A Worn Path
The story, "A Worn Path", is about an old woman, Phoenix Jackson, who makes her way out into the woods to a nearby town. We are made to believe that it is a far distance for a woman of her age to walk. The story starts with describing her and the path she takes, all the while mentioning the nature and Phoenix's various encounters. The main focus of the story switches from her journey in the beginning, to the plight of the ill boy and how dedicated she, his grandmother, is to getting some sort of medicinal help for his ailments. If this story had been changed to mention the boy more or say, if the story was started with the description of him and his circumstance, it would have been
No doubt the story would have become more depressing because of this, but nonetheless touching to its readers. When I came to read the story, my thoughts focused on wondering why on earth this decrepit, old woman would walk such a ways for no apparent reason. Maybe if the boy had been introduced earlier, we, the readers, would have been able to guess if her journeys were because of a present-day illness or a way to redeem a guilty conscience. Perhaps she just comes for the satisfaction of knowing that she tried to help him, or perhaps she is seeking penance because she is partly responsible for him ingesting the lye. Had I known about the boy earlier on, I would have felt more compassion. Is Phoenix's grandson really still alive? After several years of coming for medicine to treat the same condition that never seems to get better, I find it hard to believe that he would have survived. Also, when the nurse asks Phoenix about her grandson, she seems lost and almost confused for a moment. This would offer more of a somber mood towards the trials Phoenix encountered on her way to the clinic. We are told how he was helpless to sit up and talk or eat properly; how he couldn't even breathe well. read with a completely different attitude or impression of the grandmother's actions. The story ends by leaving an aura of mystery behind. Instead, we are subjected to the pleasantries of calm woods and trees with birds chirping all the way. Not until the near end of the story are we given insight as to what her journey was truly about.
Common topics in this essay:
Phoenix Jackson,
Worn Path,
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Acceptance Essays
