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This occurrence adds symbolism to the ending by providing us with reassurance of the story's theme that despite any precaution taken, death is the one thing that cannot be planned for.
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Symbolism is highly present in Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path." It is this strong symbolism that defines what "A Worn Path" grew to represent. This story may be interpreted in many ways, but in the end, it all comes down to the theme of self-sacrifice despite the hardships presented. Phoenix sacrifices her sanity, her life, and demonstrates utter determination when she is on her path to get medicine for her dying grandson. The items that demonstrate this symbolism go far beyond individual interpretation.
The character's name itself provides great symbolism to relate to the theme of the story. "Phoenix" represents an Egyptian bird that symbolizes resurrection. Throughout the entire story, Phoenix is her grandson's savior. She needs to go through it all in order to allow her grandchild to survive, to rise from a state of inevitable death. Another symbolic token is nature. Nature is around her and cannot be avoided, and although it is beautiful at times, nature itself provides Phoenix with physical obstacles, such as fencing wire and bushes, that she must...
Another obstacle that takes on its own symbolic meaning is that of racism. Along her path Phoenix encounters a white man from whom she ends up taking a nickle from. Her exposure along the path she has taken is to the outside world, that during that time period represents so much more than nature; it represents exposure to a racially segregated and black-hating world. Despite this danger, she risks and sacrifices herself for her grandson.
Symbolism runs even higher when the time setting is taken into consideration. The timing of her journey is during the Christmas season. Taking this journey on during this specific time, adds on to the self-sacrificing theme that this story takes on. Just as in the Christian religion, the main character is sacrificing her own well-being for the well-being of those who mean most to her. The overall title of this short story, "A Worn Path," itself has symbolism about the entire journey that she is going through. She goes along this path, this worn path, where she encounters all of the obstacles that she eventually overcomes. She masters this path, in an unknown environment, filled with physical and societal dangers, yet she prevails in order to guarantee that her grandson can be saved.
Story Of an Hour Kate Chopin was an American writer whose deeply feminist views often influenced her writing. In "The Story of an Hour," Chopin (1894) explores Mrs. Mallard's reaction to the news of her husband's death and the emotional rollercoaster that she experiences during the brief hour after she hears her husband has died and before she learns her husband is actually still alive. Chopin's (1894) "The Story of an
Kate Chopin & Ernest Hemingway Women Repression and Empowerment in Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and Ernest Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" Nineteenth century literature gave birth to a preponderance of works that centered on themes about women and their subjugation and struggle for power in the rigidly conservative society. Through literature, writers, men and women alike, pushed forth the program of inflicting change, as the 20th century began to
Chopin's "Story of an Hour" and the Use of Symbol Kate Chopin uses various symbols, such as the open window, the home, the heart, the news of death, and stairs, to convey themes of alienation and otherness, both of which underscore the ultimate irony in "The Story of an Hour" about a woman who happily "becomes" a widow only to find, tragically, in her moment of bliss that her husband is
Desiree's Baby is an 1892 story by Kate Chopin that examines how the Aubigny family falls apart due to assumptions and misunderstandings. In the story, Desiree, an orphan whose parentage is unknown and whom the Valmonde family lovingly raises, marries Armand Aubigny, a man whose father comes from a prominent family. Desiree eventually gets pregnant by and gives birth to Armand's son, who later is the cause for Armand to
Hour Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin wrote their two separate short stories, "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Story of an Hour," within two years of each other in the 1890s. Because both of them were dealing with a similar theme, the control of women, there are a number of similarities in their plot, symbolism, characters, and other similar aspects of literature. In the late 1800s, women had few choices in
Story Of an Hour: Theme and Narrative Elements In a way, Kate Chopin's short story, "Story of an Hour," deals with a variety of different issues that are still relevant to this day. It alludes to the repression of women, the fine line between life and death, as well as that between kindness and cruelty. Additionally, the author uses a variety of literary conventions to convey these different elements, which include