A Worn Path....Setting

Paper 4: A Worn Path Setting In the short story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, Phoenix Jackson an elderly “negro” woman, journeys through the woods to a town to get medicine for her grandson in the early 19th century on a December morning. As the elderly woman walked through the woods she encounters many different obstacles along the way, which allows the audience to notice her drive and determination upon arrival at the town. Many of the different details that go into creating the setting and atmosphere of the story are purposely placed to strike reactions and emotions. The setting of the story affects the action, the atmosphere and the characters. The actions in the story are affected by the setting of the woods and the obstacles placed in her way along her journey. While on her journey to the town the elderly woman encounters a huge log “and shuts her eyes” while she crosses over the log-bridged gap. The author allows the audience to picture the elderly lady in the middle of the log to better portray the difficulties and hardships she must face as she continues on. She also encounters a large black dog that suddenly surprises her “and over she went in the ditch.” The dog creates another obstacle which leads to a helping hand of a passerby thus affecting the setting. These actions show how she is in conflict with herself becoming too old to make the travel to the town without some difficulties along the way. She shows her determination to finish what she started as she continues on through all of the other obstacles and finally ends up at the town. As the lady walk through the woods there are many details of the setting that affect the outcome of the atmosphere of the story. The atmosphere of the story is mostly a happy-warming tone with a hint of darkness with a sad undertone. The sadness of the story has to be read between the lines because the story itself tends to be an adventure that lends a happy tone. The atmosphere is affected because of the bright