...To begin with, there are four elements to a story: theme, setting, and point of view. Each of the elements is a part of every story, but some may play a more important role in the telling of each individual tale. In “A Worn Path”, the theme though out the story is about a strong undying love an old woman has for her grandchild. According to Clugston 2010, the theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete. That's how theme is created. In other words, the theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story. The author uses great symbolism in the short story throughout the entire story. Religion, racism, and true love all play a key role in the theme of “A Worn Path”; it has strong literary elements that take this story to higher limits. The story does not tell us where the mother is, however shows us how strong Phoenix is in her journey with characters making us know how bad racism is and how God is strong with her in her mission. Anyone that has children would not stop at anything to save them; Phoenix’s journey down a worn path proves it. The setting is more than just the location of the story, but it also sets the social setting as well as the mood or atmosphere. A Worn Path” is set in the rural South, containing elements of both nature and society. In particular, Jackson travels both through the woods and into town. These...
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...The Journey: Symbolism of “A Worn Path” and “The Road Not Taken” Expedition. Voyage. Excursion. Pilgrimage. There are many words that are used to describe the word journey but what does it really mean? Many people consider the word journey as merely a distance in which they have traveled or will eventually travel; often they fail to recognize that there can be great meaning beyond each step that is taken. Too often, people become more focused on the destination rather than the process that it takes to get them there. While focusing on destination people neglect to recognize the value of whole process that gets them there. A journey can bring forth exhilaration and excitement as well as agony and anguish. A journey always has a power which affects the lives of people and also changes their beliefs, thoughts and ideals, thus changing them ultimately. Have you ever taken a journey? We have all found ourselves on a journey of some kind or another alone, but what is more important is how we choose to end our journey. The two literary works that I have chosen to compare and contrast are “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. At first glance the two literary works appear to be about the same thing, but upon deeper reflection we conclude that they are not, as one is written as a short story and the other is written as a poem. The short story speaks of a “path” while the poem speaks of a “road.” The theme that each of these literary...
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...A Worn Path Sandra D Mack ENG125: Introduction to Literature Instructor: Lesa Hadley January 30, 2012 The Pilgrimage throughout life presents familiar and unfamiliar paths of traveling. These paths can sometimes result in crossing areas of self-sacrifice as well as areas of hardship. While others paths of traveling may find an individual faced with victories and a sense of self accomplishments. Motivation and determination seem to be the driven force that compels individuals to continue throughout this journey called life. In the short story titled, “A Worn Path”, the author Eudora Welty, creatively incorporates the use of theme and symbolism to effectively layout a storyline that depicts the path of life of an elderly black woman. In the short story, “A Worn Path”, the author uses symbolic language and theme to identify the conflicts, struggles, self-scarifies and determination that one must face throughout the journey of life. The use of this symbolic language allows the major themes of sacrificial love in the face of hardship and death to be easily identified throughout the story. ” A Worn Path” passes far beyond it’s time capsule and remarkable fusion a number of different elements which incorporate myths, legend, and religious undertones which provide the story with a universally understanding of life and the struggles and accomplishments individuals must face on this journey called life (Moberly, 2005). Throughout the short story, titled, “A Worn...
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...the Journey ENG 125 September 11, 2011 Symbolism of the Journey, a comparison of two stories The short stories “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost are both stories that involve using the journey as a symbol. The symbol that the journey portrays in both of these pieces of literature is that of life. Life as a human being involves the right of choice in one of the literary works, and a lack of choice in the second. This paper will compare and contrast these two literary works which share the same theme. The comparison of the two stories will involve a comparison of the content, form, and style in an effort to provide deep insight into the theme of the stories; as well as insight into the hidden meanings poetry offers its readers to touch us on a deeper level. Content In the story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty, content is developed through a complex series of descriptions. The story begins with a description of the setting which is a cold December morning in a far off path through a pinewood forest. The character is an old Negro woman who is described as being very old and small and wearing a head tied red rag. The woman is further described as wearing a dark red stripped dress and apron and carrying a cane and an umbrella. These descriptions of the setting give the reader a clear picture of the setting and character in the story as well as how the character moves when the author describes her as moving slowly through the pine shadows...
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... Reading a story, a poem, or a play introduces you to an imaginary world (Clugston, W.R. (2010). When reading literature we must enter the imaginary world; enter the world the author is creating. The story “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty in 1941 and the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost in 1916 both use the theme of journey to symbolize life decisions. One speaks of a “Path” the other a “Road” the theme that each of these writings share is presented differently throughout the piece of literature. These two pieces of literature symbolize a journey, through using content, form, style, symbolism and imagination, although used differently in many ways they both are symbolizing a journey through life. The theme in a story is a representation of the idea behind the story (Clugston, W.R.(2010). In the pieces of literature I have chosen, the theme is speaking of journeys, one journey for love and the other life, but both having to make life decisions. The authors took different approaches in showing the reader the journey, the life decisions that had to be made. Both works have characters making a journey. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, the narrator has been traveling and has reached a point where the road divides. The narrator is a traveler. Likewise, in the short story “A Worn Path”, the main character is on a trip to town. She is travelling from home through the pines up the hill and down the valley. In both the poem and the short story, the characters are...
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...Symbolism of the Journey Michelle Van Dyke ENG 125 Introductions to Literature Professor Alicia Giffin April 25, 2012 In reading there is always a story to be found within the words written, whether it is in the form of a poem or a short story. “Reading creates imaginary experiences. It connects you to new experiences that become meaningful when you allow them to influence your thoughts and feelings’ (Clugston, 2010, Ch. 1). The writers are able to capture our imagination with the use of characterization, setting, theme and tone throughout their literary works. It is by imagination that we are able to mentally visualize what the author would like us to drawing us into the piece and then allowing us to grasp it by use of symbolism or a descriptive word. How many times have you had a path to choose in life? Have you ever taken a journey? We have all found ourselves on a journey of some kind or another alone, but what is more important is how we choose to end it! In my essay I will compare and contrast the literary works “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost (1916) and “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty (1941). At the conclusion of this essay I believe you will see we all have journeys in life although similar not always the same. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” (Frost, 1916) or the short story “A Worn Path” (Welty, 1941) the theme is analogous. While one speaks of a “Path” the other a “Road” the theme that each of these writings share is presented differently throughout...
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...Paths and Roads Student Name ENG125 Instructor Name Date “A Worn Path and “The Road Not Taken” are literary works that take us on a literary journey exploring choices and obstacles the protagonists encounter adding dimension to the stories. The authors of “A Worn Path” and “The Road Not Taken” use different point of views to narrate their stories. Point of view is the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's going on. Skillful authors can fix their readers' attention on exactly the detail, opinion, or emotion the author wants to emphasize by manipulating the point of view of the story” (Woods, 2010). Both stories use symbolism to show the hardship of life the characters endure along their journey and that how life can change along the way. The readers’ perceptions about the events are changed by the symbolism surrounding the characters and the conflicts that are presented. When it comes to literary works there’s always a deeper implication hidden behind the piece, and it’s up to the reader to dig around to find it. Both forms share a similar theme with different point of views along with several literary devices. Both of these literary pieces focus on one particular theme that is “Life’s Journey”. A theme of a story should give the reader its point of view and a reader should be able to understand the theme from the story through the characters, action, and setting that make up the story. Both show how the decisions we make in life can change our journey...
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...Symbolism in Journey “A Worn Path” and “A Road not Taken” The symbolism of a journey is represented in the short story “A worn Path” and the poem “The Road Not taken”. In each a journey is being taken. While representing two different types of journeys, they each display symbolism that is representative of each story. In “A Worn Path”, the journey of struggle to overcome racism and in “The Road not Taken” is regret of having to choice between two paths. Using symbolism in each form makes the story and poem more reverent to the reader. The symbolism is like imagery for both the short story and the poem. The short story “A Worn Path” is written by Eudora Welty. The story is set in the south during a time when racial tension was still prevalent. African Americans are just moving out of slavery and into being free. The story tells of the journey of an old woman making the familiar trip to town for medicine for her grandchild. She is met with obstacles, adversity and also with respect. The old woman’s name is Phoenix Jackson. The author takes care not to describe Phoenix as a black woman, but instead describes her with colors that are representation of the mythical creature of the same name. The author description of Phoenix as” her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow...
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...A Worn Path A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a short story about an elderly women- Phoenix Jackson and who is taking a long journey though the woods into town to acquire medicine for her sick grandson. On her way she encounters many obstacles such as the thorns in which her dress got caught in, barbed wire, a scarecrow, a large dog, a hunter and the lady, which ties her shoes. All of these obstacles among her dementia and hallucinations, which are implied throughout the story, delay her from reaching town. Throughout the story the reader can perceive that her grandson has already died, however due to her dementia she has trouble remembering. A Worn Path by Eudora Welty is a metaphor for people in this world that use the “worn path” instead of the easy one to reach their goals, just like Phoenix Jackson used her undying love and devotion for her grandson as a push towards town through the forest even though the journey is hard. Phoenix’s journey through to the woods to town is a long and tiredly one- her journey in many ways is just like many of ours. When Phoenix is passing through a field of dead corn she realizes that “there was no path”. With her realization so to came mine. Just like she was walking through a pathless field so to do we. Our day consist of our basic routines. I as a student wake up every morning, get dressed, go to school, do homework, sleep. The path I led was in field of dead corn however is it when I instituted change, meaning and goals in my life when...
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...For more than a decade, there have been media sources publicizing controversial stories of injuries and deaths occurring during police-citizen encounters. Public outcry and protest against these police-citizens interactions have created animosity between the two groups, causing a lack of trust in the legitimacy of police work. The case and trial surrounding the death of Michael Brown at the hands of a Missouri police officer was one of the more recent controversial stories that help spark a policing reform by President Barrack Obama. This reform recommended greater usage of body worn cameras by funding $75 million towards equipping law enforcement with body worn cameras while implementing procedures to improve evidence collection and police...
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...Literature Compare and Contrast Introduction to Literature Instructor: Corey King March 9, 2013 Short stories and poems are constructed differently but always each having their own meaning behind them. A number of the short stories of writers we know as novelists--in this country say Cheever, Paul Bowles, Helprin, Oates--are works of art finer than any of their novels. Sometimes a born short story writer tries to write novels and finally succeeds, as Katherine Anne Porter and Eudora Welty did. Every author puts their own underlying message behind them which they attempt to transport to the reader using their own style, characterization and rhythm which is essentially used for the purposes of the narrative. Every poem and short story is created to form ones imagination or personal experience. It is through their imagination that we are able to apply our own, in a way that all it takes is a few words from the poem or the story to allow us to see what the author was seeing at the moment of writing his/her work and even feel his/her emotion, creating a personal connection with the literature. We use our imagination to visualize what the author is portraying in his writing, but at the same time we apply our own imagination to look deeper into the symbolization and the descriptive language that is being used. “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty and “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost, are two literary pieces that share the same theme, in which each author...
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...short story and think that they were both about the same thing? Well that is not the case most of the time. You cannot judge a book by its cover. Or believe all that you see at first glance. There are many of times that a poem or a short story can carry the same message or make the same point or so we think. Just because they may fall under the same category does not mean that the carry the same meaning. For example “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and “A Worn Road” by Welty are both about the directions that can be taken in life. We all at one or another are faced with having to make a choice that will affect us for the rest of our life. Some paths may lead us down the right road to happiness and wealth. While other paths, may lead us down heartache and sorrow. At the end it is up to us on how we live the life that we choose for your self’s. The two reading that I choose to compare and contrast are “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and “A Worn Road” by Welty. As it looks at first glance they might be about the same thing, but in reality they are not. One is a poem and the other written as a short story. They both talk about the paths, roads and choice in life. “The Road Not Taken” is about a journey and choice and decision on what or which way to go in life and also the unknown. This poem is about the decision and the direction of life and where it might take you. The second is a short story about an old women and her journey in life. She recalls stories and...
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...media attention these days. This attention can be attributed to recent years of high profile events such as protests, uses of force, and misconduct. The public demands law enforcement professionals to adhere to certain standards and be accountable for their actions. As a result of changing times, law enforcement identified a need to record their interactions with the public on a daily basis in order to justify their actions to critics. This need could be fulfilled by having officers wear body worn cameras to document their interactions with the public. Law enforcement agencies must weigh the costs, benefits, and cons of acquiring body worn cameras for their officers. There are...
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...emotion, and even setting. Symbolism which is used in most literary works such as, The Worn path, by Eudora Welty and Good country people by Flannery O’Connor which also have similar themes. Theme consistent in both works is similar due to the religious nature portrayed in, The Worn path and Good country people. Though each are similar each portray a different aspect of faith, from redemption to triumph. Perception of literary elements based on the characters within each work, are portrayed differently the overall themes are similar. Symbolism can be described as one thing meaning more than its literal meaning. (Clugston, 2014) For instance, Welty’s, The Worn path, is seen instantly like: “Seem like there is chains about my feet, time I get this far, she said, in the voice of argument old people keep to use with themselves. Something always take a hold of me on this hill-pleads I should stay.” (Saunders, 1992) The worn path itself is symbolic of the journey of life that has been traveled many times over. Even the character, Phoenix Jackson, her name alone is a symbol. Phoenix is representative of a mystical bird that rises in the air and burst into flames. A new phoenix arises from the ashes, stronger than the one before it. While, Phoenix is an old woman, consistently realizes how strong she truly is as she overcomes the different obstacles along her journey. Similar to, The Worn path by Welty, O’Connor’s’ literary work, Good Country People also uses characters names...
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...“A Worn Path” I found an interesting reminder throughout the short story “A Worn Path.” It wasn’t an exact repetition of words, but it was the constant reminder throughout the story that the old lady knew this worn path and that she had been through it multiple times. In the beginning of the story we have no idea where she is going and if she’s even taken this path before. However, as the story progresses she keeps giving details of how she knows exactly where she is going for instance when she says, “Now comes the trial” or “A pleasure I don’t see no two- headed snake coming around that tree, where it come once. It took a while to get by him, back in the summer” We now learn that she’s even been through this path at different times of the year. Another example later on in the story is when she says, “Walk pretty… This the easy place. This the easy going.” This constant reminder of her knowledge and details of the path has an effect on us because we learn that this is a path she has memorized and knows very well. I think it might subconsciously build an idea that at the end of the path there is an important reason as to why she’s keep putting herself through this path despite of her age now. Another reminder is when she tells the white hunter man “I bound to go to town mister… The time come around.” At this point we don’t know what “time” she means when she speaks about it, but we learn that it is something she probably and usually goes to town for. And it...
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