SUMMARY OF WORN PATH – MAGIC OF WORDS

Summary:

Through this story the writer dramatizes the impoverished condition of black Americans. The Elderly woman Phoneix Jakson is a pivotal (central) character of the story. She has gone to the city, Natchez from her distant village, Mississppi to bring  medicine for her sick grandson who had swallowed “lye” three years back. To heal the problem of her grandson the elderly woman visited the city facing  different obstacles.

The name Phoneix  Jakson has been derived from the name of Egyptian Mythological bird, Phoneix. According to that Myth the bird dies in every five hundred years burning in the fire. From its pyre it gets new life.  The myth highlights the physical death and reincarnation of the bird. Like that bird , the elderly woman Phoneix Jakson dies psychologically. On her journeys courage and determination continue her journey. When every obstacles comes, the elderly woman loses her courage her journey. when every obstacles comes, the elderly woman loses her courage and determination which can be connected with the death of mythical bird. When she gets victory over the obstacles she is presented with the new courage and vigor This is symbolically connected  with the reincarnation of the mythical bird. When she gets victory over the obstacles she is presented with the new courage and vigor. This is connected with the reincarnation of the mythical bird after it burns its body in the fire. The story of the phoneix Jakson is the story of the unconscious heroism.

On the way to the city elderly woman has gone through the different obstacles. For the elderly woman the chilly morning of winter season  is one of the obstacles. She gets victory over it due to he strong determination and courage . When she begins her journey she has forgotten to tie the laces of her shoe. The elderly woman left her house tapping a cane. At first she has to climb up a hill and she has  to climb down. While she was climbing up a hill, She couldn’t walk properly. During that time phoneix Jakson was guided by interior monologue. She said “somebody had tied my legs”. Although she Felt uneasy to climb up a hill, Her contiuous  effort made her to get success. While She was going a head She was again disturbed by a bush. She had  to use   her eyes due to fears while crossing a log which has not any support . By the help of her cane, she crossed the creek then only she opened her eyes. To cross a crek the elderly woman without any body’s help refers to the power of her unconscious heroism. After that she sat under a tree  to have rest where she fall a sleep. During that time she saw a dream in which a boy came with a cake. While she tried to spread her hand, she woke up.

The cake symbolically refers to the dream of black Americans to get equality in their land.

She has to go a head to reach to the city. At the next time she is disturbed by a barbed wire fence. She had to creep and crawl to cross it. At the next time the elderly woman is disturbed by a scare crow, she was going through a field of dead corn when she reached near to the scare crow, she closed her eyes, thinking that the object was a ghost . When she touched that object she identified  it was like a scare crow. Phoneix Jakson ultimately reaches to a wagon track. She was disturbed by a black dog, while she was going through a few way of milkweed. When she tried her best to gave to save herself from the attack of the black dog, She feel on the ditch , her conditions becomes like a beetle. While she was in the ditch she saw dream again which a man came to rescued her. The writer hunter  used derogatory term to hate  the elderly  woman. He suggested her not to visit the city because it was too far from there . while the white hunter put over his handkerchief from his pocket unknowingly he dropped a nickel and put on her pocket. By negating the suggestions of white woman to tie her Christmas celebration. At the city was helped by a white woman to tie her unitied laces. Due to different color of lights and papers, she had forgetten the right way for the city hospital . When she reached to the city hospital. she became unconscious . As a result, she failed to narrate her mission. After few minutes When she returned to her consciousness she opened her mission.

According to the nurse her grandson lye three years back. As a result he neither could breath properly nor he could eat . It was  an obstinate case. So the doctor  began to given her medicine without taking any cost. The hospital staff also gave a next nickel through which she planned to buy  a windmill for a sick grandson. but she thought that her grandson couldn’t believe her.

In This way the mission of phoneix Jakson is a pure as the mission of jesus Christ . Christ gets birth for the redemption of sinners. Like that phoneix Jakson might have visited  the city to get the medicine  to heal  modern sick generation. When modern  people are more guided by materialism,  they have forgotten the spiritual faculty. The story takes  place in December on a worn path. It’s about an old negro  women named Phoneix who goes through this path Where she has to go through so many obstacles to get medication for her grandson. Obstacles like the long path, animals, bridges and people. Also she doesn’t receive that much respect from the people because of her elderly age and her racial apperance . Finally at the end she gets to the city and goes into the building  where she is suppose to get the medication when she forgets why she came to the city for. The nurses would ask if she were ok and she would only stay quiet, until finally a nurse asked  her if  phoneix grandson was ok or dead. From there on we don’t know that she walked that worn path because the love she felt for her grandson.

A worn path “By Eudora Welty, is the tale of the unstoppable love and care of a a grandmother for her grandchild. It tells a story of sheer determination as Phoneix grandson. She Strives forward despite frequent obstacles in her way that include her own failing health and the grandchild’s slim chance of survival. Phoneix Jakson is “an old negro woman ” Who continues forward over barriers that would  not even be considered a hindrance for the young. This is a journey which she has taken before, and now “the time come around” She must travel it again she begins her journey to town on “a bright frozen day om the early morning” in December . Phoneix Jakson is “very old and small “; and walks like the “pendulum in a grandfather  clock” Ever so carefully with her “thin, small cane made from an umbrella.”

Related articles From magic of words :

• Summary and important Questions keeping things a whole – Magic of words
• summary of unchopping a tree and important questions
• poplar field magic of words
• hseb neb important questions chapter one magic of words\
• important questions and summay of a recurring dream
• Summary of loving mother
• Summary of a lost doll
• summary of a six million dollar man