Journey Phoenix example essay topic

A Worn Path A worn path is a story about a woman named Phoenix Jackson who needs to go a journey to town to get medicine for her sick grandson. It is a trip she has made before many times before (hence the title A worn Path) but there is something special about this trip, something different. In this paper I plan to dwell into the symbolism behind the Legend of the Phoenix and its relationship to her journey in the story. The legend of the Phoenix is about a fabled sacred bird of ancient Egyptians, said to come out of Arabia every 500 years to Heliopolis, where it burned itself on altar and rose again from its ashes young and beautiful; symbol of immortality.

I think this story also represents Christian beliefs because the setting is Christmas time and the story is about dying then rising again like Jesus did on the cross. Also I think that there is a coalition between the grandson and the Son of God. Phoenix, the women in the story represent the myth of the Phoenix because she is described as being very old and near the end of her life. She is a pitiful sight, she can hardly walk and has to use a make shift cane made of an old umbrella to aid her. Her skin is described as old and wrinkly but yet with a golden color running beneath it? Her skin is had a pattern all its own, of numberless branching wrinkles in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath?

I think her skin tone is a symbol of the golden feathers of the Phoenix. I believe that her grandson represents the next Phoenix the one that will be given life when she dies. I think the trip to the city to get the medicine represents the mythological trip that the Phoenix takes to the sun to die. I say this because by going on this journey Phoenix is using the last of her energy and will probably die soon after it. On her way to the city Phoenix faces many obstacles. One obstacle she faces is old age?

Seems like there is chains about my feet? she says this because her old age has left her almost immobile. The first actual obstacle she comes across is the scarecrow who represents death or the grim reaper because he is described as wearing all black and is trying to get her to come with him. Another thing that links the scarecrow to death is the simple fact that he is in a field. The next obstacle is the white hunter who tells her to go back and represents evil forces? Well, granny you must be a hundred years old and scared of nuthin I? d give you a dime if I had any money with me. But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you?

He is lying about having no money so she steals a nickel from him, a trivial amount of money for him that won? t be missed so we the readers find ourselves justifying the theft. People in the story seem to have a reverence for the Phoenix which is shown when a white woman stops to help her tie her shoe which would be highly unlikely in the south at the time. Another incident is when the women at the drugstore in town gives her money for no reason. One part I find interesting is at the end of the story when the nurse asks her about her grandson she says?

My grandson. It was memory that had left me. There I sat and Creed 3 Forgot why I made the long trip? she had made the trip so many times and struggled so hard on it this last time she forgot what she was there for. Another symbol in the story is the paper windmill that Phoenix wants to buy for her grandson. The paper windmill is supposed to represent the outside world to him because he is always sick and in bed and knows nothing of the outside world? I going to the store to buy my child a little windmill they sells made out of paper.

He is going to find it hard to believe such a thing exists in the world? Also a paper windmill would be impossible to make which shows how special her grandson is to her. At the end of the story it almost seems as if Phoenix her self has been reborn because once she comes out of the drugstore she stops having as much difficulty walking? She lifted her free hand, gave a little nod, turned around and walked out of the doctors office. Then her slow step began on the stairs, going down.

I think this shows how determined she is to get back to her grandson with his medicine no matter how many obstacles she must face along the way. The ending of this story is very interesting because they don? t tell you whether or not she makes it back in time to her grandson. You are just left to draw your own conclusions. I think that she gets back but is overwhelmed by the journey she has made and dies after giving her grandson the medicine thus mirroring the story of the Phoenix because by reaching the end of her journey and dying she gives life to her grandson. Now her Grandson is free to leave his house and experience his life and to go on his own journeys until it is time for him as the new Phoenix to sacrifice himself so that the next Phoenix can be born.