Symbolic Explanations in A Worn Path by Eudora
Welty
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Symbolic Explanations in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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“A Worn Path” is a story about an African American woman named Phoenix Jackson who travels through the
wilderness and faces obstacles to get medicine for her grandson who is ill. In the short story “A Worn Path” Eudora
Welty used a manifold of literary techniques in order to convey a deeper meaning of her story. Although there
were multiple techniques used, symbolism was the most used and overbearing in the passage. Symbolism is the
use of objects or characters that are used to represent something greater such as an idea or event in history.
The first symbol is the character Phoenix Jackson herself. Her name is a mythical bird in Egyptian Mythology that
represented power and strength. The mythical bird lived for five-hundred years then died in flames and from the
ashes the phoenix was reborn. Phoenix Jackson was an elderly woman who was the only person who could get the
medicine for her grandson. She endured the cold of winter to get to the town doctor. Phoenix pushed herself
using every ounce of her strength to travel across “Natchez trace” she selflessly risked her life. The elderly woman
was far too weak to make the trip “she was very old and small and she walked slowly” and “Her eyes were blue
with age”, but Phoenix was determined to continue on and get the medicine for her ill grandson. She showed
strength and determination by traveling the far distance for someone in need. Phoenix’s Grandson could be
viewed as the rebirth of the phoenix. He is Phoenix’s only known relative in the passage and is an extension of
phoenix herself. Phoenix Jackson was at an age which death can come at any moment once she passes the only
person to continue her family line would be the grandson.
The White hunter was another symbol used to repres...
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