Symbolism of the Journey
Running head: Symbolism
Symbolism of the Journey
Symbolism is an important aspect of literary works because through it the craftsman of the work is able to communicate his views and ideas which might not be apparent from the work unless thought upon from a critical angle. Through the course of this paper, I intend to analyze and compare the symbolism in two masterpieces namely Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” and Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken”. The reason for selecting these two works of art is because they demonstrate the depth and a variety of literary elements including Style, Form and Content which would form the centerpiece of my analysis. A Worn Path, one of Eudora Welty’s masterpieces is a story of resilience, will and determination. The story ponders on the importance of the said elements in achieving success in life. Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1909, being an exceptional student, graduated from the University of Wisconsin majoring in Literature and English. Her initial career choice led her into becoming a journalist however; she soon realized her potential as a writer on human behavior. Her writing style is greatly admired and as a result, she was awarded the Pulitzer Award in 1972 for her fictional story titled “The Optimist’s Daughter”. In addition, she has also won various other awards including two American Book Awards and many O Henry awards. Her writing domain extended to include plays and poems to children books (Gale, 2002). Through the Worn Path, the author has been able to convey the story of an old African American woman who has faced many hardships in life. The literature is loaded with literary elements including symbols which help Welty convey her point of view to the reader. The woman’s life is a depiction of heroism and sacrifice and is a demonstration of how hardships can
be dealt with in life. In her work we see various themes including the sense of taking up responsibility and
Symbolism of the Journey
Symbolism is an important aspect of literary works because through it the craftsman of the work is able to communicate his views and ideas which might not be apparent from the work unless thought upon from a critical angle. Through the course of this paper, I intend to analyze and compare the symbolism in two masterpieces namely Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” and Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken”. The reason for selecting these two works of art is because they demonstrate the depth and a variety of literary elements including Style, Form and Content which would form the centerpiece of my analysis. A Worn Path, one of Eudora Welty’s masterpieces is a story of resilience, will and determination. The story ponders on the importance of the said elements in achieving success in life. Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1909, being an exceptional student, graduated from the University of Wisconsin majoring in Literature and English. Her initial career choice led her into becoming a journalist however; she soon realized her potential as a writer on human behavior. Her writing style is greatly admired and as a result, she was awarded the Pulitzer Award in 1972 for her fictional story titled “The Optimist’s Daughter”. In addition, she has also won various other awards including two American Book Awards and many O Henry awards. Her writing domain extended to include plays and poems to children books (Gale, 2002). Through the Worn Path, the author has been able to convey the story of an old African American woman who has faced many hardships in life. The literature is loaded with literary elements including symbols which help Welty convey her point of view to the reader. The woman’s life is a depiction of heroism and sacrifice and is a demonstration of how hardships can
be dealt with in life. In her work we see various themes including the sense of taking up responsibility and
References: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. The Short Story: Setting and Character. Gale (2002). A Worn Path. Retrieved on November 24th, 2012 from http://www.pljulianhs.net/ourpages/auto/2007/3/11/1173643688271/A_Worn_Path_notes.pdf Holman, B. & Snyder, M. (n.d.). The “Tricky” Poem: A Guide to Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”. Retrieved on November 24th, 2012 from http://poetry.about.com/od/poems/a/roadguide_3.htm Hardin, S. (2000). A Worn Path: A Journey through the Real and the Not Real. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2012 from http://castle.eiu.edu/~ipaweb/pipa/volume3/hardin.htm Neil, D. (1963). Life for Pheonix. The Sewanee Review, Vol. 71, No. 1 (Winter, 1963), pp. 75-81 Retrieved on November 24th, 2012 from http://www.jstor.org/pss/27540842 SparkNotes Editors. (2002). SparkNote on Frost’s Early Poems. Retrieved on November 24th, 2012 from http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/frost/ Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008).The Road Not Taken Rhyme, Form & Meter. Retrieved November 24, 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/road-not-taken/rhyme-form-meter.html Shmoop Editorial Team. (November 11, 2008).The Road Not Taken: Stanza 1 Summary. Retrieved November 24, 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/road-not-taken/stanza-1-summary.html Sykes, D. J. (1998). Welty 's The Worn Path. Explicator, 56(3), 151. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. The Road Not Taken (n.d.). Retrieved on November 24th, 2012 from http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides2/RoadNot.html