instance, Welty presents the information that “a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake on it” in exactly the same manner that as her self-extrication from the bush. The scarecrow looms menacingly in the shadows in real time for both Phoenix and the reader. While still maintaining the narrative logic of allowing for figurative language beyond Phoenix’s capacity, the reader also sees things through Phoenix’s eyes.
What is the path that Phoenix traverses?
On the first point, Phoenix traverses a path that is an interstitial place between nature and civilization. She comfortably coexists with nature and “displays an awareness that the natural world was here long before her birth and will continue long afterward.”.
What does Phoenix complain about when she runs uphill?
When the path starts to run uphill, Phoenix complains that it feels as chains are around her feet, but still she presses on. Once she reaches the top of the hill she rests only a moment to look at what is spread out before her. A thorny bush catches her dress, but she finds the strength to pull herself free and keep up her momentum.
What does Phoenix say to the animals in her path?
Other critics look at Phoenix’s connection with nature. As she perambulates the path, she talks frankly to the animals and plants in her path as if she knows them. She does not evince fear or hostility; when thorns catch her, she simply says, “Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass—no, sir,” and the narrator assures us, “It was not possible to allow the dress to tear.” The dog startles her, but is not otherwise aggressive. She makes it over a log, through a maze, and through a swamp. James Robert Saunders points out that “once she arrives at the log, a bridge that nature has provided, she can ‘march’ across without even looking until she has reached the other side. On she marches through some areas that have no path at all . . . ”
What is the buzzard in the Jim Crow era?
There sat a buzzard.”. The buzzard is a clear symbol of death, which is heightened by the fact this is a cotton field—a field where slaves and sharecroppers toiled. The image of the “black men with one arm” is associated with lynching, a common act of racial violence in the South during the Jim Crow era.
Did Phoenix tell her story in first person?
Welty could simply have had Phoenix tell her story using first-person perspective, of course, but that would present two obstacles. First, a story in which a person is relating the strange and unusual encounters such as Phoenix experiences would likely be viewed as less mythic than mentally disturbed.
Phoenix Jackson Quotes in A Worn Path
The A Worn Path quotes below are all either spoken by Phoenix Jackson or refer to Phoenix Jackson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).
Phoenix Jackson Character Timeline in A Worn Path
The timeline below shows where the character Phoenix Jackson appears in A Worn Path. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Character Role Analysis
Whose journey are we on? Who's the awesome grandma who will stop at nothing to help her grandson? Whose thoughts, no matter how seemingly wack-a-doodle, are we privy to? Phoenix, Phoenix, and, yes, Phoenix. We are with Ms. Jackson from beginning to the end, cheering her on and hoping against hope that her valiant efforts will be rewarded.
Phoenix Jackson
Whose journey are we on? Who's the awesome grandma who will stop at nothing to help her grandson? Whose thoughts, no matter how seemingly wack-a-doodle, are we privy to? Phoenix, Phoenix, and, yes, Phoenix. We are with Ms. Jackson from beginning to the end, cheering her on and hoping against hope that her valiant efforts will be rewarded.
