In the story, A Worn Path, the main character is on a journey to town. Phoenix Jackson is the near blind main character. The story describes a basic pattern of a hero’s journey (Monomyth) in which the main character travels from the known into the unknown. On her hero’s journey, she encounters obstacles that represent internal challenges, external troubles, and even monsters to defeat. In the end, she achieves victory. Phoenix Jackson’s first challenge is introduced to us walking down a path taking “side to side in her steps.” She uses a walking stick. She is “tapping the frozen earth in front of her.” It is a challenge to walk such a long path as a near blind person. In the story, Phoenix gets caught on a thorny bush that she didn’t see in passing. She encounters a log, and has to lift her skirt high and legs to get over it. She is …show more content…
She encounters a “ghost” which looks like a man dancing in the fields. As she nears, she discovers it is just a scarecrow. Here she must conquer her fears, “'Ghost,' she said sharply, 'who be you the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by.'” And then she is overcome by laughter in doing this, “'You scarecrow,' she said. Her face lighted. 'I ought to be shut up for good,' she said with laughter. '” Phoenix encounters another kind of ‘monster’. She passes through alligator infested swamps. She encounters a giant black dog who comes toward at her and in an attempt to protect herself she ends up in a ditch. She has fallen flat. Eventually, a stranger comes to help her. He seems to be the owner of the dog. He is a hunter. The myth of the hero’s journey sometimes includes other characters who help the hero. The name Phoenix also is a kind of bird that rises from the ashes of death to live again. There is a symbol in her name and getting knocked off the path. Phoenix Jackson rises again like the Phoenix. She carries on the path of her