A Worn Path; Mythological Quest

A mythological quest is a substantial journey began by an initiator towards an item of
importance that requires significant effort to obtain. A sense of difficulty may occur to the
quester during the voyage. Welty’s story, which describes the journey of an old woman in search
of medicine for her grandson, is wealthy of mythological tales such as the legend of Phoenix.
The grandson suffers from the lingering effects of swallowing lye. Phoenix is an African
American woman, who dresses in an apron made from sugar sacks, dragging shoelaces and
walks with a cane made from an umbrella. Despite her appearance, she is on a substantial
journey to soothe the suffering of a loved one and possesses a wise and immortal quality.
In mythology, a phoenix is a colorful large Egyptian bird that lives for quite an extended
period and rises afresh from ashes in death from a fire created by the bird. In essence, the bird is
a symbol of resurrection. In “A worn path” Phoenix has correspondence to the large bird in that,
she rises from all obstacles to complete her journey and just like the colorful bird, golden and
yellow are the inflections of her skin color. She also alludes to her old age by saying “I the oldest
people I ever know.” The statement symbolizes her immortal feel just like Phoenix, the bird.
There are instances when Phoenix gives off an animalistic feel. For example, she closes her eyes
when crossing the creek and Welty argues that had she not distracted her eyesight and depended
on her feet to lead her, she would have been lost. Welty describes the persistent noise arising
from the continuous tapping of the frozen earth by Phoenix, as a chirping of a solitary bird.
Welty uses images of life and death to signify that life is a continuous cycle as well as
phoenix’s journey. From the story, Phoenix upon completion of her long journey rises and
travels to the city again when her grandson is in need of the medicine. Her sheer resilience in

A WORN PATH; MYTHOLOGICAL QUEST
making the journey by foot and alone signifies the qualities of the mythological significance of
her name. Phoenix faces several difficulties in the course of her long voyage. For instance, she is
black at a time when it is deemed more appropriate to be white and a woman when it is regarded
more desirable to be a man. However, she is brave and succeeds despite the adversities. For
instance, she courageously stands her ground and faces the white hunter who speaks to her in a
condescending manner and points his gun at her for stealing his nickel.
Phoenix is poor in a society where money indicates power and is a practical necessity,
and she is old in a culture that holds youthfulness in high regard. For instance, a nurse dismisses
her as a charity case and offers minimal compassion to the predicament of her grandson because
she is poor. She also grapples against severe fatigue and deficient eyesight as well as hurdles
such as thorny bushes and barbed wire. Despite these difficulties, Phoenix exerts substantial
effort to obtain the medicine for her beloved grandson and has the willingness to repeat the
journey when her grandson’s need for the medication arises. Phoenix also faces difficulty upon
arrival at her destination. She forgets her purpose for the visit to the doctor’s office as well as the
grandson upon arrival. However, it signifies her uncontrolled resolve and hope because of her
loved one. She also portrays endurance, is a symbol of perseverance and life in the face of death.