An Analysis of Theme in "A Worn Path"
Love can make a person do strange and sometimes heroic things. There are many different types of love in this world. The love a parent feels for a child, or in this case a grandparent for a grandchild, is a strong force. Eudora Welty introduces us to Phoenix Jackson in "A Worn Path," a story about the love that a woman feels for her grandson. Phoenix Jackson is an old woman. The politically correct term "elderly" does not accurately describe just how old she is. She does not see well anymore, she walks with a cane to assist her unsteady gait, and she occasionally imagines objects that are not truly there. Despite her age and the frailties it brings, Phoenix is a strong woman. Through her actions, the reader learns that love can conquer anything. This theme is demonstrated through Phoenix's determination, her ability to overcome obstacles, and her reaction to the employees at the clinic.
The fact that Phoenix walks all the way into town at her age is a sure sign of determination. She is determined to get to town in order to get medicine for her grandson, who will surely die without it. The trip is a long one, even for a young person, and treacherous for one so old as Phoenix. Even when the hunter she meets on the way tells her she should go home, she does not give up, responding to him that she is "bound to go on [her] way" (366).
Phoenix overcomes many obstacles on her way to town. She quickly gets her dress caught on a thorny bush, but manages to work it free from the thorns without tearing it. She crosses a creek by walking across a log with her eyes shut, feeling her way with her cane. When she comes to a barbed-wire fence, she must climb through it,
"spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps" (364). At one point during her excursion Phoenix meets up with a dog, which startles her and causes her to lose her balance and fall. Luckily, a hunter finds her and helps her back onto her feet. The hunter, however, being young and cocky, tries to scare her with a gun. Phoenix does not so much as flinch, telling the hunter that she has "seen plenty go off closer by" (366). Despite all the obstacles, Phoenix continues on her way, resolving to make it to town for her grandson.
When Phoenix finally gets to town and enters the clinic, she is not received well by the attendant, who refers to Phoenix as a "charity case" (367). The attendant is short-tempered with Phoenix, but the old woman does not respond to the impolite comments. The nurse who works in the clinic is kind to Phoenix, but refers to her grandson's illness as "an obstinate case" (368). Yet Phoenix is not disturbed by these remarks, and remains determined to get the medicine to her grandson.
Throughout the story we see time and time again that Phoenix's love for her grandson is unwavering. She never thinks of turning back, despite all the trouble she encounters. We learn that although she may not be physically strong, she is headstrong. She makes this treacherous trip all the way into town to get his medicine so that he may live another six months, and she still has to make the journey in reverse to get it back home to him. Work Cited Welty, Eudora.� "A Worn Path"� Literature and the Writing Process.� Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk.� 5th ed.� Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 1999.� 363-368.