A Worn Path

                       A Worn Path

Summary

    'A Worn Path' is a controlled story of unconscious heroism written by an American writer, Eudora Welty. This story narrates a long, dangerous and tiring journey made by an old negro woman, Phoenix Jackson from her home valley to the city of Natchez in order to bring some medicine for diseased grandson.

  She Reached to the bottom of hill where there was a creek and a log laid across it. Lifting her skirt and leveling her cane before her. She marched across the creek and took rest for some time under a big tree. While resting, she had a dream of a Negro boy coming to her holding a plate with a cake on it. Afterwards, she went through a barbed wire fence spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby. Then she reached to a cotton field where she was reminded of her encounter with a bull and a two headed snake during her previous journey. Then she reached to a field of dead corn, where she saw something tall, black and skinny. At first, she supposed it to be a ghost of somebody but as she had not heard about anyone's death recently, she concluded that it can't be a ghost. When see touched it, she found it to be an old scare crow. Facing all these difficulties and dealing with each of them tactfully, she reached to a wagon track.

      There was a spring flowing through a hollow log in a ravine. She drank some water from the spring and went ahead. While she was in the swampy part of the forest, she was knocked down into a ditch. After sometime, she was rescued out of the ditch by a white hunter. When she saw a nickel fall down from the packet of white man. She covered it with her foot and put it into her own pocket. When asked where she was going, she told the white man that she was going to the city of Natchez and she was bound to go there. Then they went to different directions. As it was Christmas time, the city of Natchez and she asked a lady to lace up her shoes. Finally she entered a stone building having seen a document with golden frame and seal nailed on wall, she realized that she was in the doctors office. She was asked several questions by an attendant but she did not respond to her because her memory had left her. When she was conscious, she explained that she had been coming to town to bring some medicine for her diseased grandson and his condition was still the same. She was given some medicine by the nurse and a nickel by the attendant thinking of buying a wind mill for her grandson with the money she had got during the day, she started her journey back.

     By making a long, risky and tiring journey to the city of Natchez, Phoenix Jackson , an old woman about of 100 years was performing something extraordinary and heroic. She lost her consciousness all together for three times and nearly lost her life on the way. In a way she was putting her own life at risk to save the life of her grandson. However, Phoenix Jackson was not quiet aware of and conscious about her heroism . So, it is a controlled story of unconscious heroism.

    Questions

   1.   Trace the various obstacles of old Phoenix comes up against between the valley where we first pick her up and the wagon track and describe how she deals with each.

    She reached to the bottom of hill where there was a creek and a log laid across it. Lifting her skirt and leveling her cane before her. She marched across the creek and took rest for sometime under a big tree. While resting, she had a dream of a Negro boy coming to her holding a plate with a cake on it. Afterwards, she went through a barbed wire fence spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby. Then she reached to a cotton field where she was reminded of her encounter with a bull and a two headed snake during her previous journey. Then she reached to a field of dead corn, where she saw something tall, black and skinny. At first, she supposed it to be a ghost of somebody but as she had not heard about anyone's death recently, she concluded that it can't be a ghost. When see touched it, she found it to be an old scare crow. Facing all these difficulties and dealing with each of them tactfully, she reached to a wagon track.

   2.   What does old Phoenix do when she is knocked down by the dog?

   When Phoenix was knocked down by the dog she falls in the ditch and lies on her back like the June bug.

   3.   In Egyptian mythology the Phoenix was a bird of great splendor that every five hundred years consumed itself by fire and rose renewed from its own ashes. In what way is Phoenix Jackson like the bird?

The given story has been written by the modern American writer Eudora Welty. It describes the journey of an old Negro Woman. It also tells us about the love that a mother has for her children. The story is based on the Egyptian mythology according to which there was a bird Phoenix which lived for five hundred years helping the poor and the troubled ones. It burned itself on pyre and renewed itself from its own ashes to live for another 500 years.

           The Negro woman Phoenix Jackson is very much similar to the mythical bird in many ways. Both the Phoenix lived a long life and both served the troubled ones, besides the bird sacrifices itself to live for another 500 years to serve the vulnerable creatures. Similarly, the old woman was ready to sacrifice her life for her troubled grandson. In spite her poor and pitiable physical condition, she was determined to go on the tough journey. Both of them had great splendor and vitality. Both of them resumed their journey ahead after a brief pause. In this way, we can say that there are many similarities between the mythical bird and old Phoenix Jackson.

   4.   Why does Phoenix keep talking to herself? What do her monologues add to the total portrait of her?

Phoenix keeps talking to herself because she was going on long, tiresome and dangerous journey alone so to remove solitariness she keeps talking to herself. From her monologues we can say that Phoenix was romantic type of woman. She was determined, romantic and compassionate to wild birds and animals.

   5.   What is the meaning of the episode in which Phoenix steals the nickel? Does the act offend our sense of honesty? Explain in your answer.

    The meaning of the episode in which Phoenix steals the nickel signifies that the economic condition of Phoenix Jackson was very poor. Due to which she was taking long journey from her valley to city of Natchez on fool. She was going to city to buy medicine for her diseased grandson being penniless. The episode focus on poor economic condition. The act of stealing doesn’t offend our sense of honesty because she did not steal it from the pocket. But only she saw falling and put it into her pocket. Also she did not steal the nickel for herself but to buy a windmill for her grandson.

   6.   What significance can you attach to the fact that the journey takes place at Christmas time?

   The significance that can be attached to the fact that the journey takes place at Christmas time because at the time of journey Phoenix Jackson found the houses decorated with reds and green lights.