A Worn Path

One of the things I picked up on in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, is symbolism. The story revolves around a grandmother on a journey to get medicine for her grandchild. As is typical with most journey related stories, the central character faces many challenges along the way. At the beginning of the story, the grandmother, phoenix says "Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and little bobwhites....Keep the big wild hogs out of my path" (Welty 223).The journey in the story represents the journey of life. Along the way, many challenges come up. Life does not simply move on without trial, it moves in an unpredictable way that brings us challenges unimaginably difficult. That being said, man still perseveres. Just as the grandmother keeps on moving, undeterred by the obstacles, man too must move on. He must not get stuck up on one of the many curve balls life throws. Rather, he must adapt, find a solution to his challenges. Even though it is often difficult, man completes his challenge, just as the grandmother finishes hers.