A Worn Path

A detailed Summary of A Worn Path


In Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandson's health and her state of poverty.

"Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles..." (paragraph 2). This quotation was one of many indications of Phoenix Jackson's old age. Normally, in society there are benefits for the elderly and those of the golden age. There are various organizations that help people who are over the age of sixty-five. They also provide various services towards them such as meals on wheels. Was there not someone who could have delivered the


medicine to this woman of nearly 100 years of age? Perhaps Phoenix Jackson was too shy or had too much pride to ask for a service of that nature. The doctors from the medical building knew about the condition of Phoenix's grandson and did nothing to try and help. This showed the lack of respect that was present in the society. In today's society, someone of that age commands and deserves the proper respect.

The next conflict that plagued her is that of her health. "She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her," (paragraph 1). In the preceding quotation, there was one important note that readers should take into consideration. The fact that she kept persistently tapping the earth in front of her could only indicate one thing-that she was visually impaired. She may not have been completely blind, but she had to have been substantially impaired to have kept tapping her cane in a redundant manner. Someone who is even remotely visually impaired should not be traveling in the forest. Phoenix also suffered from a problem that often plagues people at an old age. This problem is senility. "But she sat down to rest... She did not dare to close her eyes and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it she spoke to him. "That wou

Some common words found in the essay are:
Phoenix Jackson, Christmas Grandma, Worn Path, Phoenix Jackson's, people age, kept tapping, grandson's health, medical building, visually impaired, phoenix jackson, earth front, respect society,

Approximate Word count = 896
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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