Symbolism and Perseverance in Welty's "A Worn Path"

Introduction: The Exemplary Short Story

Short stories are poignant pieces of literature — as pithy and powerful as poetry, but in a more straightforward and relatable package. Like poetry, a short story relies on literary devices such as symbolism and imagery, characterization and setting, to convey the author's themes. Also like poetry, the short story reflects the cultural and historical context in which it was written. While the canon of American literature is rich with iconic, enduring short stories whose timeless qualities have elevated them to the status of classics, a few have risen higher than the others — and among those few, one stands superior to all. That exemplary short story is Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path," which uses characterization, setting, and symbolism to capture the themes of faith and perseverance.

Setting as Character and Symbol

In an exemplary short story, setting becomes like a character with a personality and life of its own. No other short story personifies setting as well as "A Worn Path," the title of which hearkens to the way a person is always interacting with the environment. The path Phoenix Jackson takes is not worn from the repetitive footsteps of others, but from the persistent nature of love. Phoenix walks on and on in spite of the dismissive attitudes of others and the physical, economic, and psychological hardships she endures. Through this intense and heavy-hearted setting, Welty paints a portrait of what it means to be Black in America. Thus, setting promotes the power of symbolism in the short story, demonstrating how Welty manages to blend multiple literary devices together in one masterful work.

"A Worn Path" is set in the middle of winter and begins on a "frozen day" that drives home the environmental conditions the protagonist must face. The freezing environment also represents the cold-heartedness of the people around her, including those Phoenix encounters along the way to her grandson. At times, Phoenix risks losing her own dignity: "Phoenix was like an old woman begging a dignified forgiveness." She has so thoroughly surrendered her ego in order to save her grandson that "A Worn Path" becomes representative of the theme of martyrdom that defines an archetypal hero. After all, a hero is celebrated for surrendering to a purpose much bigger and more important than the self. The grandson symbolizes that higher purpose for Phoenix Jackson.

Perseverance Through Diction and Description

Setting and symbolism also interact to deliver the central theme of perseverance. The wintry setting creates harsh external conditions that make it harder for the old woman to achieve her goal. Already slowed by the ravages of age, Phoenix now contends with icy roads and "frozen earth," which even threaten to kill her. Welty cleverly uses diction — such as the "grave" noise made by the old woman's cane — to anchor for the reader how precarious her situation is and how much she risks for her grandson. In addition to using symbolism and diction to capture the protagonist's spirit, Welty also employs straightforward description, alerting the reader in the story's very first paragraph that a "persistent" nature is the defining feature of a survivor: someone who overcomes all obstacles not because she has something to prove, but because she has a purpose greater than herself to serve.

Works Cited

Welty, Eudora. "A Worn Path." Atlantic Monthly, 1941.