Poetry Paper

A story full of enticing conflicts and heroic character qualities "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, tells the story of an old black women who treks through challenging terrain in order to obtain a life saving medication for her grandson. There are many examples of symbolism found throughout the story that are used to provide the reader with thoughts in which to interpret pertaining to the relating themes that develop.

One of the first examples of symbolism that is shown is the main character's name, "Phoenix". A Phoenix is also the name of a distinct Egyptian mythological bird which symbolizes resurrection. The Egyptian history states that this creature dies every 500 years. When it dies, the bird bursts into flames and is then reborn through its own ashes which begins it's new life cycle. Phoenix's somewhat frequent journeys into town and refusal to give up despite her age represent the continual up-rising of her character which is also a trait of the mythological bird that she symbolizes. To support this comparison, the author also uses symbolisms in the beginning of the story to describe the physical attributes of Phoenix. For example, "...but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark. Under the red rag her hair came down on her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, and with an odor like copper." These bright descriptions seem to suggest the same theme of fire and life.

The symbolism of Life is again seen in the following quote, "Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead..." Trees are usually a symbol of life and is here used to describe her physical features, which again supports her comparison to the Egyptian Mythological Bird of fire and life.

After reading the story it becomes apparent that "A Worn Path" is great big example of symbolism. "A Worn Path" not only symbolizes the actual path in the story, it also represents Phoenix and her path through life. In the beginning of the story she walks "moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grandfather clock." This is one of the first hints at the age and condition of this women. This quote not only gives a great visual of Phoenix's elderly posture, but also acts as a fitting comparison to her age. The grandfather clock design is very old and now mostly thought of as an antique design, just like Phoenix and her antique design.

Another quote supporting "The Worn Path" symbolism is given toward the end of the story when Phoenix states: "I never did go to school, I was too old at the Surrender." This implies that she is quit old; the South surrendered to the north in 1865 which put an end to slavery. If she was to old to attend school at this time, that would make her somewhere over eighty years of age when this story takes place. Phoenix herself is a worn path. Her body and physical features have been "worn" from years past and events she has lived.

Another big symbolism that consistently appears throughout the story is Christmas, which is the day on which the story takes place. Christmas is of course a very religious holiday. One perspective could be that Phoenix's journey could be compared to a religious pilgrimage. The pilgrims went on