She is her own obstacle in this situation because if not for her poor eyesight, she will not have mistaken the thorn bush for something else and slowed down on the path.
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This quote above describes how Phoenix’s sight misleads her into thinking that the thorn bush is a regular shrub. Phoenix indirectly recognizes herself to be the first obstacle by saying “old eyes thought you was a pretty little green bush” (Welty 8). As Phoenix starts her journey, her awful eyesight misleads her drastically when she walks into a thorn bush and becomes entangled. Furthermore, Welty develops the theme of perseverance by describing how the obstacles that Jackson faces do not stop her from reaching her goal of acquiring medicine for her grandson.Īs the story progresses, the author illustrates how Phoenix perseveres despite being an obstacle to herself. Most elders would not stand a chance walking miles and miles under such circumstances. Despite the weather and her poor body conditions, she has an optimistic mind-set throughout the story. Surprisingly, Jackson is not the average elderly woman. In detail, the author describes Phoenix as a small, elderly Negro woman who walks with a cane, and is determined to go on a long trail to meet her grandson’s medical conditions. The setting is illustrated as a bright, frozen day in December.
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At the beginning of the story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, the author starts off by describing the setting and the characteristics of the protagonist Phoenix Jackson.