Discussion Topic

Events and interactions involving Phoenix in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

Summary:

In "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson encounters various challenges and people on her journey to town. She faces natural obstacles like thorny bushes and a creek, and interacts with a hunter who helps her but also condescends to her. In town, she meets a nurse and receptionist, ultimately securing medicine for her ailing grandson.

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How does the hunter address Phoenix in A Worn Path by Eudora Welty?

First, the hunter calls Phoenix "Granny." She is very old and this might have been a term of endearment. But given the hunter's overall treatment of Phoenix, the term "Granny" is probably intended with condescension. He does help her up, but he also belittles her. He treats her like a child: 

I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus! 

In his ignorance, he assumes she is simple-minded. It would never occur to him that she is a clever, determined individual. Phoenix manages to steal a nickel that falls out of his pocket. When he points the gun in her face, she is stoic and shows her courage. He then lies and says he'd give her some money if he had any. Everything about the hunter's behavior with Phoenix shows his pathetic attempts to assert his superiority. He helps her up but treats her like a child. He pointlessly aims his gun at her to test his ability to intimidate. His rudeness is based upon racism and ignorance. Phoenix treats this like the any other hindrance on her journey: just another obstacle to overcome. 

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What is ironic about Phoenix Jackson's encounter with the hunter in "A Worn Path"?

Phoenix Jackson's trip to town covers a lot of ground and many kinds of landscape.  However, Phoenix will not give up, and she travels the distance to get the much needed medicine for her grandson.  In "The Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, this elderly black woman exhibits an indomitable spirit. 

Phoenix does not know for sure how old she is.  She is showing signs of senility.  She talks to herself a good deal of the time.  She also is hallucinating some times.  But as long as she can walk, she will make this trek for her sick grandson.  

The medicine she needs is in Natchez.  Phoenix lives in the woods. Traveling through the bushes, thorns, up and down hills, across creeks, she continues her journey.  The path that she travels is worn because of the many times that she has gone to get the medicine. 

Finally, she falls into a ditch when a wild dog comes up to her. A young, white hunter finds her and helps her out of the ditch.  He is carrying a rifle and has already shot a bobwhite.  He tells her that she should not be out on this cold December morning.

The young hunter treats Phoenix as though she is a child.  He calls her Granny. He also tries to show off by  attempting to shoot the wild dog.  He does tell her that if he had a dime he would give it to her.  

'I bound to go to town, mister,' said Phoenix.  'The Time come around.'

He gave another laugh. 'I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!'

This angered Phoenix.  The hunter did not understand the irony of his statement.  Phoenix was the Santa Claus.  She was going to get and deliver a life saving bottle of medicine to the most mportant person in her life.  

The hunter drops a nickel out of his pocket.  Manipulating him to go chase the wild dog, Phoenix picks up the nickel and puts it in her pocket. Phoenix registers a twinge of conscience, but the hunter talked down to her.  This makes Phoenix not feel so bad. 

Telling the hunter that she has to be on her way, Phoenix  makes it to town. When she goes into the doctor's office, Phoenix has to sit down because she is so fatigued.  The nurse fusses at her about wasting their time.  Finally, Phoenix remembers what she needs and tells the nurse.

One of the secretaries gives Phoenix another nickel.  This makes Phoenix so happy.  Now, she can buy her grandson a Christmas present.  

After leaving the doctor's office, Phoenix goes to the store and buys her grandson a "whirligig." She will hurry home as faster as her legs can take her. Waiting for her will be a hug and a smile. 

The difficulty the reader has is understanding that she has to return on the same worn path that she traveled coming to town.  With the medicine and present in her hand, may be her steps will be lighter. 

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What happens to Phoenix when she gets to town in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty?

 “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty was written and published in the middle of the twentieth century. The setting of the story is Natchez, Mississippi, and the surrounding area where the main character lives.  At this time, the south has really not changed its attitude toward the black people who are treated as less the human and meant to serve the white man.  The epithets of “boy,” “granny,” and “nigger” were still part of the white man’s vernacular for the black people.

Like the mythological bird for which she was named, Phoenix Jackson rises to the occasion despite her ancient age [she actually does not know how old she is] and failing mental and physical health. Determined, dignified, and noble—these are the adjectives which describe this beautiful, raggedy old woman who has one purpose in life: to make her grandson’s life the best that it can be.

The reader does not know how often Phoenix has to follow the worn path to town.  Whenever her grandson needs medicine, she makes the dangerous trek to Natchez to fill his prescription so that he can breathe better. 

The path is hazardous particularly for someone who can barely see and sometimes forgets what she is doing.  When she is lucid, Phoenix has common sense and a great wit. This is apparent when she outwits the hunter and takes his nickel. The hunter treats her with a typical attitude that Phoenix has little intelligence and is childish in her behavior.

Any confidence that Phoenix has in her abilities is hindered because of the extreme fatigue that she feels after her long walk.  As she arrives at the doctor’s office, Phoenix is obviously relieved. Her movements have been laborious.

“Here I be,” she said.  There was a fixed and ceremonial stiffness over her body.

“A charity case, I suppose,” said an attendant who sat at the desk before her.

But Phoenix only looked ahead.  There was sweat on her face, the wrinkles in her skin shone like a bright net.

“Speak up, Grandma,” the woman said. “What’s your name? Have you been here before?”

The attendant becomes annoyed by Phoenix's lack of response.  She treats the elderly lady as though she is stupid.  The nurse comes in and says that this was just old Aunt Phoenix.  The nurse explains Phoenix’s purpose.

Phoenix is lost in her thoughts and does not remember why she has come. Staring ahead and looking blank, her face has become rigid. The nurse continues to try to get Phoenix to respond. Finally, the nurse tells Phoenix that she is wasting their time. She also asks if Phoenix’s grandson is dead. That question brings a response. Phoenix admits that her memories take over her.

The reader learns that the grandson drank lye about three years ago.  It burned his throat which closes, and he cannot breathe.  The medicine keeps him alive.  Phoenix also relates that she never went to school.  She tells the nurse that she and her grandson are the only two living of her family.  Her grandons's sweet spirit never gives in to his terrible plight.

The nurse hands her the medicine.  The once harsh attendant gives Phoenix a nickel in the spirit of Christmas.  Phoenix is thrilled.  With the ten cents that she now has, Phoenix buys her grandson a Christmas present.  With renewed energy, medicine, and a present, Phoenix journeys back toward her grandson awaiting a kiss and a hug.

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How does Phoenix distract the hunter in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty?

Phoenix Jackson is the protagonist in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path," and in this story she is on a journey. It is a strenuous walk, especially for a very old lady like Phoenix. She is not steady, but she manages because it is a familiar, well traveled path (note the title) and love for her grandson motivates her. 

Though she is an independent woman, Phoenix often needs help and is willing to take it when it is offered. When she topples into a ditch and cannot get up, she just waits patiently until someone comes along to help her. 

A hunter stops and gives her some assistance, though he is a bit disrespectful; in doing so, he drops a nickel and does not notice. But Phoenix does. He keeps on talking to her, but Phoenix is intent on capturing that coin.

She decides to distract him by starting a dogfight:

[S]he gave a little cry and clapped her hands and said, "Git on away from here, dog! Look! Look at that dog!" She laughed as if in admiration. "He ain't scared of nobody. He a big black dog." She whispered, "Sic him!"...

The noise and activity distract the hunter, just as she planned. In a slow, deliberate, smooth motion, Phoenix bends over until her chin is nearly on her knees. 

The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen. Then she slowly straightened up, she stood erect, and the nickel was in her apron pocket. 

Phoenix gets the nickel which the hunter will likely never miss, and she is satisfied; however, she does know what she has done is wrong, noting that God is watching her.

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Discuss the scene between Phoenix and the hunter in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty.

“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty offers an interesting and admirable character in the protagonist Phoenix Jackson.  Phoenix’s name comes from Greek mythology.  The phoenix had an incredible life cycle.  It made  its nest and caught  fire from the sun, bursting into flames. From the ashes, it is reborn.  From her name to her behavior and the symbolism running throughout the story, Phoenix Jackson is the embodiment of the mythological phoenix.

The protagonist Phoenix is described as an old, extremely poor, black lady, who has difficulty walking and uses a cane made from an umbrella to stabilize herself.  As she walks along toward town, the old lady talks aloud to herself. She slowly walks along a difficult path that she has walked many times.

Phoenix is on her way to get medicine. Her  grandson drank lye as a small child and injured his throat. She sometimes appears delusional and talks to the animals as if they could understand her, telling them to stay out of her way.

Phoenix lays down on the ground to rest and a white hunter comes across her.

The track crossed a swampy part where the moss hung as white as lace from every limb. 'Sleep on, alligators, and blow your bubbles.' Then the cypress trees went into the road. Deep, deep it went down between the high green-colored banks. Overhead the live oaks met, and it was as dark as a cave.

A white man finally came along and found her—a hunter, a young man, with his dog on a chain.

'Well, Granny!' he laughed. 'What are you doing there?'

As the man talks to her, he accidently has a nickel come out of his pocket.  He goes off to see about a dog. While he is gone, Phoenix picks up the coin.  It is unclear whether the man knows that she has picked up the coin except that he points his gun at her and tells her that he did not have a dime, or he would give it to her.

When she arrives at the hospital, she does not immediately remember why she has come.  Then the nurse asks her about her grandson.  The old lady receives her medicine, and the nurse gives her a nickel.  Phoenix is delighted because she can now buy her grandson a paper windmill for his Christmas present.

The story is full of figurative language and delightful comparisons.  Rich in mythological allusions, the reader is drawn into the journey of Phoenix as she struggles to town.  When the reader realizes that Phoenix has to walk all the way home to her grandson, one can only admire this wonderful, selfless woman!

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