The Phoenix Jackson The Hero In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

463 Words2 Pages
A hero is someone who shows great bravery and courage through their actions and achievements. They are often from obscure and mysterious origin, have specific goals, and descend into a darkness. Heroes come in all different forms, from the first person to walk on the moon, to a guy saving people from a burning building.Phoenix Jackson is introduced as an “old negro woman with her hair tied in a red rag” (47) walking along a path in the woods where her journey begins. In Eudora Welty's short story, “A Worn Path”, the protagonist Phoenix Jackson is hero because of her goals, mysterious origin, and her descent into darkness.. Phoenix is a hero because of her mysterious and obscure origin. It is never revealed where she is from, her age, or anything about her family. Also the specific year is not given, the reader can assume that it’s the late 19th or early 20th century from the diction the characters use and the racial terms people call Phoenix. For example, the hunter and many of people in the city address her as ‘granny’ which was a term used for an old negro woman back in the early 20th century. Phoenix reveals that she “never did go to school, I was too old at the Surrender” (53). The Surrender is an old term referring to the Civil war which was fought in the 1860s.…show more content…
From the beginning it is unknown of her intent for her wandering in the forest. When she arrives in the city Phoenix goes to the clinic where one of the nurses knows her. There it is learned that she needs to obtain medicine for her grandson, reasons for that are unknown as well. Even though very little is known about her intentions her selflessness and caring personality and the will to do anything for the people she loves makes her a

More about The Phoenix Jackson The Hero In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

Open Document