Worn Path By Eudora Welty Essays - Eudora Welty,

Worn Path By Eudora Welty In ?A Worn Path? Eudora Welty's plot is not all that clear in the beginning of her short story, but progresses as her character carries on against all of the overwhelming forces against her. In this short story a black elderly woman, Phoenix Jackson, must overcome the odds against her as she valiantly travels through many obstacles in order to contribute to the wellness of her grandson, for whom she is making this trip down ?a worn path.? It is at this point that all of Welty's readers' hearts open up to this poor, elderly woman as she makes an attempt to carry on her love for her grandson by taking a long journey down a familiar path in order to get medication that seems to help ease his sickness pains. However, there are many forces against Phoenix that Welty includes in her story in order to make Phoenix's adventure end in a victory. Poverty, old age, and her journey through the woods are all of the odds which Phoenix must overcome. Poverty is a major hardship that most of us will never have to face, but in Phoenix's case, poverty is present everyday in her and her grandson's life. Since she is in this state of poverty, Phoenix is not able to enjoy life's luxuries as others do and must make do with what she can. As she begins her journey, it becomes clear that she lacks the money to pay for transportation to and from town; therefore, she starts down her path carrying a ?thin, small cane made from an umbrella? (132). Although Welty never really emphasizes what this is used for the reader can assume that she uses it because she does not have the money to buy the actual cane needed to help her walk properly. Another conflict dealing with poverty arouses when she feels it necessary to steal from a hunter she encounters in the woods. While the hunter walks away her sneaky ?fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen? (134). Here Welty shows that Phoenix must do what she has to in order to survive. Even though it may not appear right, her poverty forces her to act in a way that she only knows best. For instance, when people have a barrier separating them between something they want, they are going to do what they can to achieve their goal no matter what stands in their way. In this case Phoenix is a poor woman and the money catches her eye. Acting on her instinct, she takes what is not hers and hopes that she can get away with it. However, because of her perseverance and determination to better the health of her grandson, Phoenix journeys into town to receive charity that the doctor's office provides her. This ?soothing medicine? they give her is the reason why she makes this trip in the first place (136). However, she is looked upon as a charity case since she has no money to pay for the medication he needs and is given the medicine for free. All of these examples that Welty has described in ?A Worn Path? allow her story to develop by making readers think about what she writes. Poverty is an important issue in today's society and it makes one think of all the fortunes they have. In this sense, Welty also makes one fear poverty by the way she addresses it. The images allow one to feel Phoenix's pain that comes along with poverty. Joyce Carol Oates backs up this statement by adding that by ?disciplining her [Welty's] vision in order to gain deeper penetration into the dark and lovely realities of the lonely human spirit and shaping her fiction so that each story should be something achieved...? (362). Oates simply means that Welty goes beyond normal realities in order to grab the reader's attention. Through poverty, Welty takes a worldwide problem and stretches it to a level in which the person reading her story feels saddened by the power she displays. To be old, poor, and a surrogate mother is a hard job, and Welty does a wonderful job of portraying this through the underlying problem of poverty. Another overpowering element in ?A Worn Path? is Phoenix's age. Welty writes that she has ?numberless branching wrinkles? which illustrates that she has many years behind her (132). It is here

A Runners Guide to Writing

A Runners Guide to Writing Writers, Even though it may cut into your writing time, picking up a running habit can help you become a more motivated, disciplined, and well-paid writer. Heres my advice for running and writing: 1. Just thinking about it doesnt get you anywhere. With both running and writing, you have to actually do the work, and not just think Boy, I should really do some work today. In both running and writing, its easier to keep up your pace and good habits when youve got plenty of momentum. If you need a little help getting started, Fitness Magazines Running 101  guide is a great place for beginning runners to get their bearings. 2. Consistent work is required to make progress. You are never going to beat any personal bests when it comes to running speed unless you run on a regular basis. Likewise, you arent going to finish that novel without putting in regular effort. If you go too long between sessions, itll almost feel like you have to start from scratch. 3. It doesnt have to be a solo pursuit. Some athletes prefer to run alone, but others prefer to run with a group. Likewise, while writing does require some degree of isolation, you can find the support you need to keep you motivated through social connections. Try doing a work-in-progress readings at your local bookstore, or workshopping your piece with a local writers group. 4. Youll hurt yourself if you go at it too hard. Run too long or too hard, and youll risk an injury. Carpal tunnel jokes aside, this applies to writers as well, who can burn themselves out when working under a tight deadline. Even marathon runners take a break the day after a race: If you can bang out 40 pages in one day, thats awesome, but give your brain (and your fingers) some time to recuperate afterwards. 5. Do it, rain or shine. Once you have a streak going, you wont want to break it. A little rain shouldnt stop you from running, and it will even make you feel happy on a dreary day. Likewise, forcing yourself to write a page or two on a day when you mental weather is a bit gloomy is a great way to feel like youre in control of your future as a writer. Once youve developed discipline, its almost like the work does itself. Ill always remember the day I went out on a casual jog, looked down at my phone, and saw Id run a 10k without even trying to. Likewise, with disciplined writing habits inspired Picked up a running habit? Write about your experiences for one of these fitness magazines: Runners World Submission Guidelines TrailRunner Magazine Submission Guidelines Canadian Running Submission Guidelines Womens Running Submission Guidelines Womens Adventure Submission Guidelines