Overcoming Adversity-Not to Be Confused with Overcoming Diversity...(p 231, Question 6)

As I am looking at Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path," I am still a tad bit fixated on the unresolved matter of whether Phoenix's grandson is alive or dead. When the nurse asks Phoenix if he is alive, she initially gives no response at all. It is this long hesitation before stating that "he not dead, he just the same" that raises suspicion that perhaps Phoenix's grandson is actually dead, and Phoenix simply refuses to accept it (a la "A Rose for Emily"). Yet regardless of the grandson's living status, the importance of Phoenix's determination to make the journey does not change. As the author indicated, the important detail is that "Phoenix is alive." The focus is not on the destination, which involves the grandson; his life does not matter in terms of the story. What matters is the journey of Phoenix and her life and strength. The title of this story concerns the path taken, not the destination achieved. The development of the plot supports this idea, as it is only at the very end of the story that we learn of Phoenix's motivation for travelling the long road from her home into town. The focus of the story is on Phoenix's determination to care for her grandson and her strength in making the journey. The story is not about the grandson; the story is about Phoenix. It is the strength and endurance in the face of adversity--whether it comes in the form of difficult terrain, a gun-happy hunter, or an impatient nurse--with which Phoenix carries herself that creates this tale.