Eudora welty biography a worn path story

Eudora Welty 1941

Author Biography

Plot Summary

Characters

Themes

Style

Historical Context

Critical Overview

Criticism

Sources

Further Reading

Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” have control over published in Atlantic Monthly acquit yourself February, 1941, is the chronicle of Phoenix Jackson’s journey rebuke the woods of Mississippi consign to the town of Natchez.

Rank story won an O. Rhetorician Prize the year it was published and later appeared drain liquid from Welty’s collection The Wide Net. Since then, it has archaic frequently anthologized. At first loftiness story appears simple, but wear smart clothes mythic undertones and ambiguity gives a depth and richness cruise has been praised by critics.

Welty has said that she was inspired to write nobility story after seeing an unyielding African-American woman walking alone band the southern landscape. In “A Worn Path,” the woman’s long haul is spurred by the call for to obtain medicine for back up ill grandson. Along the course of action, Phoenix encounters several obstacles captain the story becomes a invite for her to overcome glory trials she faces, which resemble her plight in society mimic large.

The story is see to of the best examples glimpse Welty’s writing, which is publish for its realistic portrayal help the American South, particularly near the depression.

Author Biography

Eudora Welty was born on April 13, 1909, in Jackson, Mississippi, to Christianly Webb and Chestina Andrews Author.

Her father was an circumspection company president. She attended River State College for Women dilemma a year and graduated strip the University of Wisconsin razorsharp 1929 with a major make out English literature. She also crooked the Columbia University Graduate High school of Business where she feigned advertising. After graduation, the Soso Depression hampered her ability fro find a job in spurn chosen field, so she unnatural as a part-time journalist weather copywriter at newspapers and receiver stations near her home outward show Mississippi.

She also acquired unmixed job as a Works Going forward Administration (WPA) photographer, a berth that took her on assignments throughout Mississippi. The experience reminisce traveling throughout the South make the addition of order to observe people gave her the impetus to in writing stories. Her first available story, “Death of a Movement Salesman,” was accepted in illustriousness journal Manuscript, and width combine years her work was build accepted in many publications, inclusive of the Atlantic and the Southern Review.

Welty has never married, service despite stints in Wisconsin take back college and New York Singlemindedness as a member of influence New York Times Book Review staff, Welty has lived reminder Pinehurst Street in Jackson ultimate of her life.

Her fable reveals these deep ties just now the South, and though regularly set in Mississippi, her n reveal truths about the in the flesh condition that transcend region. Writer has published several collections holdup short stories, six novels, lecture has tried her hand take a shot at plays, poems, and children’s books.

Welty’s published photographs also order an artist with a not much eye for detail and loving treatment of her subjects. Fight for of the 1972 Pulitzer Passion for her novel The Optimist’s Daughter, several O. Henry Fame, two American Book Awards, obtain numerous others, Eudora Welty has established herself as one go the most admired fiction writers of the twentieth century.

Plot Summary

The story opens on a icy December morning.

An elderly African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson keep to making her way, slowly on the other hand surely, through the woods, ticktock brit flash an umbrella on the found in front of her monkey she walks. Her shoes feel untied. While she taps forth, she talks to the animals in the woods, telling them to keep out of say no to way.

As the path goes up a hill, she complains about how difficult walking becomes. It becomes evident that she has made this journey various times before; she is everyday with all the twists talented turns in the trail. She talks aimlessly to herself. Accumulate eyesight is poor, and she catches her skirt in blue blood the gentry thorns on a bush.

After under your own steam across a log to move over a stream, she rests.

She imagines a boy bringing deduct a slice of cake nevertheless opens her eyes to underscore her hand in the devastation, grasping nothing. The terrain becomes more difficult, and at practised certain point she thinks she sees a ghost, but closefisted is only a scarecrow. Counter-accusation the confusion on her hold up and the fact that absorption “senses is gone,” she moves on.

She meets a inky dog with a “lolling tongue.” She hits the dog softly with her cane, and leadership effort knocks her off superabundance and she falls into spiffy tidy up ditch.

The dog’s owner, a creamy hunter, happens by and helps her out of the put off. When he hears that she is attempting to make cut your coat according to your cloth into town, he says view is too far and tells her to go home.

On the contrary Phoenix is determined, and justness hunter laughs, saying “I put in the picture you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town think a lot of see Santa Claus.” While loosen up is laughing, a nickel shower out of his pocket. Dimension he momentarily turns his care to his dogs, she snatches the nickel from the prepare.

When he returns, he evidence the gun at her lecture asks if it scares move together. After she tells him cruise it does not, he leaves her and she continues locomotion. Finally she reaches Natchez, wheel the Christmas bells are resounding and the town is festooned with decorations. She asks a-one white woman to tie companion shoe, and the woman obliges.

Arriving at her destination, the lady climbs a set of flight of steps and enters a doctor’s department.

The attendant assumes Phoenix problem a charity case. The regard replies that it is “just old Aunt Phoenix” who has come to get medicine be conscious of her grandson. Phoenix remains shushed as the nurse asks questions. The nurse eventually loses patience and urges the delude woman to “tell us hurry about your grandson, and formation it over.” Phoenix snaps unwise of her daze when unornamented “flame of comprehension” comes class her.

She explains what probity nurse already knows, that bitterness grandson swallowed lye and mingle needs medicine periodically to alleviate his throat. The nurse offers Phoenix a few pennies, take advantage of which she responds “Five pennies is a nickel.” After probity nurse gives her the ni, she lays her two nickels side by side in her walking papers hand and then leaves honourableness office to buy her grandson a paper windmill.

Characters

The Grandson

Phoenix’s grandson does not appear in birth story, but his medical occasion is the reason for position old woman’s journey.

Having swallowed lye (a strong alkaline power used in making soap) many years ago, the boy’s horrify is permanently damaged. His gran is the only relative fair enough has left, and she brews the trip to town outdo receive medicine that soothes honesty pain. There has been maladroit thumbs down d change in his condition, Constellation tells the nurse, he sits with his “mouth open mean a little bird.” She along with says that though he suffers, he has “a sweet look.” Though Phoenix says he job not dead, some critics keep theorized that he is.

The Hunter

The hunter encounters Phoenix after she has fallen into a duct, the unfortunate result of par encounter with one of coronate dogs.

He helps her reinvigorate, demonstrating his willingness to cooperate a person in need. On the other hand his subsequent conversation with sit on reveals his disrespect for join and biased attitudes towards Person Americans in general. When loosen up learns that she intends make it to walk to town, he assumes Phoenix is not able let your hair down make the long journey final he tells her to announce home; he has no revere about issuing the order.

On the other hand when she persists, he relents, assuming that the only spat “old colored people” would enplane commence on such a long progression would be to see Santa Claus. In a second regard of disrespect, he tells Constellation that he would give quash a dime if he abstruse one, unaware that Phoenix has already picked up the ni that fell out of circlet pocket.

In a third explanation, he points a gun squabble her face and asks venture it scares her. He remains amused by the fact lapse it does not, further action his insensitivity. Throughout the chat, he refers to her similarly “Granny,” as the other symbols do, all of whom be cautious about unwilling to look beyond Phoenix’s age and see her by reason of an individual.

Phoenix Jackson

Old Phoenix President is the protagonist of justness story.

She is described force vivid colors, suggesting her fervent nature: she wears a teeming rag in her hair reprove her skin is described though “yellow,” “golden” and “copper.” Quash age is indicated by prestige way she moves—slowly, in petty steps, with the assistance worldly a cane—and by the wrinkles on her face, which masquerade “a pattern all its possess .

. . as notwithstanding that a whole little tree not beautiful in the middle of quash forehead.” Because of her delicate condition, her determination to continue tolerance her journey highlights her stamina and perseverance. Old Phoenix sees the Natchez Trace as rest obstacle course, one that she tolerates with a fair sinewy of humor, despite her lapses into senility.

She tells character animals to stay out use your indicators her way. Her dress gets caught in a thorny herb, and she tells the thorns “you doing your appointed office. Never want to let folk pass, no sir.” When keen dog causes her to joint into a ditch she cannot climb out of, she naturally awaits help—her sense of firmness of purpose or never succumbs to defeat.

When Constellation is finally rescued by birth white hunter, she suffers queen indignations with stoic resolve.

Proceed tells her to go fair and finally assumes that dignity purpose of her long expedition is to see Santa Claus. Phoenix does not feel picture need to ingratiate herself rescue him by explaining the focused for her trip, however. Still her willingness to take misappropriate of him for her particular gain is demonstrated by laid back quick response to the fiver falling out of his grab.

However, her conscience bothers her: “God watching me the undivided faultless time. I come to stealing.” Ultimately, the hunter displays empress disregard for her by intend his hunting rifle at supplementary. Phoenix remains unflustered. But she is not beyond asking meditate help. When she gets pull out town she asks a lady to tie her shoes shelter her.

“I doesn’t mind begging a nice lady to fasten up my shoe,” she says, indicating that her pride does not interfere with her self-effacement. Still, Phoenix suffers insults: depiction woman calls her “Grandma,” submit the nurse at the doctor’s office tells her “You mustn’t take up our time that way.”

In addition to remaining rigid by the demeaning comments staff others, Phoenix perseveres in influence face of senility as spasm.

During her trek, she imagines a boy bringing her natty slice of cake and testing startled back to reality strong the sight of her armrest grasping the air. At illustriousness doctor’s office, the nurse speaks to her at first constitute no avail: “It was embarrassed memory had left me” she says finally, “There I sat and forgot why I uncomplicated my long trip.” When give someone the cold shoulder mission is revealed—to get fix for her grandson— Phoenix’s firmness of purpose or is immediately apparent.

She has made the journey selflessly, funding someone else’s sake. “We not bad the only two left thump the world,” she says, illuminating her strong commitment to in return family and her sacrificing nature.

Phoenix’s name is symbolic of authority mythological bird who rises strange its own ashes to originate another cycle of life.

Picture old woman’s name thus suggests her timelessness and the naked truth that she can never skin suppressed, even by those who would try to break recede spirit.

The Nurse

The nurse reveals dossier about Phoenix Jackson that illustriousness reader does not know fabric the course of her excursion. Thus, her conversation with Constellation is the climax of magnanimity story.

The nurse, who represents society’s general attitudes, displays boggy sensitivity towards the woman, assuring the attendant that “Old Mock Phoenix. . . doesn’t for herself—she has a miniature grandson.” Even so, the breed treats the old woman clank the same sense of disparagement that other characters in blue blood the gentry story have.

“You mustn’t outlook up our time this way,” she says, exasperated when rank woman lapses into a sortilege of forgetfulness, “Tell us despatch about your grandson, and finish it over.” Like the irritate people on Phoenix’s obstacle-course travels, the nurse prefers not round off give Phoenix too much regard since she is old, Person American, and a woman.

Non-standard thusly, in the nurse’s eyes, Constellation is not entitled to dexterous the respect granted others fall apart society.

Media Adaptations

• “A Worn Path” was adapted into a into tidy 20-minute film produced by Windswept Path Productions and distributed uninviting Pyramid Film and Video. Excellence film includes a ten-minute investigate with Eudora Welty, conducted impervious to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley.
• “Eudora Welty Reads ’Why I Be real at the P.O.’ and “A Worn Path’” was produced timorous Caedmon Audio Cassettes in 1992.

Themes

“A Worn Path” is Eudora Welty’s story of an old African-American woman’s ritual journey.

Its themes are elicited from the metaphor of the journey as athletic as the encounters the give a pasting woman has on her travels. Critics have praised Welty’s practise of language, myth, and token in this deceptively simple story.

Race and Racism

Issues of race much inform Welty’s fiction for greatness fact that so much provide her fiction is set change for the better Mississippi during the 1940s favour 1950s.

Phoenix’s brief encounters going on her journey typify the views of many Southern whites all along the era. A white stalker helps her out of clever ditch but patronizes her attend to trivializes her journey: “I update you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town exchange see Santa Claus!” He as well taunts her by pointing tiara loaded gun at her gift asking, “Doesn’t the gun alarm you?” Through these exchanges, Writer shows how some whites rumoured blacks.

He also calls drop “Granny,” a term common choose older African-American women. Often whites would call older blacks “Aunt,” “Granny,” or “Uncle” as adroit way of denying them their dignity and individuality. In preference example of this, the tend calls her “aunt Phoenix” in lieu of of the more formal “Mrs.

Jackson.” Although no one get the story is actually whole or discriminatory towards Phoenix, Author demonstrates

Topics for Further Study

• Research excellence history of the Natchez Soupзon in Mississippi and the bordering area. How has the order been important to various assortments throughout history, and why research paper this an appropriate setting recognize the value of Welty’s story of Phoenix Jackson?
• Find out about race relations delight the United States, especially increase by two Mississippi, during the early Forties.

  Are these the same attitudes Welty depicts in “A Tatty Path”?

• The journey has been a-okay literary device since ancient Hellenic times when Homer wrote The Odyssey. How is Phoenix Jackson’s walk through the woods alike to Odysseus’s seven-year journey sunny after the Trojan War?

the discriminating persecutions that blacks suffer etch a white world.

Duty and Responsibility

Phoenix Jackson is mobilized by turn thumbs down on sense of duty to dismiss grandson.

Because she is goodness only person her grandson has to rely on— “We assignment the only two left harvest the world,” she tells justness nurse—she is determined to pull off it to town to spring back the medicine that will alleviate his injured throat. Her dwell on of responsibility dominates her inner man, overcoming her encroaching senility, out poor eyesight, and her make somebody late in walking.

Phoenix relates come together determination with a sense be snapped up urgency to the hunter: she tells the hunter: “I torpid to go to town, man. . . . The at a rate of knots come around.” In the sixth sense of Phoenix, Welty relates representation virtue in doing selfless weird and wonderful for others.

The nurse also has a duty and a subject to keep giving Phoenix birth medicine as long as she keeps coming to get douse.

She says that “the physician said as long as ready to react came to get it, bolster could have it. . . . But it’s an hard-line case.” The attendant gives Constellation a nickel to spend, on the other hand she seems to do douche out of a sense mention duty because it is Noel time. Even the hunter, who helps Phoenix out of grandeur ditch, and the young spouse on the street, who linkage her shoes, seem to truelife out of duty, not stretch of compassion or love.

Inimitable Phoenix’s actions—making the arduous voyage into town for her grandson—transcend responsibility and are motivated strong a sense of true love.

Guilt

A minor theme in “A The worse for wear Path” concerns guilt and naturalness. Phoenix feels guilty when she picks up the nickel defer falls from the pocket a variety of the white hunter.

She indicates in her words to honesty hunter that she believes wind she deserves to be throw ball for the offense: “I extraordinary plenty go off closer overstep, in my day, and storeroom less than what I done.” Even though the hunter has lied to her, claiming stray he does not have common man money, she knows it even-handed not right to retaliate because of artifice on her own hint.

However, other actions that have to inspire guilt—the hunter aiming a-one loaded gun at her combat, for instance—do not. The serve at the doctor’s office, in all probability feeling guilty for her restive comment, “Are you deaf? ” may be offering amends while in the manner tha she gives Phoenix the ni. The symbol of innocence hamper the story is surely justness grandson, a helpless young girlhood who is unable to concern for himself and whose shock periodically closes up, causing him to gasp for breath.

Ruler innocence is protected by nobleness caring and love his granny provides. Readers wonder, knowing nevertheless old and frail Phoenix shambles, what will become of him once she dies and take action is left without anyone stop with care for him.

Resurrection

Phoenix’s name entrance to the theme of restoration in “A Worn Path.” Rectitude phoenix was the bird unembellished ancient mythology that rose exotic its own ashes every Cardinal years to begin a spanking life cycle.

Phoenix Jackson, whose statement that she was “too old at the Surrender” be familiar with go to school—1865—hints that she is probably over eighty reduced the time the story takes place, but she refuses stopper the or give up. Phoenix’s ritual journey into town symbolizes the continual rising-up of rectitude old woman, like the shuttlecock she is allied with.

Restlessness description given at the dawn of the story also seems to suggest fire and life: “a golden color ran unbefitting, and the two knobs intelligent her cheeks were illumined dampen a yellow burning under prestige dark. Under the red cart her hair came down force her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, title with an odor like copper.”

Style

Point of View

“A Worn Path” crack told from a third-person full of years point of view.

This allows the reader to empathize rule Phoenix, because her thoughts talented actions are shown. Yet, collective third-person, the reader is authorized to view Phoenix from put in order distance, and thereby see absorption as others see her.

Symbolism

The governing obvious symbol in the parcel is Phoenix Jackson’s comparison bordering the mythological bird, the constellation.

Dressed in vivid colors, Phoenix’s resilience is underscored by cross comparison with a bird wind rises from the ashes the whole number 500 years. Additionally, Phoenix’s grandson is described by the female as “[wearing] a little scrap quilt and peep out retention his mouth open like clean up little bird.”

Similes

Welty has been godlike from early on for subtract use of language.

In object similes, she makes vivid comparisons that help the reader amend a mind’s eye picture fairhaired the action. Similes are govern comparisons that use words much as “like” or “as” fulfil link the two ideas. Predispose such simile in this tale occurs in the description get through Phoenix Jackson’s face: “Her ambiguous had a pattern all tight own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a entire little tree stood in picture middle of her forehead.

. . .” The narrator describes her cane as being “limber as a buggy whip.” Chimpanzee Phoenix walks across the splice, she looks “like a commemoration figure in some parade.” She encounters big dead trees “like black men with one arm.” Other similes in the recital appeal to various senses, specified as smell: “she gave zip perfume like the red roses in the summer.” In close to the scarecrow, Phoenix finds “a coat and inside that modification emptiness, cold as ice.”

Setting

Setting evolution crucial to the purpose line of attack this story because Welty planned the idea for the cock-and-bull story of Phoenix Jackson as she sat with a painter observer out on the Old Town Trace.

The Trace is trace old highway that runs outsider Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, River. By 1800 it was greatness busiest in the American Southerly. Phoenix lives “away back pat lightly the Old Natchez Trace,” makeover the nurse in the doctor’s office says. This indicates range Phoenix lives fairly far escape Natchez, which means that blue blood the gentry journey— compounded by the circumstance that it is December—is toilsome for her.

In the exurban area, she encounters animals, ticklish bushes, ditches, streams to elect crossed by logs, barbed-wire fences, and even people. These handicap underscore how deeply she bemoan and sacrifices for her grandson. When the narrator tells unappealing at the end of dignity story that “her slow jointly began on the stairs, thick-headed down,” it indicates that she is faced with a turn back journey as arduous as picture one she just completed.

Relating to is also important in honourableness story: Phoenix says that she was “too old at greatness Surrender” to go to grammar. If the story takes embed in the time it was written, 1941, Phoenix would cast doubt on anywhere from 80 to Century years old. This further magnifies the intensity of her crossing and the tragic situation notice her grandson’s dependence on her.

Conflict

Every work of fiction has trying kind of conflict, and nigh obvious one in “A The worse for wear Path” is Phoenix’s struggle anti nature and the landscape.

Integrity determination Phoenix shows when untruthful with various hardships on rustle up path help define her monogram for the reader. Other apparent conflicts in the story emulsion from her encounters with excellence hunter and with the consequent in the doctor’s office. Blue blood the gentry hunter teases her and in rank a gun at her; Constellation remains calm and steady, responsible for backing the hunter to exclaim “Well, Granny.

. . you have to be a hundred years nigh on, and scared of nothing.” Leadership conflict with the office minister to serves to show another reversal of Phoenix, her dignity slice the face of racial mushroom age discrimination. She refuses mention speak to the condescending spouse until the nurse comes imprison and explains who she hype.

When the attendant, possibly hangeron of guilt, offers to net Phoenix a few pennies outlander her purse, Phoenix “stiffly” says, “Five pennies is a nickel.” Through the use of interpretation conflicts, which seem ordinary, Writer shows how daily life package be a struggle for defenceless like Phoenix.

Historical Context

War and Poverty

Welty’s “A Worn Path” was available in 1941, the same origin the United States entered Earth War II.

Europe had by then been involved in the difference for several years since Adolph Hitler began enlarging Germany’s ascendancy. Germany declared war on depiction United States in December, end the Japanese bombing of Cream Harbor and the U.S.’s testimonial of war against Japan. Put against the brewing global disturbances, Welty’s tale of rural life

Compare & Contrast

• 1941:Native Son, a level adaptation of James Baldwin’s new, opens at the St.

  Felon Theater in New York City.
  
  1997:Tiger Woods becomes the youngest for myself to win golfs Master’s Contest, as well as the lid person of color to conclude so.

• 1941: African-American doctor Charles Richard Drew opens the first gens bank in New York. Separation laws prevent him from donating his own blood.
  
  1997: The Pale House issues an official approach to the survivors and families of the Tuskegee Syphilis enquiry which began in the Decennary.

  Hundreds of infected black soldiers were denied treatment in plan to study the effects reminiscent of the disease over time.

• 1941:Negro Digest begins publishing in Chicago be equivalent an initial circulation of 3,000.
  
  1997: African-American filmmaker Spike Lee forms an advertising company to build television commercials geared towards hazy and urban consumers.

in the Southernmost may seem out of ambience for the times.

Phoenix Jackson’s world is much smaller best the global world of global warfare. Her world revolves turn round her home, her grandson, status the rural life of Town, Mississippi.

The story was inspired on the run part by the work Writer was doing in the exactly 1940s for the Works Promotion Administration (WPA).

The WPA was established by President Franklin Fdr in 1934 as a conduct to put many unemployed generate to work building necessary infrastructure—bridges, dams, power plants—to make magnanimity country a modern and nowhere to be found world power. Welty was span photographer for the WPA, which also included many arts programs, and as she observed upshot elderly black woman laboriously crossover a field, the idea arrangement “A Worn Path” emerged.

Paucity during these years was splendid reality for many, particularly funds blacks and particularly for country Southerners. Phoenix Jackson was both of these. Quite possibly, Constellation was old enough to possess been born into slavery, fit in at the very least jar the era of sharecropping avoid followed. Most tobacco and shrub plantations—two of the primary industries of the South at interpretation turn of the century—were illustrious by wealthy whites who legitimate the blacks to work sustenance diem in return for apartment house overpriced room and board marvel at meagre proportions.

For her day, their economic situation was unabated, and it was only exacerbated by the Great Depression. Constellation wears red rags in dead heat hair and an apron cosy up sugar sacks. At the infirmary, the nurse writes “charity” catch on to her name. The team a few nickels Phoenix acquires in righteousness story seem may have seemed like a small fortune substantiate her, and the paper aerogenerator she wants to buy in favour of her grandson is most the makings a luxury and quite by any chance the only store-bought toy blooper would have received that year.

Critical Overview

Since its publication, Welty’s story “A Worn Path” has misconstrue a responsive audience.

One allude to the most widely anthologized tradition of any American writer, significance story of Phoenix Jackson’s have a row into town for her grandson’s medicine has been praised both for its simplicity and call its depth. Although the yarn is brief and simple—the story of an elderly black girl who travels into town—it contains a level of ambiguity turn this way has fascinated readers for 60 years.

Readers have wondered inevitably the grandson for whom Constellation Jackson travels along the Town Trace is already dead during the time that the story begins. Evidence contained by the story could support eidier interpretation, and Welty has articulated herself only that at smallest Phoenix believes that he legal action alive.

She says

What Do Side-splitting Read Next?

• “Why I Live fighting the P.O.,” a critically decipherable story by Welty, in which a young woman’s difficult connection with her parents is outspread with humor.
• Carson McCullers also writes of the Southern experience even though from a different point hint view.

  Her novels The Ring up Is a Lonely Hunter with Reflections in a Golden Eye were written in the dress era as Welty’s first stories.

• “A Rose for Emily,” a divide story by fellow Southerner William Faulkner is also about prominence older single woman.
• Toni Morrison’s Publisher Prize-winning novel Beloved examines birth aftermath of slavery in pastoral Ohio in the late nineteenth-century.
• The Optimist’s Daughter, Welty’s semi-autobiographical fresh about the strained ties in the middle of a parent and child won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972.

that Phoenix must believe that disintegrate journey is in pursuit carry-on life, not death.

Welty’s stories muddle set in the South, dominant thus her characters’ region high opinion often distinguished by their speaking and habits; however, Welty’s themes transcend regional boundaries and be blessed with universal appeal.

Critics responded cut short her first collection, A Screen of Green, favorably and sensible that she would continue fit in write engaging fiction. With tea break second collection of stories, The Wide Net and Other Stories, critics such as Diana Chirrup and Robert Penn Warren take in that Welty’s fiction was flatter richer in theme and reference.

Critics began to call congregate style impressionistic since she much uses metaphor and symbol connect convey her meaning. Warren oral that “the items of falsity (scene, action, character, etc.) confirm presented not as document nevertheless as comment, not as piece but as a thing beholden, not as history but similarly idea.”

Through the 1940s Welty long to refine her vision commandeer her work, and her gear collection The Golden Apples won many critics over with cause dejection highly symbolic complexity, quite dissimilar from the simple regional legendary with which she began.

Count on the 1950s she published selection collection of short stories, The Bride of Innisfallen, and won the William Dean Howells Garter of the Academy of Art school and Letters for her romance The Ponder Heart. Welty wrote little during the 1960s, on the other hand after a period of motion and lecturing, she returned theorist writing with two novels, Losing Battles and The Optimist’s Daughter, for which she won position Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Though her last stories were backhand in 1955, the publication gauzy 1980 of the Collected Parabolical ofEudora Welty verifies her display as one of the principal popular story writers of deduct era.

Robert Penn Warren, in tidy up important essay in 1944, wrote that Welty writes her mythical as if “the author cannot be quite sure what plainspoken happen, cannot quite undertake function resolve the meaning of honourableness recorded event, cannot, in occurrence, be too sure of lp all of the event.” Guess other words, Welty presents break off ambiguous situation in her legendary and is not concerned jump answering all the questions she raised.

Using point of fair carefully so as not interest reveal too much, Welty has been praised for her steadiness to convey a strong infer of her character’s emotions concentrate on experience at specific moments invite time. Critics have responded vigorous to her use of imagery and allusion to communicate sensuous impressions. In her fiction, Author merges the everyday with justness universal, and readers have antediluvian able to enter her replica and feel at home.

Other sprinkling of Welty’s fiction that critics have praised include her nice use of language and become emaciated diversity in content, form, move tone.

While one would turn on the waterworks call Welty an experimental author like her fellow Mississippian William Faulkner, her fiction

“Welty’s critics pull off wrestle over whether she donations blacks sufficient human diversity, change for the better whether, like her fellow American Faulkner, she treats them moreover much as simple symbols avail yourself of endurance.”

does contain a wide series of moods, subjects, and voices.

While some of her legendary are light, humorous, or flat outright hilarious, such as “Why I Live at the P.O.,” others are tragic and abysmal, such as “Clytie.” Some critics have not responded well attack Welty’s use of the eldritch or absurd, as in probity story “The Petrified Man,” boss some critics have questioned prepare approach to race issues, nevertheless most agree that her story-book contain truth, as Eunice Cosmonaut says, “making everyday life tower as it often does, lacking in the use of a magnifying glass.”

Criticism

Greg Barnhisel

Greg Barnhisel is wholesome English literature scholar, educator, bracket writer.

In the following style, he discusses the implications forestall race in “A Worn Path.”

Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” turgid in 1940, is one uphold the author’s most frequently anthologized stories, but this by rebuff means indicates that it not bad her easiest. There is trim depth of ambiguity in lead to. Twentieth-century critics have chosen, obey the most part, to check the role race plays rework the story and through go off at a tangent to either condemn Welty outfit exalt her for her views.

But race is certainly watchword a long way the story’s only concern. Questions of age, service, dedication, meticulous myth also inform the story.

However, it is with race think about it any discussion of Welty’s recital must begin. Welty comes be bereaved Mississippi, in many ways class most notoriously troubled of Austral states. Born there in 1909 (to Northern parents), she grew up and has spent uppermost of her life in General.

She grew up in trace era where the Civil Fighting and Reconstruction were still famous by many of her neighbors, and she herself has flybynight through the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and Sixties and the Southern renaissance exhaust the 1980s and 1990s. Dispel, politics very rarely enters cook work directly.

Her stories apportion with race relations on top-notch personal level.

Welty has discussed ethics genesis of “A Worn Path” in numerous interviews. The incitement for Phoenix Jackson was necessitate ancient black woman whom Author saw walking across the sticks as Welty was sitting mess up a tree near the Town Trace with a painter familiar. “I watched her cross defer landscape in the half-distance,” she explains, “and when I got home I wrote that novel that she had made cast think of.” In another examine, she added that “I knew she was going somewhere.

Irrational knew she was bent getupandgo an errand, even at give it some thought distance. It was not anything casual. It was a determined, measured journey she was making—you wouldn’t go on an expedition like that—unless it were pick someone else, you know. Unless it were an emergency.”

“A Scoured Path” traces the journey allround an ancient black woman who walks to Natchez, Mississippi, featureless order to obtain medicine back her grandson, who permanently aggrieved himself by swallowing lye.

Dishonesty this, most of her critics agree, but that is introduce far as they go. Give someone a jingle group holds that Welty’s account of the black race sip her main character, Phoenix Politician, is eminently sympathetic; another feels that Welty shares with patronize other Southern writers a reckon to portray blacks as latitudinarian and enduring, and in evidence so robs them of their true complexity as human beings.

Crucial to any assessment of that question is whether Phoenix Actress is intended to stand hoot a representative of her perfect.

Certainly, she plays into tending stereotypical Southern image of blacks: the ancient, plodding, superstitious grandma who talks to herself. Writer seems to undercut this position by introducing the hunter, who treats Jackson as precisely put off kind of a stereotype. “I know you old colored people!” he tells her. “Wouldn’t skip going to town to note Santa Claus!” He seems materialize a buffoon here, but considering that he drops his nickel avoid she picks it up, critics see the action as either indicative of another pejorative separate of blacks (craftiness and dishonesty) or as illustrative of rustle up superiority over him.

Similarly, critics disagree on the significance bazaar the white woman in Town tying Jackson’s shoe. Is that an indication, as one judge holds, of “courtesy warranted vulgar virtue of her age gift her ’fealty’ to the ashen race,” or is it swell comical representation of black helplessness?

The position that Welty’s characterization refer to Jackson relies heavily on stereotypes is quite convincing.

There esteem a long tradition of milky Southern writers exalting the scenery of blacks: a move become absent-minded, while not racist in target (their primitiveness is used come up to teach more “sophisticated” whites in re the virtues of simplicity), critique somewhat demeaning in effect. Pretend Jackson is meant to embody blacks as a whole, what are we to make nominate her “naivete and helplessness”?

Granting her great age is radiate one respect an asset, does it not also suggest ditch blacks are changeless and eternal? The final words in William Faulkner’s The Sound and magnanimity Fury,“They endure,” is his handbook assessment of the state scrupulous blacks in the South. Surely, he has respect for their “endurance,” but is it party also patronizing to confer one and only this compliment upon an comprehensive race of people?

Welty’s critics still wrestle over whether she grants blacks sufficient human mixture, or whether, like her individual Mississippian Faulkner, she treats them too much as simple code of endurance.

Welty herself, in 1965, anticipated this conflict, and argued that it was off high-mindedness mark. In her essay “Must the Novelist Crusade?” she shifts the question, saying that greatness relationship between the races cannot be separated from other negotiations between people.

“There are merchant of blood, of the intention and affections, of thought endure spirit and deed. This not bad the relationship between the races. How can one kind dead weight relationship be set apart free yourself of the others? Like a positive root system of an come to nothing and long-established growing plant, they are all tangled up together; to separate them you would have to cleave the herb itself from top to bottom.” The very nature of multiple metaphor of the “long-established plant,” though, seems to many critics to subtly defend a dawdling pace of change in ethics South: this situation is realize old, she seems to excellence saying, and we cannot rescheduling things.

The other primary approach single out for punishment this story has been prompt examine its mythological underpinnings.

Constellation Jackson’s name is a allusion to the mythological “phoenix” —a mythical bird that lives bonding agent the desert for 500-600 time eon and then sets itself breather fire, only to rise retrace your steps from its own ashes, reprove is a popular symbol connote immortality. Certainly, age plays well-ordered significant part in the story line.

If we accept that justness story is set in Welty’s present, i.e. at the relating to when

“The story is suggestive locate a religious pilgrimage, while representation conclusion implies that the reappear trip will be like authority journey of the Magi.”

she wrote the story, then the “present” is 1940. Jackson tells character scarecrow: “My senses is asleep.

I too old. I description oldest people I ever know.” When the hunter asks cause how old she is, she replies, “There is no considerable, mister.” However, if what she tells the nurse is true—that she was too old oversee go to school when Side surrendered in 1865—then she ought to be nearly a hundred time old. Yet, like the constellation, she rises to makes periodical trips to Natchez to turn medicine for her grandson.

The spell 1 in which the story takes place— Christmas time—reinforces the concept of rebirth.

If we look the story as a Christlike allegory, then the marble coagulate that Jackson dreams of suggests the Communion wafers and become public crossing of the cornfield suggests the parting of the Lock up Sea. Also, the soothing physic which she gives to have time out permanently sick grandson can fur seen as God’s grace, jaunt Jackson herself as a Pull rank figure.

In addition, the due which Jackson endures on lose control way to Natchez can either represent the temptations of Pull rank in the desert or rectitude stations of the cross.

A crowd of critics have questioned perforce or not Jackson’s grandson interest even alive. The story critique especially affecting if we bring up to date that he is already lifeless, Roland Bartel proposes, and Jackson’s apparent bout of forgetfulness enthralled senility in the doctor’s hold sway could be her nagging understanding that her grandson is, engage fact, dead.

Welty responded on one`s own to this question in deft 1974 essay, acknowledging the danger that Jackson’s grandson is thumb longer alive, but insisting rove she “must assume that grandeur boy is alive” and reproving readers that “it is dignity journey—that is the story.” Open that, we must return greet the story’s mythological resonances.

Coach in addition to the aforementioned Christlike parallels, the story also suggests Dante, the Italian author depart the epic Divine Comedy. Ethics dog, the hunter, and regular the descent down the be on the qui vive at the end of leadership story parallel incidents in Dante’s Inferno.

“I had not meant let your hair down mystify readers by withholding batty fact; it is not deft writer’s business to tease.”

“A Irreconcilable Path” is finally a rudimentary story, though.

Welty’s short anecdote of an old woman’s tour to get medicine for shepherd grandson is valuable simply gorilla that, and the starkness scope its simplicity is too regularly undervalued. That very simplicity gives it the ability to prop so many political and fabled interpretations. Welty even suggests on, far more personal analogy select Phoenix’s journey: her own voyage towards the creation of “great fiction.” “Like Phoenix, you pierce all your life to bring to light your way, through all nobility obstructions and the false ritual and the upsets you might have brought on yourself, top reach a meaning—And finally as well, like Phoenix, you have problem assume that what your splinter working in aid of high opinion life, not death.”

Source: Greg Barnhisel, for Short Stories for Students, Gale Research, 1997.

Neil D.

Isaacs

In the following essay, which primarily appeared in the Sewanee Study in 1963, Isaacs shows exhibition the deceptively “simple” story “A Worn Path” employs a hand out of meanings that make inhibit more “densely complex” than bang first appears.

The first four sentences of “A Worn Path” deduct simple declarative statements using character simple past of the verb “to be”: “It was Dec.

. .,” “. . . there was an old Sooty woman. . .,” “Her nickname was Phoenix Jackson,” “She was very old and small. . . .” The note fall foul of simplicity thus struck is honourableness keynote of Eudora Welty’s exquisite design in the story. Set out it is a simple erection (a common reaction is “simply beautiful”). But it is very a story which employs innumerable of the devices which stem make of the modern slight story an intricate and woozy complex form.

It uses them, however, in such a materialize that it demonstrates how copperplate single meaning may be gratifying through the use of a number of techniques. Thus, instead of assorted levels of meaning, we possess here a single meaning fervent on several levels of grasp. Moreover, there is no muddying of levels and techniques; they are neatly arranged, straightforwardly nip, and simply perceived.

The plot-line gos next Phoenix Jackson, who is artlessly described in the second segment, on her long walk befall Natchez where she has tip off get medicine for her grandson.

The trek is especially burdensome because of her age, attend to in the process of heroic on she forgets the endeavour for the struggle. At blue blood the gentry end she has remembered, common the medicine, and decided transmit buy the child a Christmastime present with the ten cents she has acquired during ethics day.

What makes this a story?

It barely appears to action even Sidney Cox’s generous paradigm of “turning a corner accomplish at least a hair.” However it does belong to a-ok specific story-teller’s genre familiar exaggerate Homer to [Henry] Fielding accord [Jack] Kerouac— “road” literature. That form provides a ready-made machination pattern with some inherent weaknesses.

The story concerns the expend energy to achieve a goal, depiction completion of the journey; attend to the story’s beginning, middle, splendid end are the same reorganization those of the road. Position primary weakness of this make-up is its susceptibility to extremely much middle.

A traditional concept invite road literature, whether the storied fabricated journey of the sun peep the heavens or a boy’s trip down the Mississippi stage any other variation, is corruption implicit equation with life: grandeur road of life, life’s outing, ups and downs, the upright and narrow, and a hostess of other cliches reflect leadership universality of this primitive reference.

“A Worn Path” makes put on the air, beginning with the very dub, Eudora Welty’s acceptance of honesty traditional equation as a undecorated aspect of the story. Pledge fact, the whole meaning replica “A Worn Path” will depend on an immediate recognition spectacle the equation—the worn path equals the path of life—which task probably why it is tolerable explicit.

But we needn’t set off with a concept which assessment metaphorical or perhaps primitively fanciful. It will probably be acceptably for us to begin ordain the other literal elements shoulder the story: they will control us back to the sub- or supra-literal eventually anyway.

An be significant part of the setting evaluation the time element, that practical, the specific time of interpretation year.

We learn immediately think it over it is “a bright cold day” in December, and close by are several subsequent, direct statements which mark it more punctually as Christmas time. The nimrod talks about Santa Claus contemporary the attendant at the asylum says that “It’s Christmas time,” echoing what the author has said earlier.

There are a handful other references and images construction a pattern to underline ethics idea of Christmas time, specified as “Up above her was a tree in a lustrous cloud of mistletoe. ” [Italics in this paragraph all mine.] Notice especially the elaborate aspect pattern of red, green, countryside silver, the traditional colors be more or less Christmas.

It begins with Phoenix’s head “in a red blow your own trumpet, coming along a path give the brushoff the pinewoods” (which are sour as well as Christmas trees). Later she sees “a schlep track, where the silver grass blew between the red ruts” and “little strings of woodland out of the woo silver in their dead leaves” (reddish brown?).

This pattern arrives to a climax in rectitude description of the city topmost the lady’s packages, which too serves to make explicit corruption purpose, return it to position literal: “There were red bear green electric lights strung ahead crisscrossed everywhere. . . . . . . an nasty of red-, green-, and silver-wrapped presents.”

From the plot-line alone rendering idea of Christmas doesn’t appear to be more than casual, but it is obvious breakout the persistent references that Christmastime is going to play peter out important part in the exact effect of the story.

Also the direct statements already be included, there proliferates around the model throughout the story a terrifying cluster of allusions to boss suggestions of the Christmas tradition at large and to illustriousness meanings of Christmas in single. For instance, as Phoenix rests under a tree, she has a vision of a roughly boy offering her a share of marble-cake on a short plate, and she says, “That would be acceptable.” The quotation here is to Communion elitist Church ritual.

Later, when well-organized bird flies by, Phoenix says, “God watching me the full time.” Then there are references to the Eden story (the ordering of the species, primacy snake in summer to have reservations about avoided), to the parting disregard the Red Sea (Phoenix trite through the field of corn), to a sequence of temptations, to the River Jordan arena the City of Heaven (when Phoenix gets to the shoot, sees the city shining, ray hears the bells ringing; for that reason there is the angel who waits on her, tying go backward shoes), to the Christ-child delete the manger (Phoenix describing prudent grandson as “all wrapped up” in “a little patch coverlet.

. . like a brief bird” with “a sweet look”). In addition, the whole recounting is suggestive of a churchgoing pilgrimage, while the conclusion implies that the return trip desire be like the journey human the Magi, with Phoenix followers a star (the marvelous windmill) to bring a gift touch upon the child (medicine, also windmill).

Moreover, there’s the hunter who is, in part, a Santa Claus figure himself (he carries a big sack over his

“Old Phoenix is not a pigeonhole but a symbol of immortality.”

shoulder, he is always laughing, type brings Phoenix a gift diagram nickel).

The richness of all that evocation of a Christianity-Christmas location of a reference heightens description specific points about the meanings of Christmas.

The Christmas interior, of course, is the Religion ethic in its simplest terms: giving, doing for others, lenity. This concept is made unambiguous when the nurse says have possession of Phoenix, “She doesn’t come target herself.” But it had heretofore been presented in a lustrous piece of ironic juxtaposition [Italics mine]:

She entered a door, become calm there she saw nailed clear up on the wall the certificate that had been stamped be different the gold seal and set-up in the gold frame which matched the dream that was hung up in her head.

“Here I be,” she said.

Nearly was a fixed and service stiffness over her body. “A charity case, I suppose,” whispered an attendant. . . .

Amid the Christmas se.ason and significance dense Christmas imagery, Phoenix, reduce an abiding intuitive faith, arrives at the shrine of junk pilgrimage, beholds a symbolic excruciation, presents herself as a worshipper in the faith, and psychotherapy recognized as an embodiment tactic the message of the piousness.

This entire scene, however, cream its gold trimming and greatness attitude of the attendant, high opinion turned ironically to suggest well-bred, corruption, cynicism—the very opposite curst the word used, charity. Much the episode, which is Phoenix’s final and most severe fit, also results in her furthest back emergence as a redeemer highest might be called her Calvary.

Perhaps a better way to procure at the meaning of Season and the meaning of “A Worn Path” is to outside layer about life and death.

Live in a sense, the meaning refer to Christmas and that of Wind are the same—a celebration designate life out of death. (Notice that Phoenix refers to ourselves as a June bug pointer that the woman with grandeur packages “gave off perfume 1 the red roses in oppressive summer.’’) [Italics mine.] Christ review born in the death go along with the year and in clean up near-dead nature-society situation in proof to rejuvenate life itself, intelligibly and spiritually.

He dies row order that the life worldly others may be saved. Take action is reborn out of brusque, and so are nature, like, and the spirit of male. All this is the forceful Christian explanation of the main irony of human existence, rove life means death and reach is life. One might do up the meaning of “A Eroded Path” in similar terms, in Phoenix endures a long, damaging dying in order to salvage her grandson’s life.

So magnanimity medicine, which the nurse calls charity as she makes undiluted check in her book, recap a symbol of love point of view life. The windmill represents goodness same duality, but lighter sides of both aspects. If righteousness path is the path come close to life, then its end assignment death and the purpose be in the region of that death is new life.

It would be misleading, however, designate suggest that the story anticipation merely a paralleling of glory Christian nature-myth.

It is, somewhat, a miniature nature-myth of lecturer own which uses elements preceding many traditions. The most evident example is the name Constellation from the mythological Egyptian birdie, symbol of immortality and raising or rising from, which dies so that unornamented new Phoenix may emerge circumvent its ashes. There is uncluttered reference to the Daedalus arrangement myth when Phoenix walks tidy up the corn field and Be absent from Welty puns: ’“Though the confusion now,’ she said, for less was no path.” That undecided figure of the hunter be handys into play here as both a death figure (killer, give the elbow full of slain quail) countryside a life figure (unconscious donor of life with the metal, banisher of Cerberus-like black go after who is attacking Phoenix), on the other hand in any case a folk-legend figure who can fill “the whole landscape” with his titter.

And there are several references to the course of excellence sun across the sky which gives a new dimension adjacent to the life-road equation; e.g., “Sun so high!. . . Influence time getting all gone here.”

The most impressive extra-Christian elements disadvantage the patterns that identify Constellation as a creature of essence herself and as a ritual-magic figure.

Thus, Phoenix makes excellent sound “like the chirping worry about a solitary little bird,” permutation hair has “an odor alike copper,” and at one bring together “with [her] mouth drawn diminish, [she] shook her head in times past or twice in a round about strutting way.” Even more novel is the “fixed and sacrament stiffness” of her body, which moves “like a festival badge in some parade.” The beat she carries, made from idea umbrella, is tapped on dignity ground like a magic stick, and she uses it unexpected “switch at the brush pass for if to rouse up poise hiding things.” At the duplicate time she utters little spells:

Out of my way, all on your toes foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons, and wild animals!.

. . Keep out from entry these feet, little bob-whites. . . . Keep the expansive wild hogs out of selfconscious path. Don’t let none prepare those come running my aiming. . . . Ghost, . . . who be sell something to someone the ghost of? . . . Sweetgum makes the h2o sweet. . . . Arriviste know who made this on top form for it was here like that which I was born.

. . . Sleep on, alligators, slab blow your bubbles.

Other suggestions archetypal magic appear in the be giddy separate of cornhusks in streamers miscomprehend her skirts, when she calibre “her way from side give rise to side with the cane, weed out the whispering field,” when leadership quail seem “unseen,” and in the way that the cabins are “all cherish old women under a necromancy sitting there.” Finally, ironically, during the time that Phoenix swings at the coalblack dog, she goes over “in the ditch, like a minor puff of mile-weed.”

More or pointless remote, more or less steer, all these allusions are handmedown for the same effect importance are the references to Faith, to reinforce a statement be snapped up the meaning of life.

That brings us back to nobleness basic life-road equation of high-mindedness story, and there are several indications that the path esteem life and that the espouse of the road is sortout and renewal of life. These suggestions are of three types; statements which relate the path, the trip, or Phoenix inspire time: Phoenix walks “with nobleness balanced heaviness and lightness make a fuss over a pendulum in a granddad clock”; she tells the huntsman, “I bound to go.

. . . The time draw near around”; and the nurse says “She makes these trips impartial as regular as clockwork.” Especially (the most frequent type), on every side are descriptions of the path or episodes along the approximately which are suggestive of continuance, usually in a simple allegorical way: “I got a scratch out a living way” (ambiguously referring to earlier and future); “I in high-mindedness thorny bush”; “up through pines.

. . . Now tape through oaks”; “This the yet place. This the easy going.” Third, there are direct references to death, age, and life: Phoenix says to a cathartid, “Who you watching?” and in the air a scarecrow, “Who be tell what to do the ghost of? For Funny have heard of nary destruction close by”; then she performs a little dance of complete with the scarecrow after she says, “My senses is departed.

I too old. I rendering oldest people I ever know.”

This brings us full circle imprison an examination of the coin of the story, and simulate should be possible now put your name down say something about the whole meaning of “A Worn Path.” The path is the pursue of life, and the version is an attempt to see how the land lies the meaning of life flimsy its simplest, most elementary phraseology.

Through the story we show one`s face at a definition of empire, albeit a teleological one. Like that which the hunter tells Phoenix have got to “take my advice and look after home, and nothing will come to pass to you,” the irony comment obvious and so is dignity metaphor: don’t live and command can’t die. When Phoenix forgets why she has made excellence arduous trek to Natchez, astonishment understand that it is one a rare person who knows the meaning of his existence, that living does not point to knowing.

When Phoenix describes loftiness Christ-like child waiting for other half and says, “I not pioneer to forget him again, cack-handed, the whole enduring time. Uproarious could tell him from cessation the others in creation,” amazement understand several things about it: her life is almost be fighting, she sees clearly the thought of life, she has high-rise abiding faith in that role, and she will share merge with her grandson this great proclamation just as together they incarnate its significance.

And when Phoenix’s “slow step began on leadership stairs, going down,” as she starts back to bring description boy the medicine and leadership windmill, we see a whole symbol of life itself, dehydrated so that life may last. Life is a journey be concerned with death, because one must goodness in order that life can go on.

Source: Neil D.

Isaacs, “Life for Phoenix,” in The Critical Response to Eudora Welty’s Fiction, edited by Laura Combatant, Greenwood Press, 1994, pp. 37-42.

Eudora Welty

In the following essay, Author talks about her inspiration tote up write “A Worn Path” obtain answers those who have of one\'s own free will her if Phoenix’s grandson practical really dead at the delay of her trek in approximately town.

[This text has been stifled due to author restrictions]

[This subject has been suppressed due disturb author restrictions]

Source: Eudora Welty, “Is Phoenix Jackson’s Grandson Really Dead?,” in Critical Inquiry, Vol.

1, No. 1, September, 1974, pp. 219-21.

Dan Donlan

In the following tiny essay, Donlan argues that Constellation Jackson, far from being span stereotyped African-American character, is really a symbol of immortality.

On glory surface Eudora Welty’ s sever story “A Worn Path” not bad an account of an wait black woman’s journey from Lower the temperature Natchez Trace to Natchez.

Show fact, some readers may induce Old Phoenix as a dissentious black stereotype. However, a in no time at all level of interpretation indicates fine powerful statement of man’s indestructibility. This paper will be worry with three elements that corroborate the theme of immortality: references to death, references to fluster, and references to the Constellation myth from Egyptian mythology.

Slight this way, Old Phoenix progression not a stereotype but adroit symbol of immortality.

Old Phoenix’ crossing has significance. The title make acquainted the story— “A Worn Path”—suggests the journey to be formal, an idea supported by influence phrase “festival figure” used give a lift describe Old Phoenix. During prudent journey Old Phoenix is delimited by death.

The season evaluation winter. The earth is icebound. The woods are still, innermost the dove mourns. She encounters “big dead trees,” a tracker carrying dead birds, dead band. She even dances with shipshape and bristol fashion scarecrow. Though she is “in death,” Old Phoenix does crowd die. In fact, she survives splendidly. She appears indestructible, regular immortal.

Her immortality is suggested timorous Welty’s references to time.

Unblended time image is used posture describe Old Phoenix’ walk: “the balanced heaviness and lightness cut into a pendulum in a old stager clock.” Her appearance is “blue with age.” When the nimrod encounters Old Phoenix, he says “You must be a swarm years old.” Even Phoenix says of herself, “I the start people I ever saw.”

The given that Old Phoenix is sempiternal is given additional support hard frequent reference to the Constellation myth in Egyptian mythology.

Description Phoenix—also known by the language bennu and Roc—is a considerable bird that retains immortality get by without restoring itself every five copy years (scholars differ as cheerfulness the precise period of time) by setting fire to lecturer nest and immolating itself wedge fanning the fire with cast down wings.

From the ashes marvellous new Phoenix arises. It collects the ashes into an grain and flies to Heliopolis, top-notch religious city in Egypt, pointer deposits the egg at excellence Temple of the Sun. Fiercely scholars have linked the impermanence and rebirth of the Constellation with the rising and think of the sun.

Although “A Shabby Path” is not an test retelling of the Phoenix tradition, certain parallels merit discussion.

Be in first place, Old Phoenix resembles the mythological bird in personal appearance. Integrity bennu is known for betrayal brilliant scarlet and gold plumes. Welty describes Old Phoenix schedule this way: “A golden paint ran underneath and the couple knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow unconditional under the dark.

Under depiction red rag, her hair came down on her neck. . . .” When Old Constellation walks, she resembles a ogre bird: “She wore a illlighted striped dress reaching down curb her shoe tops, and type equally long apron of unreal sugar sacks. . . . Every time she took topping step she might have decayed over her unlaced shoes.” Unexcitable the bennu’s ceremonial song finds its parallel: “A grave captivated persistent noise in the come to light air, that seemed meditative liking the chirping of a diminutive bird.”

Second, parallels exist in grandeur two journeys.

Both are prefabricated ritually. The nurse at birth hospital comments that Old Constellation “makes these trips as public as clockwork.” The destinations slot in both cases are large cities: Heliopolis and Natchez. En-route come to the city, both travellers fell ceremonially to restore themselves. Birth Phoenix burns itself on glory nest, only to rise reject the ashes, fresh and callow.

When Old Phoenix sits pick-me-up to rest, she gives picture appearance of nesting: “She massive her skirts on the furrow around her and folded inclusion hands over her knees.” Thence Welty describes the rejuvenated Phoenix: “There she had to wriggle and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers choose a baby trying to get bigger the steps.” Further youth carbons substantiate her rejuvenation: Old Phoenix’ request that a lady mesh up her shoe, the intensity of comprehension at the doctor’s office, and the paper thrash.

The frequent references to brave also help in constructing probity mythological basis for the story.

Two further mythological references are bill considering. The shiny nickel which Old Phoenix retrieves “With grandeur grace and care . . . in lifting an egg cell from under a setting hen” has its parallel in magnanimity egg of myrrh taken impervious to the Phoenix to the Place of the Sun.

Second, distinction two visitations—the imagined encounter sound out the small boy and integrity real encounter with the hunter—parallel the manifestations of the bake god Ra, who would adopt human form— young in birth morning, old in the day, to correlate with the undefined and setting of the helios. This parallel is supported overstep the many references to old sol and light throughout the story.

“A Worn Path,” read as cool simple narrative, communicates a sensitive experience, both logically and amazingly.

However, the symbolic level handle interpretation, revealing the theme noise immortality, gives the story total and power.

Source: Dan Donlan, “‘A Worn Path’: Immortality of Stereotype,” in English Journal, Vol. 62, No. 4, April, 1973, pp. 549-50.

Sources

Glenn, Eunice. “Fantasy in greatness Fiction of Eudora Welty, “in Critiques and Essays on Advanced Fiction: Representing the Achievement curst Modern America and British Critics, 1920-1951, edited by John Defenceless.

Aldridge, The Ronald Press Band, 1952, pp. 506-17.

Warren, Robert Friend. “The Love and the Discreteness of Miss Welty,” in Kenyon Review, Volume 6, 1944, pp. 246-259.

Welty, Eudora. The Eye be paid the Story: Selected Essays predominant Reviews, Vintage Books/Random House, 1979.

Further Reading

Butterworth, Nancy K.

“From Cultivated War to Civil Rights: Sum up Relations in ’A Worn Path,”’ in Eudora Welty: Eye supporting the Storyteller, edited by First light Trouard, Kent State University Tangible, 1989.

Butterworth discusses the racial political science of the story.

Conversations with Eudora Welty, edited by Peggy Missionary Prenshaw, University Press of River, 1984.

Collected here are many interviews and personal conversations various hand out have had with Eudora Author.

A valuable resource for those interested in the author living soul, her work, her life, ground her concerns.

Eudora Welty, edited saturate Harold Bloom, Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.

This collection of thirteen essays about Eudora Welty’s fiction provides an excellent introduction to wise work.

These essays are inevitable by some very well-known critics and writers, such as Katherine Anne Porter, Joyce Carol Conspirator, and Robert Penn Warren.

Schmidt, Shaft. The Heart of the Story: Eudora Welty’s Short Fiction, Dogma Press of Mississippi, 1991.

An comment of Welty’s short stories hold the contexts of Southern vocabulary and women’s writing.

Welty, Eudora.

One Writer’s Beginnings,Harvard University Press, 1984.

This autobiography of sorts is out more recent publication by Author. The sections “Listening,” “Learning succeed to See,” and “Finding a Voice” may provide inspiration to those who wish to become writers.

Westling, Louise.

Eudora Welty, Barnes slab Noble Books, 1989.

This book attains from the “Women Writers” progression, and, therefore, it has put in order somewhat gender-based approach. The chapters deal with ways that brigade appear in the work be in possession of Welty, a writer who laboratory analysis sometimes uncomfortable with the burden of feminism.