In "A Worn Path," imagery is often used to create biblical allusions and connections to universal themes.
In the third paragraph of the story, the imagery of Phoenix walking through the woods is similar to the moment in the Bible when God grants Adam the responsibility of naming all of the animals God has created. As Phoenix walks, she calls out to the animals around her:
Old Phoenix said, "Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals! ... Keep out from under these feet, little bob-whites ... Keep the big wild hogs out of my path. Don't let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way."
Just like Adam, Phoenix has authority over the creatures of the wilderness. Though she is an old woman, this imagery characterizes her as having strength and a commanding rule over the...
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potential dangers around her.
Later, Phoenix recalls the imagery of a snake which was once "coming around [a] tree" on her path. This imagery is reflective of the moment in the Garden of Eden when Eve is tempted to taste the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Unlike Eve, Phoenix recognizes the possibility of danger in the wilderness, and she doesn't wish to cross paths with anything which could cause her harm. This imagery characterizes Phoenix as self-aware and wise, singularly focused on the completion of her mission.
When Phoenix arrives at a cornfield, she initially mistakes the scarecrow for a ghost. After recognizing her error, she takes her cane and "part[s] her way from side to side" through the cornfield. This imagery evokes the biblical story of Moses parting the Red Sea, which allowed the people of Israel to pass to safety and escape their enemies. Just as Moses was on a journey to the Promised Land, Phoenix is also moving toward a destination where she hopes to receive salvation for her grandson.
The biblical imagery in "A Worn Path" strengthens universal themes of temptation, sacrifice, leadership, and trials. These associations present a timeless portrait of the strength of ordinary people and help to establish Phoenix Jackson's pilgrimage as an allegory for the journey of life, which inherently includes suffering and difficulty.