A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

A WORN PATH

Eudora Welty

Jeania White-Tucker

February 2006

Mr. Gural

Critique of a short story

A Worn Path Ð'- Eudora Welty

In her short story "A Worn Path," Eudora Welty tells the story of one old woman in a way that from the beginning raises questions of suspense in what is really a simple tale made more complex by the characterization and by the way information is revealed in the course of the story.

Phoenix Jackson is an Old "negro" woman she lived in the forest way back behind the ridge. Old Aunt Phoenix was small and she walked slowly with a cane made from an umbrella. She wore an Apron and along dark colored dress that she had to constantly pull up as she continued on her journey, so it wouldn't get caught on anything.

Aunt Phoenix is traveling through the forest. "Up the through pines" "Now down threw oaks she says" continuing her long journey into town. There are many obstacles that she has to get through on her way in to town, her dress gets caught on what she thought was a "pretty little green bush" but it was actually a thorn bush. She mounted a log as she balanced herself and crossed it as of she were a tight rope walker. She also too a rest and started to hallucinate, closing her eyes and seeing a little boy bring her a piece of marble cake. But that wasn't the least of her obstacles when she thought every ting was done.

Aunt Phoenix continued her journey into town (readers still not knowing why) walking through fields, admiring scenery what little she could see with her old eyes. On her journey she stopped by a spring where water was flowing, and she bent down to drink taking a rest. She continued on her path where it turned into a road. A black dog came out of nowhere and jumped on aunt Phoenix and this caused her to fall over into a ditch. She laid in the ditch for a while thinking to herself "that dog came to stall you off". A white hunter came along with his dog on a leash and helps her up. He and his dog went to scare the black dog away. Aunt Phoenix hears a gunshot but isn't sure if the dog was shot. The young hunter returns to aunt Phoenix asking her what she is doing here and also ask where she lives. She reply saying that she lives "way down yonder behind the ridge" and that she was going to town. while conversing with the man she notices a nickel fall out of his pocket, the dog returns and while the man goes to scare it away again aunt phoenix swiftly reaches down and picks up the nickel and puts it in to the pocket of her apron. Once again the hunter returns to her and tells her she should get home before she get hurt or something, she refuses and

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