A Worn Path Core Conflict

A Worn Path

By: Eudora Welty

Core Conflict:

The conflict I recognized is Phoenix’s journey into town. She faced many struggles along the way not only her age and health but the black dog knocked her down into a ditch.

Theme

Love is the main theme I notice while reading the story. Phoenix, the grandmother who is an old brittle woman walks to town to retrieve medicine for her grandson. She doesn’t let her lack of physical abilities stop her from caring for her very ill grandson.

3 Literary Element/Techniques

Exposition-  The story’s setting is clear in the beginning of the story it states “It was December --a bright frozen day she comes along a path through the pine straw (Eudora W,1941).” which lets the readers know that Phoenix is walking through a wooded area. This sets up the whole conflict as individual vs. nature and all the obstacles she must endure throughout her journey.

Figure of Speech- In the moment where the black dog knocked her on her back into the ditch, A white man who was a hunter came along and asked the old woman what she was doing down there? She responds by saying “Just laying here on my back like a June-bug waiting to be rolled over.’ The author used the technique of similes by using the word “like” by her using this it gives us a vivid mental picture of how she was laying in the ditch which was one of the main conflicts she encountered (Clugston.R.W.,2014)