A Worn Path

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty, is a symbolic and descriptive story of Phoenix Jackson's journey through the woods to town. Phoenix is symbolic in that a bird phoenix rises from its own ashes and goes through another cycle of life. I believe the author is trying to convey that the old women, thought very old and fragile, still is very full of life. She also is dress in very vivid colors like reds, which can also convey a full of life presence. She is on this trip for her grandson, which shows us that she is a selfless person and cares for her family. The main theme is her journey to town. But the theme of racism is also present. The hunter she encounters is rude to her and pokes fun at her. The nurse also refers to her as Aunt Phoenix instead of Ms. Jackson which can be looked at as racist. A Worn Path is a well written story and I believe it has a lot of underlying symbols that it can be evaluated time and time again.