A Worn Path Struggle For Racial Equality Essay - 1522 Words

A Worn Path: Struggle for Racial Equality In A Worn Path, a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a worn path through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics have speculated that this short story represents the love a grandmother shows for her grandson. Others say this story represents life and death, where Phoenix represents an immortal figure. Dennis J. Sykes disagrees with the other critics by saying,†¦show more content†¦The red also represents the confederate flag for the Civil War. Phoenix wearing the red flag shows how the south always had a hold on the slaves. When thinking of the words dark and striped, most are reminded of prisone rs in a jail cell, which is just what the slaves were in the 1700’s and 1800s, prisoners to the white. The dark striped dress Phoenix was wearing represents a black and white jail cell uniform for prisoners. Welty used the main character, Phoenix, to be her representation of slaves and blacks. With a character like Phoenix, many get a grasp on what blacks really have gone through and what they still may be going through now. The author uses her characters, both human and animal, to exhibit the obstacles blacks must face in everyday life. Dennis J. Sykes agrees in his article, â€Å"A Critical Analysis of the Worn Path† that â€Å"Phoenix Jackson’s †¦ encounters with other characters illustrates the theme of impending black equality and amalgamation in the south after Civil War† (np). The characters, including the white hunter and black dog, Phoenix runs into in the story represent different individuals of all colors which present obstacles in a perso n such as Phoenix’s life. When the hunter comes along, the author describes him as white. She could have left his color out of the description, but she obviously felt it important to mention to herShow MoreRelatedA Worn Path: Struggle for Racial Equality1550 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A Worn Path†: Struggle for Racial Equality In â€Å"A Worn Path†, a short story by Eudora Welty, the main character, an old colored woman named Phoenix, slowly but surely makes her way down a â€Å"worn path† through the woods. Throughout her journey, she runs into many obstacles such as a thorny bush and a hunter. She overcomes these obstacles and continues with her travels. She finally reaches her destination, the doctor’s office, where she gets medicine for her sick grandson back home. Many critics haveRead MoreEudora Welty s A Worn Path956 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction James Saunders wrote an interesting article â€Å"’A Worn Path’ The Eternal Quest of Welty’s Phoenix Jackson† (The Southern Literary Journal 25.1, Fall 1992: p62-73.) that not only analyzed Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† (The Collected Works of Eudora Welty) from his perspective but also included the perspectives of other authors which makes his article an excellent source for interpretations of ‘A Worn Path’. Summary Saunders article summarizes Phoenix Jackson as a symbol of the ChristianRead MoreA Worn Path Summary805 Words   |  4 PagesThere are several different interpretations of A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty. Some believe that it is a story about life and death or about strength. While others believe it is about the love that a grandmother has for her grandchild. 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