In Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path," the problem of the story wasn't clear in the
beginning of the story. Why was Phoenix Jackson, a sick old black lady in the forest by
herself in the winter? The reason became clear going towards the end of the story; that
she was out hunting for her grandson's medicine. Things were very bad for Phoenix
because she had to walk from her countryside home to the city to get the medicine. Those
weren't Phoenix's only problems; she was very old, she wasn't in good health, her
grandson's throat was hurting and she was very poor. In Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path,"
Welty uses several images to show the reader the burning and the rising of Phoenix
Usually, for older aged people there are benefits for those who can't do for
themselves. There are various organizations that help people who are over aged. They
also have services that provide for them such as "The Emergency Truck" and "Meals on
Wheels." Why wasn't anyone delivering the medicine to Phoenix so she wouldn't have to
walk in to town? The people from the medical center knew about Phoenix's grandson and
they didn't try to help her out with a ride or anything. They didn't respect Phoenix's age
at all seeing that she was in bad shape and very old. In these days older aged people
demand their respect and they get it. "She carried a thin, small cane made from an
umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her."
The problem was mainly Phoenix's health. (In the quotation just written when
Welty mentioned it, that lets the reader know that Phoenix couldn't see well. The reader
also knows that she isn't blind, she just couldn't see well because of her tapping on the
ground in front of her. Phoenix should have never had to go in the forest under any
circumstances because of her health conditions.) (Welty also
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