"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a grandmother for her grandchild. It tells a story of sheer determination as Phoenix Jackson makes a long journey into town to get medicine for her chronically ill grandson. She strives forward despite frequent obstacles in her way that include her own failing health and the grandchild's slim chance of survival. Phoenix Jackson is "an old Negro woman" who continues forward over barriers that would not even be considered a hindrance for the young. This is a journey which she has taken before, and now "the time come around" she must travel it again. She begins her journey to town on "a bright frozen day in the early morning" in December. Phoenix Jackson is "very old and small ", and walks like the "pendulum in a grandfather clock" ever so carefully with her "thin, small cane made from an umbrella."
The description of Phoenix Jackson at the beginning of this story gives the reader a glimpse of how difficult this trip is going to be for an elderly woman such as her. The description "Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin has a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles" are indications of Phoenix Jackson’s old age. She supports herself with a can
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So the time come around, and I go on another trip for the soothing medicine. She asks "He isn’t dead, is he?" Phoenix responds with, "No missy, he not dead, he just the same. " At one point, she is startled by a stray dog and falls into a ditch. e, striving not to fall with every step she takes. " She is determined to go down that path despite anything that might come between her and getting the medicine for her grandson. " When old Phoenix reaches "to take it there was just her own hand in the air," and nothing else around. Throughout the story, she exhibits signs of senility and delusions including her meeting of a scarecrow which she initially thinks is a man. She talks to the bush stating "Thorns, you doing your appointed work. This story reminds the reader over and over that she truly loves her grandson, and that she is determined to overcome any obstacle to achieve her goal. " Not even these words from the hunter could make Phoenix give up, always getting herself out of a predicament, and having her grandson as a reason to keep going. In addition, she faces a barbed-wire fence, which is not easy for anyone, but she gets through, again telling herself that "she could not pay for having her arm or her leg sawed off. The only thing that keeps her from giving up is the love she has for him and the fact that all they have in this world is each other. Her perseverance in the face of tremendous obstacles is admirable considering her age and declining health. Never want to let folks pass, no sir.
Approximate Word count =
867
Approximate Pages =
3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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