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Tag: A Worn Path

A Worn Path: Analysis

Posted on October 5, 2019October 5, 2019 by JL Admin

Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path,” written in 1940, is one of the author’s most frequently anthologized stories, but this by no means indicates that it is her easiest. There is a depth of ambiguity in it. Twentieth-century critics have chosen, for the most part, to examine the role race plays in the story and through…

A Worn Path: Setting

Posted on October 5, 2019October 5, 2019 by JL Admin

War and Poverty  Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” was published in 1941, the same year the United States entered World War II. Europe had already been involved in the conflict for several years since Adolph Hitler began enlarging Germany’s empire. Germany declared war on the United States in December, after the Japanese bombing of Pearl…

A Worn Path: Symbolism & Literary Devices

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by JL Admin

Point of View  “A Worn Path” is told from a third-person limited point of view. This allows the reader to empathize with Phoenix, because her thoughts and actions are shown. Yet, in third-person, the reader is allowed to view Phoenix from a distance, and thereby see her as others see her.  Symbolism  The most obvious…

A Worn Path: Themes

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by JL Admin

“A Worn Path” is Eudora Welty’s story of an old African-American woman’s ritual journey. Its themes are elicited from the symbol of the journey as well as the encounters the old woman has on her journey. Critics have praised Welly’s use of language, myth, and symbol in this deceptively simple story.  Race and Racism  Issues…

A Worn Path: Characters

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by JL Admin

The Grandson  Phoenix’s grandson does not appear in the story, but his medical condition is the reason for the old woman’s journey. Having swallowed lye (a strong alkaline substance used in making soap) several years ago, the boy’s throat is permanently damaged. His grandmother is the only relative he has left, and she makes the…

A Worn Path: Summary

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by JL Admin

Eudora Welty’s short story opens on a chilly December morning. An elderly African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson is making her way, slowly but surely, through the woods, tapping an umbrella on the ground in front of her as she walks. Her shoes are untied. While she taps along, she talks to the animals in the…

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