A Worn Path
Eudora Welty (1941)
Phoenix is the character from “A Worn Path” that I found interest in, her journey is in the
line with that of the Phoenix bird. She will go any distance she must for her grandson. It is rare
nowadays to see someone that cares for another person so much and will go to the lengths that
she will go to protect that person.
An external conflict is hen Phoenix makes efforts to prevail over her physical
environment and the obstacles it presents; the cold, the stream she must cross, the fence she must
go through, the scarecrow that frightens her, etc. Once she reaches what is mostly likely a county
health office, she must deal with the arrogance and hatefulness of the receptionist. I believe that
she handled this very well even though the woman was very rude to her. An internal conflict is
when Phoenix endures the woman’s humiliating treatment in order to get what she came for, the
