Short Story Criticism | A Worn Path, Eudora Welty. The following entry presents
criticism on Welty's short story "A Worn Path," first published in The Atlantic Monthly
in February 1940, and later in A Curtain of Green, 1941. For an overview of Welty's
short fiction, see SSC, Volume 1.
INTRODUCTION
"A Worn Path" is considered one of Welty's most distinguished and frequently studied
works of short fiction. Deceptively simple in tone and scope, the story is structured upon
a journey motif that incorporates a rich texture of symbolic meaning. According to Alfred
Appel, "'A Worn Path' passes far beyond its regionalism because of its remarkable fusion
of various elements of myth and legend, which invest the story with a religious meaning
that can be universally felt."
Plot and Major Characters
"A Worn Path" describes the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson
who walks from her home to the city of Natchez to get medicine for her sick grandson.
The landscape as Phoenix perceives it becomes a primary focus of the vividly evoked
narrative; nature is depicted as alternately beautiful and as an impediment to Phoenix's
progress. As she walks, she struggles against intense fatigue and poor eyesight, as well as
such obstacles as thorn bushes and barbed wire. The combined effects of her old age, her
poor vision, and her poetic view of the world heighten the lyricism and symbolism of the
narrative. For example, she mistakes a scarecrow for a dancing "ghost" until she draws
close enough to touch its empty sleeve. A particularly tense episode occurs when she
encounters a white hunter who appears friendly at first, but then makes a condescending
suggestion that she is probably "going to town to see Santa Claus." When he
inadvertently drops a nickel, Phoenix distracts him and manages to pick it up, feeling that
she is stealing as she does so. The hunter suddenly points his gun at her, and while he
may have seen her pick up the nickel, it is unclear what his actual motivation is for this
threatening gesture. Phoenix, however, does not appear afraid; the hunter lowers his gun
and she manages to continue on her way unharmed and without returning the nickel.
Finally reaching the "shining" city of Natchez, Phoenix enters the "big building"—
presumably a hospital—where a nurse questions her about her grandson, asking if he has
died. Phoenix remains strangely quiet at first, as if deaf to the nurse's questions. She then
apologizes, claiming that her memory had suddenly failed her—that for a moment, she
could not remember why she had made her long journey. The story concludes with
Phoenix's heartfelt description of her grandson, whose throat was injured several years
ago when he swallowed lye. She declares that he is not dead, receives the medicine for
him, along with another nickel, with which she decides to buy him a Christmas present—
a "little windmill."
Major Themes
Phoenix Jackson emerges in "A Worn Path" as a character who endures; she is the
symbol of perseverance, stamina, and life in the face of hardship and death.
Commentators have noted that her sheer fortitude in making the long journey on foot and
alone points to these qualities, as does the mythological significance of her name,
Phoenix—an Egyptian bird symbolizing resurrection. Christian symbolism is also
apparent in the narrative. For example, the fact that the story is set during the Christmas
season has led some critics to associate Phoenix's journey with that of a religious
pilgrimage; her selfless concern for her grandson is interpreted as representing the true
spirit of giving and self-sacrifice. While much of the story's substance rests on the
imagistic and symbolic use of language, the action of the plot also shows Phoenix in
direct conflict with the outside world—a society run by white people who have little
respect or understanding for her situation. A man hunting in the forest assumes that she is
going to town merely "to see Santa Claus," while a nurse dismisses her as a "charity" case
and offers little sympathy for the plight of Phoenix's sick grandson. Because the story is
completely free of authorial intrusion or explanatory commentary, the images and events
that occur in the narrative remain open to a variety of reader interpretations.
Critical Reception
Critical discussion of "A Worn Path" largely has been concerned with thematic
interpretation of the work, particularly the story's racial, mythological, and Christian
motifs. Focusing predominantly on the story's Christian motifs, Neil D. Isaacs viewed
Phoenix's Christmas journey as a "religious pilgrimage" with an ironic end that suggests
"greed, corruption, cynicism." Also emphasizing Christian themes in the work, Sara
Treeman pointed to story's theme of self-sacrifice, noting that the worn path "is worn
because this is the symbolic journey made by all who are capable of self-sacrifice, of
whom Christ is the archetype." The presence of secular mythology in the text has also
been the subject of discussion by such critics as Dan Donlan, who perceived the
prominence of the Egyptian myth of the Phoenix in the structure and symbolism of the
story. Frank Ardolino argued for a conflation of mythological and Christian
interpretations of the work, showing how "along with the Christian motifs of rebirth, the
cycles of natural imagery presented create the theme of life emerging from death." The
racial element of "A Worn Path" has also been a subject of critical discussion. William
Jones commented in 1957 that "[t]he main reason that Miss Welty chose a Negro seems
to be that only a relatively simple, uncivilized individual is worthy of representing the
powerful forces which inspires such love as hers for her grandchild." John R. Cooley, in
contrast, argued for a broader social reading of the story, criticizing the sentiment of the
work and accusing Welty of failing to "develop her racial portraits with sufficient
sensitivity or depth." Nancy K. Butterworth responded to Cooley's assessment and others
with the observation that "[s]uch polemical demythologizings conflict with Welty's
persistent refusal to use fiction as a platform, particularly for political or sociological
issues, as well as her downplaying and even disavowal of racial implications in her
stories."
HW- The Great Quiz Due Dates: HW/CW Category- score varies based on
number of questions per assignment.
Great Quizzes are based on the Kathyrn VanSpanckeryn document which is
located on my website under the ‘my resources’ tab.
http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/CPerry/
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Monday, Feb. 8th
Monday, Feb. 22rd
Monday, March 8th
Wednesday, March 24th
Tuesday, April 12th
Monday, April 26th
Monday, May 3th
Monday, May 10th
Monday, May 24th
Friday, June 4th
Overall Writing Goal – The Complete Critical Analysis
Essay 1
A critical Analysis of ‘A Worn Path’ by Eudora Welty
In Class Essay Test Monday, January 25, 2010
500 points- writing category.