A worn path theme essay

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAHIES ON “A WORN PATH” 3

Annotated Bibliographies on “A Worn Path”

Kaleena Springsteen

ENG 125 Introduction to Literature

Jennifer Lapinel-Spincken

February 21, 2017

Prompt 3: “A Worn Path” (Eudora Welty, 1941)

Working Thesis

"A Worn Path" is one of the short fiction works that is structured upon a journey that is symbolically incorporating a rich texture meaning. The story is invested with religious meaning which cannot be only universally felt, but it endures and goes beyond its regionalism. By this, elements of legend and myths are remarkably portrayed in this short story of Welty whereby an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson is seen walking to the Natchez City looking for medicine for her sick grandson. Due to her aging life, she is struggling with poor eyesight and intense fatigue among many other obstacles along the way. These are elements that heighten symbolic nature as well as lyricism of the narrative.

1. Welty, E. (1941). A worn path.

Unlike in many stories written by Eudora Welty, "A Worn Path" has an organization written and organized in a deceptively complex order. The author illustrates a story that takes the major portion by merely recounting the journey of an old Negro woman who at Christmas time opted to set out on a journey into Natchez looking for medicine for her grandson. Welty is unleashing the fact that there is more to the story than just casual reading. The story is portraying the way social and even disavowal of racial implications apart from suggesting immoral vices such as greed, corruption, and cynicism that are strongly rooted in the context in which the setting of the story is done.

2. Gale, C. L. (2016). A Study Guide to Eudora Welty's A Worn Path. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning.

A Study Guide to Eudora Welty's A Worn Path by this author, Gale is written in a third-person point of view. Gale is depicting and revealing the thoughts of Phoenix, the main character in the story. Phoenix Jackson is expressed as a black woman who sets out to obtain medicine for her ailing grandson. Phoenix is also revealed in the dialogue talking to herself along the journey. This is why this author is portraying how the mind of the Phoenix in the narration keeps on drifting away especially when she is visited by a dream. According to Gale, all these shows the ups and downs black people faces while on a journey looking for medication in a place filled with racial segregation.

3. Hofer, F. (2014). Life is a journey - an interpretation of eudora weltys "a worn path.” Place of publication not identified: Grin Verlag.

The author Hofer in "A Worn Path" is showing how the major character, Phoenix Jackson endures stamina, perseverance, life faced with hardship and even death. This author is commentating that such a long journey on foot that Phoenix is seen embarking is indeed pointing to these particular qualities illustrated above. Symbolically, her name is signifying resurrection, meaning that this author is trying a lot to drive the theme of hope and destiny after a long life faced with challenges. Besides, the author is revealing the idea of Christian symbolism in the narrative. This is because aspects of Christmas Eve are associated with this narrative as Phoenix is on a journey relating to a religious pilgrimage.

References

1. Gale, C. L. (2016). A Study Guide to Eudora Welty's A Worn Path. Farmington Hills: Gale, Cengage Learning.

2. Hofer, F. (2014). Life is a journey - an interpretation of eudora weltys "a worn path.” Place of publication not identified: Grin Verlag.

Welty, E. (1941). A Worn Path. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG125.14.1

Journey into Literature, Second Edition