ipl-logo

Christian Values In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

924 Words4 Pages

In the story, “A Worn Path,” it is clear there is a lot of underlying meaning related to Christian values. Although the story doesn’t directly talk about the main character, Phoenix, being a Christian in any way, there are moments where she does have Christian values. This leads readers to believe that the author intended the story to have more than just a surface level meaning. The connection of a Christian worldview is evident in the way Phoenix has a selfless concern for her grandson, representing the true spirit of giving and self-sacrifice, and also the fact the story is set on a “worn path,” Phoenix experiences hardships much like how being a Christian isn’t always a clear path to follow. Firstly, Phoenix has always had a selfless concern for her grandson. By the end of the …show more content…

This practice of thinking about others before ourselves is most definitely common in the Christian practice. In the Journal of Religion, the main point in the beginning of the article was defining the word agape. Agape is the Greek word to describe the unmotivated love of God for an unworthy man, which flows out with no trace of self-seeking from God (Goodenough). The Christian understanding of agape involves unconditional acceptance, and a concern for others. It’s a love which is communicating care through attitude and as well as physical presence. Although it’s impossible for a human to constantly have “agape” love, it is possible for God to love us unconditionally (Kierkegaard). In return, people like Phoenix from the story may view God as loving her unconditionally. So, as a Christian, it would be her responsibility essentially to be selfless and loving towards her grandson. Along with that idea, by the end of the story all she wanted to do was give her grandson his medicine so he would feel better. In a journal article titled, “Religion in Public Health-Care Institutions,” it stated in the introduction, “Attention to health and healing is a part of all the world’s

Show More
Related

  • Intergenerational Trauma In The Break

    1083 Words  | 5 Pages

    When Phoenix notices her uncle's house is filthy, she decides to clean it up because her uncle likes it "when she does girl things like that" (Vermette 25). Phoenix is portrayed in the text as harsh and commanding, but in reality, all she wants is to be liked, which demonstrates how victims of intergenerational trauma desire to be loved. Phoenix is also seen to be jealous and go to extreme lengths when Emily receives affection instead of her. Phoenix has been pregnant for “seven months” with Clayton’s child (Vermette 320) and now is in prison for raping a girl, Emily, who Clayton was hanging out with. Readers understand that Phoenix has never received a lot of affection when she was younger

    Read More

  • Phoenix Jackson Archetypes

    1718 Words  | 7 Pages

    Whether Phoenix makes the journey because of the trauma causing her to relive experience, or because she is in denial, or if she does it to honor him, it does not change the fact that Phoenix persevered in order to reach the goal of acquiring the medicine. Phoenix makes it to her destination despite having to walk through a dead and dangerous land in order to keep the memory of her grandson alive because she is a strong and courageous women with a deep love for her grandson that was not altered simply because he is gone from the physical

    Read More

  • Everyday Use By Eudora Welty Compare And Contrast

    485 Words  | 2 Pages

    Also like Everyday Use, A Worn Path takes place at a time in the 1900s when racism existed. Just like Mama, Phoenix also takes care and protects a child. However, the child she takes care of is her grandson. Many years ago, her grandson swallowed lye. This is a strong substance which is used in making soap.

    Read More

  • Three Artistic Tools Used In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    488 Words  | 2 Pages

    Phoenix encounters several obstacles in order to achieve her goal. The path she walks in represents her life, with the obstacle she faces new one appears and through her perseverance she slowly conquers each one of them. At the end Phoenix buy a paper windmill for her grandson. The paper windmill represents the nature into the energy that her grandson can use his natural abilities since they are both free, to something

    Read More

  • Divine Providence In William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

    230 Words  | 1 Pages

    The people helped the sick because they trusted in God that He would help them stay healthy, “And yet the Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity they were not at all infected either with sickness or lameness. ”(Bradford 81). The people believed that if they were to help the sickly that God would take care of them. Bradford uses the fact that the

    Read More

  • Morality In Erik Wielenberg's The Road

    823 Words  | 4 Pages

    Erik J. Wielenberg argues that The Road implies morality doesn’t depend upon God for existence or justification. It’s the nature of humans to desire things and for the things they do to make sense. The man validates this point because he wants to keep going and tells himself that he carries the fire. In the story fire represents life and goodness. He carries the fire, which he believes is his son.

    Read More

  • Religion In William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying

    2627 Words  | 11 Pages

    Religion in As I Lay Dying The time and setting during which the novel was written are very important for understanding William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. This novel was written in 1930 Mississippi; during this time Mississippi was very religious. Unsurprisingly, Christianity and religion also plays a big role in As I Lay Dying particularly through imagery and symbolism that connects different characters to religious figures, including Jesus Christ.

    Read More

  • Barbara Lazear Ascher's 'On Compassion'

    820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Frederick Buechner once said, “Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin.” Similarly, an author by the name of Barbara Lazear Ascher wrote an essay called “On Compassion,” in which she states that people learn about compassion when they experience hardships and begin to put oneself in another’s place. Along with the idea of compassion being learned, Ascher also tries to make us wonder what our motive is that leads us to being compassionate. Ascher tries to make us question why we feel the need to be compassionate towards others throughout her essay.

    Read More

  • Obstacles In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    539 Words  | 3 Pages

    Phoenix Jackson is a woman who will not give up, despite the odds. Which leads to her being successful and reaching her purpose, in the

    Read More

  • Intergenerational Trauma In The Break By Katherena Vermette

    2075 Words  | 9 Pages

    This serves as an example of how a lack of familial ties can prevent an individual from overcoming intergenerational trauma. The relationship between Phoenix and her mother Elsie is portrayed as distant and estranged. This is exemplified in a scene where Phoenix is going to prison and Elsie attempts to reach out to her, but she rejects the gesture by moving away and refusing to touch her mother. Phoenix also expressed disdain for her mother's weakness, “she does not want to look at her, does not want to see Elsie groveling in her Elsie way, being weak. She does not want to feel sorry for her, or feel anything for her” (Vermette 323).

    Read More

  • Literary Elements In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    526 Words  | 3 Pages

    She exemplifies Christ along her journey when she stops under a mistletoe tree; the same type of tree in which the cross was made. The thorns she encounters also relate to Christ’s death on the cross, the crown of thorns he wears on his head. The journey she takes to get her grandson’s medicine, is considered to be an example of self-sacrifice. Phoenix gives others the opportunity to help her and accomplish good things. One example is when the hunter helps her out of the ditch.

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis Of Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    678 Words  | 3 Pages

    Given her grandson’s injuries that hope is as fragile as the paper windmill. This reminds us that hope is fragile, and is contingent on historical and civil efforts beyond Phoenix and her grandson.     Phoenix Jackson perseveres to achieve a purposeful goal. Phoenix Jackson stayed true to her faith in times of desperation. Against the obstacles, she was willing to reach her destination to provide her grandson with the medicine he is in need of.

    Read More

  • Virtue Theory In Rosalind Hursthouse's Argument

    2131 Words  | 9 Pages

    Rosalind Hursthouse brings up the concept of the virtue theory in her argument. Hursthouse argues that virtue theory determines what is good and what is bad by having a set of rules in place that force us to lean towards the good in life. The set of rules will be a set of virtues that are essential for humans to thrive and flourish. Hursthouse suggests virtue theory as a way to determine whether abortion is okay or not. The status of the fetus is one of the major keys determining whether the abortion is appropriate or not appropriate, but according to Hursthouse the status of the fetus does not apply into the virtue theory.

    Read More

  • Freedom In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

    810 Words  | 4 Pages

    Phoenix’s endurance on the journey is portrayed by this change, which helps to reveal the

    Read More

  • A Worn Path Phoenix Jackson Character Analysis

    738 Words  | 3 Pages

    Phoenix is doing this out of her selfless and kind heart for her loved ones. If she never cared and was selfish then she would never be making these difficult journeys and wasting her time for someone

    Read More

More about Christian Values In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Open Document