Summary Of Eudora Welty's A Worn Path

It was December, around Christmas time, in the 1940s. Children were running and playing in the snow. It was during the time at the end of the Civil War. After reading Eudora Welty’s, “A Worn Path,” and understanding the story we must consider an old Negro woman name Phoenix Jackson, a worn rough path in Natchez that she traveled, and the prejudices she had to endure to get medication for her sick grandson. Phoenix Jackson was an old, negro, almost blind, uneducated cripple woman. Phoenix lived in a time where most blacks were uneducated and poor. She did not have transportation. Phoenix walked with a cane made out of an umbrella. Despite of her old age she cared for her grandson who was sick from swallowing lye. Her grandson needed medication and Phoenix had to take a worn path by foot across town to get it. The Natchez Trace had not yet been developed at this time. Phoenix set out walking on the path. She’s taken the path many times and knows it by heart. She came across many obstacles along the way. Phoenix got caught in a thorn bush, crossed a river, danced with a scarecrow, and was frightened by a dog and fell in a ditch. A hunter saw her in the ditch and he did help her. He referred to Phoenix as “granny.” Phoenix told the hunter she was going to town. The hunter made the statement, “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to
It was obvious the lady did not want to be bothered but she did as Phoenix asked. Phoenix arrived at the clinic and the desk attendant looked at Phoenix and assumed by her appearance that she was a charity case. Phoenix stood in silence. She forgotten what she came to the clinic for. The nurse came in and recognized Phoenix. The nurse gave Phoenix the bottle of medicine and marked in on their records as charity. The desk attendant felt bad about how she treated her and gave Phoenix five pennies out of her