A Worn Path" Vs. the Road Not Taken

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

"A Worn Path" vs. "The Road Not Taken" Final Paper

John McLemore

Ashford University

Introduction to Literature

ENG 125

02/26/2014

Whatever you read, whether it be a fiction novel, or a dramatic play the purpose of literature is to find meaning in it. Writers of all types of literature are able to draw their audience in through different avenues, such as storytelling, emotion, and the ability to take them on a mental journey that seem so real. These are the types of characteristics I look for when I read. This mental journey can be achieved through the literary elements we discussed throughout the course such as symbolism, themes, rhythm, personification, detailed description. In the poem "The Road Not Taken" and the short story "A Worn Path" a consistent theme is present. That theme is, it doesn't matter what path we travel on in life we determine the final designation.

The theme of traveling on the path of life is uniquely used in both pieces of literature illustrated in similar and contrast ways. From the title selection "The Road Not Taken" you could tell the author was indicating the poem would be about choosing a path or taking some type of journey. In the poem "The Road Not Taken" the author wrote in first person, as a reader this gave me the idea that the author was feeling a sense of loneliness while traveling on his path. Through his words he illustrated a picture of choices he had to choose from in life and how he had to learn from his experiences, and make these decisions alone in solitude; no one else was mentioned in this poem but the word "I". In comparison, the short story "A Worn Path" was written in third person, a story of a life journey told through the eyes of an elderly woman by the name of Phoenix. The author used the word "she" repeatedly which is a third person pronoun. Unlike the poem written by Frost, "The Road Not Taken" a "Worn Path" written by Welty includes other characters including Phoenix ill grandson. This is an indication that the character Phoenix was not in solitude unlike the character in Frost poem.

The two pieces of literature do share a similarity. The similarity is that both the main character in Welty's writing and the only charter in Frost writing chose the path of their life journey. For example Frost writes in the opening of his poem "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both" (Clugston, 2010), this illustrates that he could not travel both paths so he had to choose one. In Welty's short story he talks about Phoenix repeat journey to get medicine for her grandson he writes, "'oh, that's just old Aunt Phoenix,' she said. 'She doesn't come for herself--she has a little grandson. She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork" (Clugston, 2010). This illustrates that she makes the devoted choice to ensure that her grandson get the medicine he needs to survive. In the end of the journey both characters have a purpose for the paths they chose. Frost writes about two paths being taken in "The Road Not Taken. This symbolizes at least two paths one can take in life. Although faced with hardships and obstacles neither path you chose will be completely free of these hardships and obstacles.

There is one main difference between these two pieces of writings. The difference is that when writing short story you as the author have more time to tell your story. More time for the plot or the meaning to shine through. Whereas when writing a poem the length is not there so I think you have to choose your language and thoughts more wisely. This can be achieved through one of the many literary elements we discussed during this course, and that is symbolism. In the short story "A Worn Path", the element of symbolism was seen throughout. From the type of weather that was chosen in the opening, to the age of the main character Phoenix, all of these details were put in place as symbols for the readers. The setting was another symbolic choice on behalf of the author; the story takes place in Mississippi during the 1930's. During the 1930's, the south was extremely racially driven, and segregated. This factor adds to Phoenix journey, and explains way it may have added to the hardships and obstacles she face along the way. For example in the story Phoenix faces, the white hunter who speaks down to her as she passes through town; "A white man finally came along and found her--a hunter, a young man, with his dog on a chain. 'Well, Granny!' he laughed. 'What are you doing there?"(Clugston, 2010), this quote is one of many that give the reader a sense of racism just from the lack of respect given by the hunter to Phoenix by referring to her as" granny". After doing some research on the Welty, and this short story in particular some may suggest that "A Worn Path" is symbolic more of a psychological journey than anything else. In an article entitled, "Life and Death in Eudora Welty's