A Worn Path : Summary and Questions-Answers

 A Worn Path 

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[Eudora Welty : The Writer]

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Main Characters of The Story :

• Phoenix Jackson : She is named after the mythological bird which rises renewed from the ashes of a fire. She is taking a long and difficult journey only to fetch medicines for grandson
• A White Hunter Boy : He finds and helps Phoenix to come out of a ditch where she had fallen while walking through jungle
• An Attendant (in the doctor's clinic) : At first she is rude to Phoenix, but later she changed her attitude, and even gave her a nickel as a Christmas gift.
• A Nurse : She knowns why Phoenix has come. She is kinder to her and helps her by providing the required to her

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Some Major Themes of the Story:

• Life is a journey. It's not always smooth and easy, it's full of difficulties.
• Show strength in the face of adversity (difficult or unpleasant situation).
• Don't be discouraged by challenges, keep moving forward.
• It is important never to give up. 
• Be dutiful and responsible. 
• Love: Always show unconditional and selfless love, and do anything for someone you love.

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 A Short Summary :

This is a story of an old negro woman. She is Phoenix Jackson. She used to live in a village with her only grand son, who was ill. They were only two in their family. She had to go to the town at regular intervals to fetch (go and bring) medicine from there. 

The town was far away from her village, and the journey was very difficult. The beauty of the story is how at her age she faces all the obstacles (badha)  boldly on her way .

The present story describes one of her such journeys to the town. On the way she had to face many obstacles. But every time faces them boldly and successfully.

Her journey started through up the hill. It was 25th December. It was extremely cold and the path was covered with snow. She tapped her stick on the snow and continued her journey. She in the habit of talking to herself and also all the animals she met on the way. 

 

After climbing up the hill with a great difficulty, now she had to climb down. By that time she got caught by the thorny bushes. She made herself free from them, and continued her journey.

(Phoenix Jackson Continuing Her Journey)

After some time she came by a creek. She had to cross it through a log. Although it was very difficult, she took it to be her trial. She made herself ready for that. She closed her eyes and started to walk very carefully through the  log and finally crossed it successfully.

(There was a log through the creek)

She again continued her journey. There was another obstacle. Now she had to cross through a barbed wire fence. She crept and crawled through the wire saving herself and her gown too.

Now she was passing through a corn field. There she saw a scarecrow. At first she thought it to be a ghost. But when she came nearer, she knew that it was a scarecrow. She talked and even danced with it. 

(There was a Scarecrow)

Then, when she was walking, a black dog came before her all of a sudden. She was not prepared for it. She lost her balance and fell in a ditch.

(The Big Black Dog)

After some time a hunter boy came there. He took her out from the ditch. When they were talking, he dropped a nickel on the ground. She became greedy and stole it.

After some time, she reached the town. There she asked a young lady to tie her shoe laces. The whole town was decorated with colorful bulbs.

(The whole town was decorated with colourful bulbs)

But her eyes were not working properly as it was working in the day time. But as she had travelled the way several several times, she didn't even need eyes to reach to the doctor's clinic. Her habituated feet took her to the doctor's clinic.

The long and difficult journey at this age had made her tired. It had also made her forgetful for some time. So, when the nurse there asked her about her grandson, she didn't reply at all. 

But soon she recalled everything. She replied that the grandson was not cured. The nurse brought her the  medicine, and she started to return back.

The attendant gave her a nickel as a Christmas gift. She became very glad. Now she had two nickels. She said that she would buy a paper toy (paper windmill) for her grandson.

(A Paper Windmill)

Then she left the clinic for her village. All the obstacle were waiting her in the darkness of the night.

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Some Important Question-Answers

Question 1. Trace the various obstacles Old Phoenix comes up against between the Valley where we first pick her up and the wagon track, and describe how she deals with each.

Answer : The old lady had to face many obstacles. But the beauty of the story is that she not only faces all the obstacles very bravely, but also dealt with all of them.

We first pick Phoenix in the valley walking slowly through dark pine shadows. While walking, she was moving a little from side to side, tapping the frozen ground with her cane. 

The path ran up a hill. She climbed with a great difficulty. and after getting up the top, she had to climb down the oaks. But before she got to the bottom of the hill, her dress got entangled in a thorny bush.

With her old weak fingers, she freed it. But every time she freed herself from one side, it got from the other side. With a great labour and patience, she stood free at last. She had been tired in doing this and took a brief rest. And then again she started her journey. 

At the foot of the hill there was a creek and a log was kept across it. She had to cross it, and it was not less than a test for her. However, she stepped on the log, closed her eyes, balanced herself and crossed it successfully. She was very glad at it. She thought that she had not been old yet.

But she was tired. She took a brief rest and started once again.

Now she had to cross a barbed wire fence. It was a very difficult job. She had to cross it saving herself as well as her dress too. 

She did it excellently . She crept and crawled through the fence like a baby and with a difficulty she crossed it.

Now the path was a  little bit easier. She had to go through a  field. But after a while, she saw something tall, black and skinny. She thought it to be a ghost and was a little bit afraid too. But soon she found it was a scarecrow. She talked with it, and even danced with it. After a walking a little more, she reached to the wagon-track.

Question 2. What does the old phoenix do when she was knocked down by the dog ?

Answer : She was walking through deep in her meditation. Suddenly a black dog came before her. She was not mentally prepared for it. She lost her balance and was finally knocked down in the ditch.

Down in the ditch, her senses drifted away, and was in dream like situation. She raised her hand up, but there was no body to pull her up. She lay there talking to herself till a white hunter boy came there and pulled her up.

Question 3. In Egyptian mythology the Phoenix was a bird of great splendour that every five hundred years consumed itself by fire and rose renewed from its own ashes. In what way is Phoenix Jackson like the bird ?

(Phoenix bird)

Answer : The name of the main character is Phoenix. Her name is after a mythological Egyptian bird phoenix. This bird lives long (500 years) consumes itself by fire renews by its own ashes. Both the bird and lady have some similarities.

Firstly, she is extremely aged like the bird.

Secondly, both of them determined to continue their journeys in spite of real obstacles. 

Thirdly, both have the qualities of persistence.

Fourthly, her long, tiring and tedious journey is not less than consuming herself. Although she does not physically die,  but when she reaches the clinic, she forgets every thing. She could not even answer the questions about her grandson. In a way, that is death.

 But soon she regains her memory, and gives answers of the nurse's questions. In a way, that is her rebirth. We find her regaining her strength, and after taking medicine, she is ready to return back.

Question 4. How does Phoenix know she is in the doctor's office ?

Answer : The way to the doctor's office and back from there was a worn path for her. She had walked through it many many times. This time when she reached at the town, her old eyes were not working . But her habituated feet took her to the doctor's office. So, we can say say that depending upon her instinct that she knew that she was in the doctor's office.

Question 5. Why is Phoenix taking the long trip to the town ?

Answer : Phoenix's grand son is ill. He has a throat trouble. His throat was injured several years ago when he had swallowed lye (metal hydroxide / a chemical substance used to make cleaning products).

She loves her grand son very much. It is because of her love for him, and out of a sense of duty and responsibility that she is taking  this long trip to bring medicines for him.

Question 6. What happens when old Phoenix is spoken to by the receptionist and the nurse ?

(The Receptionist In Doctor's Clinic)

Answer : The long and tiresome journey at this age had made Phoenix forgetful. When she is spoken by the receptionist and the nurse, all of a sudden, her memory leaves her momentarily. Her mind becomes a vacuum for a short while. She sits silent, erect and motionless without speaking to anybody. 

But soon, however, she regained her senses. She remembered everything, and she answered all their questions.

Question  7 . What does Old Phoenix plan to do with the money she has got during the day? Why ?

Answer : She plans to buy a little windmill for her grandson. It will be a surprise for him, and he will be very glad. It is in his happiness that her happiness lies.

Question 8. "A Worn Path" is an exquisitely controlled story of unconscious heroism. Discuss it.

Answer : A Worn Path is a story of old Phoenix's difficult journey from her village to town to fetch medicine for her grandson. Her name Phoenix is after the Egyptian mythological bird phoenix, which is supposed to live long (great age). It has qualities like pertinence, persistence and strength. Finally it dies and gets a rebirth. Our Phoenix shows all these qualities.

The tension of the story comes from the obstacles she faces on her way. The obstacles come from nature, society and herself, including barbed wire, a dog, falling in the ditch, scarecrow etc.

In spite of every difficulty (obstacle), she must travel through the path which is not fit for her at this this age. Walking up the hill, too, is difficult in cold December. It isn't safe -- foxes, owls, and other wild animals are there. She struggles both against her path and her age. 

But she determined to make this journey. Her sense of responsibility dominates her personality. She overcomes her weakness, poor eye sight and other natural obstacles. 

For example,  she came by a creek where a log was led across it, and she had to cross it. 

She took it as her trial. She gathered her courage and crossed successfully even with her eyes closed. She became very glad and said she was not as cold as she had thought.

This is extreme heroism.

Through out she showed all these courage and determination not because she wanted to prove herself before any body. It was her character. So she showed such heroism naturally and unconsciously.

Question 9. Describe any two obstacles old Phoenix Jackson comes up against on her way and how does she deal with them?

Answer : The journey from her village to the city (Natchez) is not easy. She has to encounter several obstacles on the way. Two of them are:

a. her crossing the creek through a log which she does successfully balancing herself with her cane, even with her eyes closed

b. her encounter with a wild dog. Although she tries to hit it, with her cane, she finally falls down in a ditch there. After some time she is rescued from there by a hunter boy.

Question 10 . Is Phoenix's grandson dead ?

Answer : No, the boy is ill and is in trouble, but not dead. The whole story moves around Phoenix's difficult journey to the city, which she is taking only to fetch medicines for the little boy. Lastly, she also talks about buying a little gift for the little boy. 

(All Image Credit: Google images)

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