A Worn Path

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

To get to the point of the theme of this short story, first the main character, Phoenix Jackson, needs to be characterized. The most important detail about her is not how she is old or black but rather how senile she is. Most the story keeps track of Phoenix's treck though the frozen nature. It is odd that a woman as old and as mentally-ill as Phoenix, would be enduring this path to begin with. She runs into many different sights and obstacles during this trip; some are actually existing while others appear to be products of her worn mind. At one point Welty writes, "a boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it... But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air" (Welty 224). As well, much of the dialogue in this story all sprouts from conversations that Phoenix is having with herself. It gives the thought that perhaps the old woman is as lonely as she is senile. As odd as these incidents seem, I feel they all have much merit to the actual theme. According to the nurse, Mrs. Jackson has been making these trekes for years and all with the intent to provide the mediative medicine for her sick grandson. It is out of this love for her grandson that this weary woman continues to fight her way through the brush. The worn path does not just describe the journey, but it describes phoenix as well.