A Worn Path

"A Worn Path"
Eudora Welty

In the short story "A Worn Path," Phoenix Jackson's memory takes the forefront of the action. After her walk to the town, Phoenix struggles to recall the purpose of her extended journey. This struggle begs the question as to whether or not Phoenix actually possesses the ability to collect her thoughts or even remember simple tasks. Therefore, how is her claim to her grandson credible? The grandson is left a nebulous issue, presumably as Welty had wanted him to be. His ambiguity is reflective of the ambiguity and vagueness that is the mind of Phoenix Jackson. But just as the phoenix of mythology is reborn in the ashes as it ages, Phoenix Jackson's memory is also reborn with the nurse's mention of her grandson. "At last there came a flicker and then a flame of comprehension across her face as she spoke," (Welty, 229). Phoenix's grandson is her ashes which causes her mental revitalization. In conclusion, the mind of Phoenix Jackson experiences a rebirth replicating the rebirth of the majestic phoenix from mythology.