A Worn Path By Eudora Welty Summary
“A Worn Path” was written by Eudora Welty and published in 1941. It can be found at www.theatlantic.com. This story is about the elderly Phoenix Jackson in December as she walks through the frozen Natchez woods to town. Along the way, she faces a variety of life such as the cur of a dog. Also, she is taking the selfless journey for her injured grandson. Phoenix Jackson encounters three conflicts in the story: woman vs. man, woman vs. self, and woman vs. nature. Phoenix Jackson encounters a hunter in her journey to Natchez. He says,” I know you colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus!” The hunter makes this derogatory term about colored people going far just to see Santa, which is offensive to Phoenix. She is taking
the journey to get medicine for her grandson’s throat not to see a jolly man in a red suit. The hunter degrades her color and her purpose for the journey, yet she treads on to the city. The hunter did not hold her back from her purpose. “She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows…” Phoenix Jackson is an elderly woman that has to utilize a cane in order to walk, so her age and ability are an obstacle for her to overcome. “I wasn’t as old as I thought,” Phoenix said after she walked across a log. She overcame the limitations of her age and bad eyesight, and Phoenix made it across a log that even young people would have trouble with. She doubted herself in her afterthought, but Phoenix Jackson made it over the log. In summary, Phoenix exceeded the reader’s expectations by overpowering her imperfect physical abilities. “But before she got to the bottom of the hill a bush caught her dress.” The natural surrounding can be assumed as complicating to walk through, so it is expected that nature would get Phoenix in some manner. The bush gets a rise out of Phoenix because she keeps getting caught by the thorns. Yet, she escapes its grasp, and she continues on her journey. In conclusion, Phoenix Jackson encounters three conflicts in the story: woman vs. man, woman vs. self, and woman vs. nature. In the freezing December woods, she makes a tedious journey. Along the way, she overcomes the hunter’s rudeness, the age limitations, and the thorn bush. All three of these conflicts are cast off as she made it to the doctor’s office. In the end, Phoenix made it to her goal, whether for someone that was a figment of her imagination or real, selflessly.
the journey to get medicine for her grandson’s throat not to see a jolly man in a red suit. The hunter degrades her color and her purpose for the journey, yet she treads on to the city. The hunter did not hold her back from her purpose. “She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows…” Phoenix Jackson is an elderly woman that has to utilize a cane in order to walk, so her age and ability are an obstacle for her to overcome. “I wasn’t as old as I thought,” Phoenix said after she walked across a log. She overcame the limitations of her age and bad eyesight, and Phoenix made it across a log that even young people would have trouble with. She doubted herself in her afterthought, but Phoenix Jackson made it over the log. In summary, Phoenix exceeded the reader’s expectations by overpowering her imperfect physical abilities. “But before she got to the bottom of the hill a bush caught her dress.” The natural surrounding can be assumed as complicating to walk through, so it is expected that nature would get Phoenix in some manner. The bush gets a rise out of Phoenix because she keeps getting caught by the thorns. Yet, she escapes its grasp, and she continues on her journey. In conclusion, Phoenix Jackson encounters three conflicts in the story: woman vs. man, woman vs. self, and woman vs. nature. In the freezing December woods, she makes a tedious journey. Along the way, she overcomes the hunter’s rudeness, the age limitations, and the thorn bush. All three of these conflicts are cast off as she made it to the doctor’s office. In the end, Phoenix made it to her goal, whether for someone that was a figment of her imagination or real, selflessly.