Unit - 2
A Worn Path - Summary
- Eudora Welty
It is a story about a journey made by and old women named
Phoenix Jackson. She was Negro woman. She made her journey on cold December
morning a Christmas time with the help of the walking stick. She walked along
the pine forest. She had worn a black striped dress. She had wrinkles on her
face. Her eyes were blue and cheeks were yellow. Her shoes were unlaced and on
the way she used to warn the wild animals not to block her way because she was
making a long journey. She felt very difficult to climb up the hill and felt as
if her feet were chained after she reached to the top of the pine forest she
had to climb down through the oak trees. When she was climbing down her clothes
was caught by a thorny bush she got rid of it and after passing along time she
reached to the bottom of the hill. She thought she was not as old as she used
to think. She took same rest and saw a boy coming toward her with a plate of
cake in his hand but it was just her imagination.
Then she crossed through the barbed wire fence
by crawling under it because she was well aware not to tear her clothes. She thanked the god because there were no any snakes. There used to be snake in the
summer. Then she saw something tall, thin and black structure she thought it to
be ghost as it was silent. But when she touches it closing her eyes, she found
it a cold and it was a scare crow she laughed at herself for being scared
before. Then she reached a wagon track which was a narrow read between the
hills. The track went in to the road when she was walking on the road a dog
came out of weeds and barked her. She hit it with a stick and fell herself into
the ditch she became unconscious. A white man helped her to come out and asked if
she was hurt or not thanking him. She told him that she was going to town.
Then she saw a shiny nickel fallen out of the
white man’s pocket while he was trying to chase the dog. She took a nickel from
the ground and saw a bird flew by she thought god was watching her stealing the
money. When the white man try to frightened her pointing the gun toward her,
she was not afraid. When the men asked her age, she said it was impossible to
tell her age.
Then she reached the city. The city was
decorated with colorful light as it was the Christmas time. Sitting on the
pavement she requested a lady to tie her lasses. The lady helped her tying
them. Then she entered a building where the receptionist asked her many
questions but she didn’t hear anything. Then a nurse came and asked her about
their grandson.
She didn’t say anything as she had forgotten
everything for some time. After a while she remembered and replied that the
condition of her grandson was just the same like before.
Mythiological Significance of the story
In Egyptian mythology, Phoenix is a bird of great splendor
(energy) that lives for 500 years. Then it burns itself and takes birth out of
its ashes. Only one such bird lives at a time. The character Phoenix Jackson in
the story is very much similar to the Phoenix bird. As bird, Phoenix Jackson is
the single oldest woman living in the village. At the ending point of its life
cycle, the bird burns itself and another bird in new form accompanied with
great beauty and youth appears in the world. Same like the old woman Phoenix
Jackson who whenever faces problem, solves them boldly. She feels more active,
enthusiastic to continue her journey. She never becomes hopeless. When she
freezes herself in thorny bushes, she is active enough to go ahead. When she
crosses the river, she feels that she is not as old as she thought. When she
falls into the ditch, she is not scared. When the hunter tries to
discourage her from going to town, she
is not afraid.
The bird is the symbol of immortality because it lives for a
long time and gets re-birth every time it burns. The old Phoenix Jackson makes
a long journey, faces the problem, solves them and continues her journey
collecting new vigour and courage. She completes her journey to get medicine
for her grandson in a hope to treat her grandson. The courage of such an old
woman makes her character significant.
The bird also stands for longetivity and passion
for life. In the story, Phoenix Jackson emerges as the symbol of longetivity
and passion for life. She loves her grandson, so she wants to live longer so
that she can take care of him for more years to come. Her love towards her
grandson also shows her passion towards life. The incident in which she steals
the coin of the white man also proves the same thing. She defies her age,
circumstances of nature for sake of her grandson which also shows her passion
of life.
