The Role of Race in A Worn Path Essay

The Role of Race in A Worn Path

A Worn Path is a short story about an African-American woman from the Deep South who must travel to a nearby town in order to buy medicine for her sick grandson. Written by American author Eudora Welty, famous for writing stories about the Deep South, this story is criticized by many for its use of race and how racism is openly alluded to.

A Worn Path begins by introducing the reader to an old African-American woman, Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix is traveling through the woods on her way to pick up medicine for her grandson, for he is sick with a throat ailment. While traveling through the woods, Phoenix talks to herself and to her surroundings, sounding off against the native animals so that they may leave her alone. In the midst of her traveling through the woods, she meets a hunter and his dog. The hunter accidentally drops a nickel, and Phoenix immediately rushes to pick it up and flees. When the hunter catches up to her, he points his gun at her expecting her to cower in fear. Phoenix bravely stands up to the hunter when he asks if the gun frightens her. No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done, (Welty 4) she tells the hunter. The hunter seems surprised at her answer and walks on. Finally, Phoenix makes it to the town of Natchez, and visits the doctors office, where she is rudely greeted by a nurse. Phoenix and the nurse converse for awhile and the nurse realizes Phoenix is here for the grandsons medicine and gives it to her, while she explains the boy is a lost cause. The story ends with Phoenix accepting a 5 charity from the nurse, and she leaves the office.

Phoenix Jackson is an African-American woman who lives in Mississippi with her sick grandson. Phoenix is described as, very old and small, wearing a long apron of bleached sugar sacks, unlaced shoes, and a dark striped dress. (Welty 1) This description is very stereotypical of how Southern African-Americans were. The hunter also stereotypes Phoenix when he says, I know you old colored people! Wouldnt miss going to town to see Santa Claus! (Welty 3) The hunter thinks himself superior to Phoenix, but she takes advantage of him when he drops his nickel, almost making her superior to him. Another stereotype about African-Americans and Phoenix is when she takes the nickel, Welty makes it seem like all blacks steal and take advantage of white people.

Eudora Welty also has ties to the racism and Deep South. Having been born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Welty grew up in a time where whites were superior to blacks. In the 1910s, when Welty was growing up, the Southern states still thought of blacks as dirt, or very close to dirt. Welty also was in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Era. However, when Welty writes, she tends to leave out most political ideas/affiliations. It seems that she does not think it necessary to include politics when the majority of her stories mostly refer to race.

In A Worn Path, Welty also makes allusions to past ideas and items that would be considered offensive to African-Americans. As Phoenix is trudging along up a hill she says, Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far. (Welty 1) Phoenix may not be directly talking about chains in the sense of slavery, but one may interpret it as that. Chains stood as a symbol that prevented blacks from reaching their dreams during the late 1800s and 1900s. When Phoenix reaches a clearing, Welty explains the scene with, big dead trees, like black men with one arm, were standing in the purple stalks of the withered cotton field. (Welty 2) Black men with one arm can symbolize black men working in the cotton fields during the slavery era, especially because Phoenix bumps into these trees after she crawls under a barbed wire fence.

In Eudora Weltys short story A Worn Path, race is a key element in understanding the story and why the story is criticized. Phoenix Jackson takes a simple journey into town to get medicine for her sick grandson. Although it can be thought of in many different ways, and it can be interpreted in different ways, A Worn Path is simply a story about a grandmas journey to help her sick grandson.