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The Worn Path Analysis

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The Worn Path The Worn Path is a story about a journey of a poor and old black grandma who just wants to arrive to town. In the story “The Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the symbolism of Phoenix’s trip are perseverance and sacrifice that she had in her path to town, and also it represents her life with her constants difficulties visualized with the lone dog, the scarecrow, and the hunter. The perseverance that Phoenix has in order to save her grandson is admirable. When she starts to get dry and tired because of the long trip, she hallucinated things, but it did not stop her to continuo walking and finally she find the Mississippi river. “In a ravine she went where a spring was silently flowing through a hollow log. Old Phoenix bent and drank. …show more content…

She sacrifice herself in order to bring the medicine that her grandson needed. “Putting her right foot out, she mounted the log and shut her eyes. Lifting her skirt, leveling her cane fiercely before her, like a festival figure in some parade, she began to march across. Then she opened her eyes and she was safe on the other side. "I wasn't as old as I thought," she said” (Page 289). And also, something that have a meaning in the story is that even with her advance age, she was able to make this journey that the youngest and strong hunter could not even thing to do it. "Why, that's too far! That's as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble." He patted the stuffed bag he carried, and there hung down a little closed claw. It was one of the bob-whites, with its beak hooked bitterly to show it was dead. "Now you go on home, Granny!" "I bound to go to town, mister," said Phoenix. "The time come around"(Page 290). She found it her internal …show more content…

It is like a path. Phoenix’s path represents her life as an older woman with her life difficulties getting for her age. In the story, Phoenix has time to appreciate the beauty of the day and gives to herself some rest, but also she fights with her mind and her physical decadences that did not help her to finish her path. “Finally, trembling all over, she stood free, and after a moment dared to stoop for her cane. “Sun so high!" she cried, leaning back and looking, while the thick tears went over her eyes. "The time getting all gone here." At the foot of this hill was a place where a log was laid across the creek. “Now comes the trial," said Phoenix” (Page 289). The life is like this, sometimes we have time to appreciate the beauty that it gave us, but sometimes we have challenges, which make us strong. It happened with Phoenix, she find her inner strength. "You scarecrow," she said. Her face lighted. "I ought to be shut up for good," she said with laughter. "My senses is gone. I too old. I the oldest people I ever know. Dance, old scarecrow," she said, "while I dancing with you" (Page 289). In this quote, it is appreciated that her mind tried to distract her to finish her path. Phoenix leave her house with one purpose, which was getting medicine for her grandson. Her path has one purpose as the life. All people has a purpose in their life and they use it as a motivation for move on when the problems come in. Phoenix

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