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1. Literary Analysis Essay
Jan Franco Glanc
English Composition
November 28, 2014
A Worn Path
! A glimpse at the news seems sufficient to recognize the prevalence
of racial issues and implicit prejudices in the United States. Certainly,
cases of police bias against black individuals are not scarce, to the
extent of constituting a field of research and study in Psychology and
Sociology. Understandably, this problematic stems from the historical
roots of this country, traceable throughout its culture, art and literature.
Eudora Welty is the author of an acclaimed short story, A Worn Path,
that embarks upon this social problem from the viewpoint of Phoenix
Jackson, and old woman who, despite her age and disabilities, roams a
arduous path bearing many sorts of jeopardies for the sake of obtaining
a medication for her diseased grandson. The imagery and symbolism
presented throughout the narration succeed in conveying an in-depth
perception of the social reality at the time of the story in conjunction with
a stirring message of love, charity, and hopefulness.
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2. ! Racial injustice presents itself a the central theme throughout the
narration. Depicted by the encounter with the man who condescendingly
called her "Granny" and pointed her with a gun, or the attendant's
situation, in which Phoenix is discourteously marked as "charity," Eudora
creates an atmosphere of inequality. Moreover, Phoenix communicative
and language skills show her, probably exaggerated, lack of education.
! Simultaneously, perseverance is also a constant motif, illustrated
by emphasizing several obstacles encountered in the course of her
travel, such as thorny bushes, barbed-wire fences and dog encounters.
Perhaps, it can be interpreted as an attitude towards combating racism,
as well as the power of love and compassion. In spite of her poor
eyesight, a motif consistent during the story, she endures the harshness
and difficulties, to the extent of relying exclusively on her feet. This can
be connected to the attendant's comment about her, "She makes these
trips just as regular as clockwork," denoting a sense of routine and
repetition. It might also be possible that her grandchildren is indeed
dead, which would grant a different interpretation to her moment of
forgetfulness at the attendants and would add dramatism to the entire
story.
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3. ! Arguably, the story proposes a rebirth, symbolized by the continual
bird motif such in phrases as "A bird flew by," "chirping of a solitary bird,"
and her own name, Phoenix. Additionally, the windmill she intents to buy
by the end of the story might be interpreted as a desire to urge
movement and development.
! Contrary to the recognizable sense of hopefulness and charity, it is
also discernible a subtle portrayal of implicit prejudices. "'Al right'. The
nurse was trying to hush her now. She brought her a bottle of medicine.
'Charity' she said, making a check mark in the book." Disrespect and
ruthlessness may be interpreted in this scene. Similarly, when Phoenix
is offered a few pennies, she ironically responds "Five pennies is a
nickel". Superficial courtesy could be hiding deeper and smaller nuances
of prejudice.
! Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the author adopts a fairly descriptive
and rich language to depict the harshness of the circumstances and
narrow the distance between Phoenix' viewpoint and the reader's. She
displays an unsuspicious deepness of thought by enhancing the
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4. narration with motifs and symbols, which furthers the openness of
interpretation. Additionally, it's freshness builds a bridge between old
historical roots and current social events, guaranteeing a position of
reference to this story for the upcoming generations.
Works Cited
Eudora Welty, "A Worn Path." 1941
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