Investigate the history of the Natchez Trace in Mississippi and its surrounding regions. Explore how this trail has been significant to different groups over time, and consider why it serves as an appropriate backdrop for Welty's story of Phoenix Jackson.

Look into race relations in the United States, particularly in Mississippi, during the early 1940s. Do these historical attitudes align with those depicted by Welty in "A Worn Path"?

The concept of a journey has been a literary motif since ancient Greek times, notably when Homer penned The Odyssey. In what ways is Phoenix Jackson's trek through the woods reminiscent of Odysseus's seven-year voyage home following the Trojan War?