Essay On Phoenix Jackson - 821 Words

Phoenix Jackson The story â€Å"A Worn Path,† by Eudora Welty tells the story of a woman named Phoenix Jackson, who lives in Natchez Mississippi. Phoenix has a grandson that she cares for that has swallowed a chemical called lye, that was used in many households back when this story was written. Lye poisoning was common in a lot of rural areas. Welty is writing about this problem the hardship Phoenix Jackson had to go through to get medical treatment at that time. Without the name Phoenix Jackson and the characteristics, she possesses there is no way she could have overcome the obstacles that stood in her way. With the first name of Phoenix, Ms. Welty is showing the symbol of a Greek mythological bird that could live to be one hundred to one†¦show more content†¦The young white hunter assisted her out of a ditch only to belittle her and put a gun in her face (Welty). This shows great courage to endure this encounter that must have been something Phoenix had endured and witnessed her entire life. Hard work was a way of life, much like Dr. Jackson that worked tirelessly to find a cure to save the young children who had swallowed lye, it made her strong enough to face this encounter (Stang). In addition, it was hard work and agility to walk along a log to cross a creek with her eyes closed, the wisdom to shimmy under barbed wire fences without getting hung up, the endurance to go up and down hills and through hollers, and the devotion to make the trip to the Doctors office and back (Welty). Although, in her nineties Phoenix was strong and very capable to walk that worn path and do it with the dignity of a grandmother that cares about her grandson. The story tells that Phoenix was a selfless, devoted, and caring person. In addition, Dr. Jackson cared for his patients, many times using his own money for research and charity cases (Stang 17. By taking advantage, making yearly trips to the Doctor’s office, because the doctor said, if she comes and gets the medicine she can have it, shows her wisdom and devotion. She takes the time to tell the nurse how cute her grandson is and that he will survive, showing her optimism. Even after enduring belittling wise cracks from the attendantShow MoreRelatedPhoenix Jackson in A Worn Path Essay499 Words   |  2 PagesPhoenix Jackson in A Worn Path â€Å"’Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!†¦ Keep the big wild hogs out of my path. Don’t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way’† (116). Through the character of Phoenix Jackson in â€Å"A Worn Path† Welty produces a picture of an aging African-American woman in the Jim Crow South. In â€Å"A Worn Path† we learn of the hardships Jackson faces on her weekly journey for medicine to sooth the pain ofRead MoreCharacter Analysis: Phoenix Jackson Essay examples942 Words   |  4 Pagesthe most considerable, being the legend of the phoenix. There are numerous symbols and allusions brought about in the story relating to the legend of the phoenix. The phoenix is a bird that comes from Egyptian mythology. The best analogy of the phoenix is a magnificent bird. The phoenix has astonishing powers. It has the knack to materialize and vanish in the blink of an eye. The myth states the phoenix travels to the sun. The sun gives the phoenix it powers. The heat incinerates the bird. The birdRead MoreA Worn Path: Phoenix Jackson a Very Old Woman Essay701 Words   |  3 Pagescan be parents and grandparents. It all depend s on what the person does to be considered a hero, such as a grandparent that would walk about 50 miles to get medicine for their sick grandson. That is what Phoenix Jackson did for her grandson in the short story, A Worn Path. Phoenix Jackson is a very old woman who lives out in the backcountry of Mississippi with her sick grandson. She takes care of him because she is his only family left and he has some kind of a problem with his throat, heRead MoreDecoding The Symbolism Used in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty1276 Words   |  6 Pagestalking about the different literary references used throughout Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path†. I will explain and decode different techniques used by the author throughout her story. The story is of an old southern African American woman, named Phoenix Jackson, making her way into to town to pick up her grandsons medication from the doctor’s office. But this is no normal old woman. She cannot see and is picking her way with a cane to make her way across a barrage of obstacles. Throughout her journeyRead MorePhoenix Jackson in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty: Courageous or Crazy?793 Words   |  3 PagesCrazy or Courageous? The power and determination of women to go to every end of the earth for kids is put into a different perspective in this essay. Women from almost any time period would go and do anything for kids, even if the kids were disrespectful and unloving in return. A perfect example of this is Phoenix Jackson, an old woman making a journey for her grandson in the short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty. She runs into many obstacles along the way, but is it enough to take care ofRead MoreThe Quests Of Araby And A Worn Path984 Words   |  4 PagesThe Quests in â€Å"Araby† and â€Å"A Worn Path† Both â€Å"Araby† (1914) by James Joyce, and â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty (1941) pursue life through a journey. The protagonists, Phoenix Jackson in â€Å"A Worn Path† and Joyce’s narrator in â€Å"Araby,† embark on an errand out of love. In â€Å"Araby,† Joyce’s narrator develops an infatuation for Mangan’s sister. He laments, â€Å"I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood† (Joyce 200). He volunteers toRead More Realism in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path Essay1229 Words   |  5 Pagesnatural symbolism of the surroundings. The main character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, is an old black woman who seeks out to find medicine for her sick nephew. This story contains a motif, which is the continuous walking of Phoenix Jackson throughout her journey. She lives in the pinewoods and faces the challenging experience of walking through the snowy, frozen earth to get to the hospital in the city of Natchez. Phoenix Jackson is a very caring person, and is in love with life. Although she isRead MoreA Worn Path Research Paper959 Words   |  4 PagesHeroic Efforts Of Phoenix Jackson In â€Å"A Worn Path† In Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path,† the character Phoenix Jackson is introduced. Phoenix Jackson is an uneducated, African-American woman without any family besides her sick grandson. Phoenix is the hero of this story and fits the role well by delivering much-needed medicine to her grandson. Phoenix shows many distinct traits that reveal her to be a hero to her grandson. The heroic feats she accomplishes pave a path that leads to her satisfaction asRead MoreThe Character Of Phoenix Jackson, A Worn Path939 Words   |  4 PagesAdrianna Ratliff English 1123-UTAB Critical Analysis Essay Hampton 29 October 2014 The Character of Phoenix Jackson,† A Worn Path† Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path,† is a story about an elderly woman name Phoenix Jackson walking on a path to Natchez to get some medicine for her ill grandson that swallowed some lye that affected him severely. The story portrayed a vivid idea of her personalities and the readers realize how unique Phoenix Jackson is. Phoenix faced many trials and tribulations while on herRead MoreSymbolism in A Worn Path By Eudora Welty1096 Words   |  5 Pageswoman named Phoenix Jackson who takes a journey along a path with manifold of dangerous objects. Phoenix Jackson takes the journey thru the path because her grandson drank liquid named lye and got sick from his throat. Phoenix Jackson makes her journey thru the path to go to the doctor’s office to get some medicine. As Phoenix Jackson walks thru the path she encounters a lot of animals like foxes, owls, beetles, jack-rabbits, coons, little bob-whites and big wild hogs. Phoenix Jackson also encounters