Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path is a story of the patient and courageous struggle, defeat and victory of an old black woman named Phoenix Jackson. The story takes place in Mississippi during the early twentieth century. Eudora Welty wrote A Worn Path while living in New York City. Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path is a simple story with only one setting, three main characters and three conflicts. Eudora Welty’s writing style is known for being very descriptive. Eudora Welty uses color to show the mood of the story. Eudora Welty also uses many symbols in her story that indicate Phoenix Jackson’s age, status, and what she has overcome.
Conflict 1: Physical Conflict Eudora Welty writes about physical conflict throughout Eudora Weltys A Worn Path . One example is when Phoenix Jackson walks through brambles trying to get to town. The thorns tear at her skin but she still keeps going through sheer determination even though it hurts because it is her only path to town. Eudora Welty uses this physical conflict to show how strong and determined Phoenix Jackson really is. Eudora Welty also includes the description, “over all her old body, between her skin and her undergarments, was a mat of sharp thorns” (Welty par. 4). Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path shows that physical conflicts can be overcome by sheer willpower.
Conflict 2: Man vs Self Eudora Welty writes about man vs self throughout Eudora Weltys A Worn Path . One example is when Phoenix Jackson fights with herself over whether or not to continue walking through the brambles go back home. Eudora Welty writes, “She had started to turn back, but she thought if she went home Ephram would say: Ah, I knew you’d be back. It was all a mistake” (Welty par. 8). Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path shows that man vs self can be overcome with willpower as well just like physical conflict can be overcome with sheer willpower.
Conflict 3: Man vs Society Eudora Welty writes about man vs society throughout Eudora Weltys A Worn Path . One example is when Phoenix Jackson goes past the school house where children are playing and having fun. Eudora Welty writes, “going along the deep highway through the pinewoods, she could hear the noise of children’s voices from the school house on the right” (Welty par. 13).
Eudora Welty’s A Worn Path shows that man vs society can be overcome with sheer willpower just like physical conflict and man vs self can be overcome with sheer willpower. Eudora Welty uses this example to show how despite being discriminated against for her age and skin color Phoenix Jackson still keeps going through hardships without complaint to get medicine for Ephram.
A Worn Path is a short story about an elderly African American woman making her way through the woods to bring medicine to her grandson. Along the way she faces many obstacles and overcomes them all with determination and spirit, but there is one obstacle in particular that Eudora Welty uses as a symbol for the main character’s own inner conflict-the snake. The story begins with Phoenix Jackson making her way slowly down an old dirt path; as she walks, Eudora Welty notes that “her shoes were worn through. ” With winter coming on, Eudora Welty writes “Phoenix knew that soon the paths would be too cold or possibly frozen for her to walk.
Eudora Welty foreshadows that there may be a problem for Phoenix if she doesn’t get the medicine before winter. Eudora Welty also makes note of the fact that Phoenix has many obstacles along the way to get to town, such as “over a wooden bridge where the water rushed fiercely”, through a patch of dead wood from old trees, and finally up an “old clay hill” Eudora Welty writes, “the path was in sight of the old clay bank. ” Eudora Welty also uses nature in A Worn Path to symbolize certain aspects in Phoenix’s journey.
Eudora Welty notes when they reach what Eudora Welty calls “a clearing” Eudora Welty writes how it is all sunny and bright. Eudora Welty also notes how the path goes through a “patch of woods” Eudora Welty writes, “on either side of her, and she did not come to an opening in them. ” Eudora Welty makes note that the empty space seems bigger than life which is another symbol for Phoenix’s journey; Eudora Welty noted that this empty space was huge which shows how big and frustrating it may get on the path. Eudora Welty uses all these symbols to highlight the theme of inner conflict within Phoenix Jackson throughout A Worn Path.
As Phoenix makes her way up the big clay hill Eudora Welty describes at length, Eudora Welty notes that there are some trees Eudora Welty writes, “two of them were no more than pines” Eudora Welty also notes that they are dead Eudora Welty writes how their limbs are bare Eudora Welty notes how one is leaning Eudora Welty writes, “leaning with its branches against the tree next it. ” Eudora Welty uses these three pines to symbolize the obstacles within Phoenix’s inner conflict. One pine Eudora Welty notes as being uprooted that is leaning Eudora Welty shows how this may be a symbol for what is happening in Phoenix’s inner struggle.
Eudora Welty wrote that this is uprooted and leaning against another tree which represents something else Eudora Welty wrote, “The other pine Eudora Welty writes, “two of them were no more than pines” Eudora Welty shows that if one is uprooted then it will be easy to take out the live one Eudora Welty later makes clear with this symbolism Eudora Welty notes how this is leaning Eudora Welty says, “leaning with its branches against the tree next it. ” Eudora Welty shows how Phoenix has come up against an obstacle in her inner conflict Eudora Welty has made note that there are three pines and they are all close to each other.
Eudora Welty’s description of these three dead pines Eudora Welty writes how they are “no more than pines” Eudora Welty writes how each of them is dead Eudora Welty notes that one of the three is uprooted Eudora Welty writes, “One was uprooted. ” Eudora Welty shows symbolically that something needs to be turned over Eudora Welty’s use of language in A Worn Path makes it clear what Phoenix needs to do with her inner conflict Eudora Welty wrote, “If she were only crossing the clearing Eudora Welty would not have written this if Phoenix did not need a change.