Before You Read
Reading the Selection
Responding to Literature
Click a hyperlink to go to the
corresponding content area.
• To read and analyze a short story
about an old woman’s journey 
• To distinguish between direct and
indirect characterization 
• To compare and contrast two
characters
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Eudora Welty was
born in 1909.
Click the Speaker button to hear
more about Eudora Welty.
BACKGROUND
The Time and Place
“A Worn Path” is set near the city
of Natchez, Mississippi, probably
sometime around 1930. The
Natchez Trace mentioned in the
story was an old trail that led from
the Native American villages along
the banks of the lower Mississippi River northeastward six
hundred miles to settlements along the Cumberland River,
in what is now Tennessee. In the 1700s, two towns grew up
at the ends of the trail–Nashville and Natchez. 
Around the turn of the nineteenth century, the Natchez
Trace was one of the most well-traveled trails in the United
States. However, it fell into disuse around 1820 as
steamships took over the role of carrying people and goods
up the Mississippi.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
BACKGROUND (cont.)
Literary Influences
Eudora Welty has written that her story ideas
come, in large part, from “what I see and hear
and learn and feel and remember of my living
world.” In an interview, she explained an
experience that inspired “A Worn Path”: 
“I was with a painter friend who was doing a
landscape, and I just came along for company. I was
reading under a tree, and just looking up saw this
small, distant figure come out of the woods and move
across the whole breadth of my vision and disappear
into the woods on the other side …. I knew she was
going somewhere. I knew that she was bent on an
errand, even at that distance.”
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
VOCABULARY PREVIEW
grave: (adj) dignified and gloomy; somber; p. 833 
quivering: (n) a shaking with a slight, rapid
vibration; a trembling; p. 834 
thicket: (n) an area of dense growth, as of shrubs or
bushes; p. 834 
limber: (adj) able to bend or move easily; nimble;
p. 834 
vigorously: (adv) with power, energy, and strength;
p. 835 
ceremonial: (adj) formal; p. 838 
solemn: (adj) serious; grave; p. 838 
comprehension: (n) the act of grasping mentally;
understanding; p. 839
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
FOCUS ACTIVITY
Think about elderly people you respect and
admire–people you know personally or people
you know about. 
List Ideas
Make a list of five to ten admirable elderly
people, and write down what it is you
admire about them. 
Setting a Purpose
Read to discover the qualities of one elderly
woman.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
A Active Reading
Predict
The phoenix is a mythological bird that lives
for hundreds of years and then sets itself on
fire, dies, and is reborn from the ashes.
What might the character in the story be
like, based on her name?
Phoenix may be someone who has lived
long and who rises to meet new challenges.
Navigation Toolbar
ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
B Literary Elements
Characterization
What can you infer about Phoenix’s
character from the first paragraph on
page 834 of your textbook?
The fact that Phoenix talks to herself
suggests that she spends a lot of time
alone. Her diction and grammar reveal
her as a rural southerner with little
education. Her threatening words directed
to the animals may indicate nervousness
with animals and yet a determination to
proceed no matter what.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
C Literary Elements
Extended Metaphor
This story may be read as an extended
metaphor that compares Phoenix’s journey
with all people’s journeys through life. She
refers to her day’s journey, which, like life’s
journey for the elderly, is getting short.
D Active Reading
Question
Who is the boy described in the second
paragraph on page 835? How can you
explain his appearance at this time?
The boy is a hallucination. Phoenix is old
and overtired from her trip, and she’s
imagining things.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
E Literary Elements
Symbolism
Identify the symbolism of the field Phoenix
encounters on her journey.
How does it relate to the extended
metaphor of Phoenix’s journey?
The field, with its dead cotton, dead trees,
and a buzzard, symbolizes death.
Phoenix symbolically fights death with her
challenge to the buzzard. She continues
“in the furrow,” an image reminiscent of a
grave.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
F Literary Elements
Extended Metaphor
What is the extended metaphor of Phoenix’s
passage through “the maze” on page 835?
Explain.
The corn is dead, again calling to mind the real
death Phoenix faces. In death there is no path, as
there is in life, so direction and destination are a
mystery. The scarecrow is black and skinny and it
is referred to as a ghost. Phoenix touches it–she is
close to death–and she dances with death. But
when she realizes that death is still a scarecrow,
and not real for her, she leaves the grave-like
furrow, shakes her head in triumph, and continues
on her life’s journey.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
G Critical Thinking
Inferring
Why does Eudora Welty have Phoenix
comment about the spring at the
beginning of page 836? What does her
comment mean?
Possible answer: The waters of the spring
provide renewal of life. Phoenix says the
spring was here when she was born,
implying that life itself continues even
though individuals die.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
H Literary Elements
Symbolism
The dog described on page 836 might be a
symbol of death.
How is this shown?
The dog is black, a color associated with
death, and acts as a predator. Phoenix
fights him off so she can continue her
journey to town, just as she is fighting off
death in her life’s journey. When she is
knocked down, the dog waits, as if in
anticipation.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
I Literary Elements
Character
What does the hunter’s attitude and
speech reveal about his character?
His amusement at Phoenix’s plight
indicates that he is not very concerned
about her condition. He does, however,
help her up and on her way.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
J Active Reading
Questioning
Why does the man point the gun at
Phoenix? Is this action consistent with
what you know about his character?
He may be playing with Phoenix, pointing
the gun at her just to see her reaction.
The action is consistent with his
character, and pointing the gun at her is
simply another aspect of his attitude.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
K Literary Elements
Characterization
Why did Phoenix ask the woman to tie
her shoe? What does this reveal about
her character?
Phoenix doesn’t want to be seen in the big,
magnificent building looking like a country
woman with her shoes untied. It indicates
that, although Phoenix generally seems
very humble, she has pride as well.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
L Critical Thinking
Comparing and Contrasting
Compare and contrast Phoenix’s words
and feelings when she finally arrives with
the attendant’s reaction.
Phoenix is proud, even triumphant. The
unfeeling attendant is only irritated.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
M Author’s Craft
Setting
How does Eudora Welty imply the time
setting of the story?
If Phoenix were too old to go to school in
1865, and is “very old,” probably in her
seventies or eighties now, the story must
take place in the 1930s.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
N Active Reading
Question
How is Phoenix similar to her grandson?
Both suffer yet don’t let hardships set
them back.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Personal Response
Analyzing Literature
Literary Elements
Literature and Writing
Skill Minilessons
Click a hyperlink to go to the
corresponding content area.
PERSONAL RESPONSE
What is your favorite incident or
image from “A Worn Path”? What is
it about the image or incident that
especially appeals to you?
RECALL
What does Phoenix Jackson look like?
She is a small, elderly black woman with
her hair tied in a red rag; she carries an old
umbrella for a cane and wears a dark
striped dress, a sugar-sack apron, and
lace-up shoes. Her eyes are blue with age,
her hair is black, and her skin is wrinkled
with golden undertones.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the next question.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
INTERPRET
What does Phoenix Jackson’s
appearance tell you about her?
She is old and poor.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
RECALL
Describe in detail the path Phoenix
is taking.
She follows a path through pine woods, up
a hill, then down the hill through oaks. At
the bottom she crosses a log bridge over a
creek. She goes through a barbed wire
fence into a cotton field and then into a
corn field. She then follows a wagon track
past cabins and a spring through a swampy
area and under trees until she reaches
Natchez.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the next question.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
INTERPRET
From its description, what can you
infer about the path Phoenix is on?
What may the path symbolize?
Support your answers with evidence
from the selection.
Possible answer: It is a long and difficult
path. It may symbolize Phoenix’s and
perhaps other people’s paths through life.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
RECALL
Who is the first person Phoenix
encounters? What happens?
She encounters a hunter who helps her out
of a ditch. He is amused by her, chases off
a dog that has bothered her, and points his
gun at her. He drops a nickel, and Phoenix
keeps it.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the next question.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
INTERPRET
What is the most important thing that
Phoenix’s first encounter reveals
about her? Explain.
The most important thing may be that she
is strong, clever, brave, and willing to do
what is necessary to survive.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
RECALL
What is Phoenix’s destination and
purpose? At what point in the story do
you learn this?
Phoenix is headed to a doctor’s office to
obtain medicine for her grandson. The
reader learns this on page 838, near the
end of the story.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the next question.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
INTERPRET
What does the purpose of Phoenix’s
trip tell you about her character?
She is kind, self-sacrificing, and decent.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
RECALL
How does Phoenix get her second
nickel, and what does she decide to do
with this money?
The second nickel is given to her by the
attendant in the doctor’s office. Phoenix
plans to buy a toy windmill for her grandson.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the next question.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
INTERPRET
What does Phoenix’s decision about
the way to spend her money tell you
about her?
She is generous and loving.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
EVALUATE AND CONNECT
Do you feel empathy toward Phoenix?
Why or why not? Relate your answer
to events in the story as well as to
your own experiences.
EVALUATE AND CONNECT
In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a
bird that, at the end of its life, burns
itself to death; from its ashes, a new
phoenix rises. Why might Welty have
named her main character Phoenix?
Welty might have named her character
Phoenix in order to symbolize her
resilience and triumph over life’s
obstacles.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
EVALUATE AND CONNECT
Refer to the list that you made for the
Focus Activity. Would you put Phoenix
Jackson on your list? Why or why not?
EVALUATE AND CONNECT
Theme Connections Phoenix’s
approach to the physical challenges of
the path reveals much about her. Think
about a physical challenge you have
faced. What did you discover about
yourself as a result?
EVALUATE AND CONNECT
An author uses descriptive writing to
create a picture of a person, place, or
thing. In your opinion, how effective is
Welty’s descriptive writing in creating
a picture of Phoenix Jackson? of the
“worn path”?
LITERARY ELEMENTS
• Characterization is the way an author
develops the personalities of characters. 
• In direct characterization, the writer simply
states a character’s personality–for
example, “The man was without
imagination.” 
• In indirect characterization, the writer
reveals a character’s personality through the
character’s thoughts, words, and actions or
through the way other characters react to
him or her. 
• The reader must then use these clues to
infer the character’s personality.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
LITERARY ELEMENTS
In developing Phoenix Jackson’s
personality, does Welty use mostly
direct or indirect characterization?
Explain briefly.
She uses indirect characterization,
directly describing her appearance, but
revealing her personality through her
thoughts, words, and actions.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
LITERARY ELEMENTS
What do the things Phoenix says
reveal about her personality?
Her words reveal that she is strong, has a
sense of humor and proportion, and is
appreciative, respectful, and kind.
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Comparing Characters
In “A Worn Path,” Phoenix Jackson encounters
several secondary characters on her journey.
The character portrayed in most detail is the
hunter. Make a chart comparing Phoenix with
the hunter in terms of age, appearance,
activities, attitudes, dialect, and any other
elements you think important. Then write two
to three paragraphs discussing what you have
learned from comparing Phoenix with the
hunter.
Practice: Choose the word that best completes each
analogy. One is a part-to-whole analogy.
1. acrobat : limber :: clown : ______
a. solemn
b. humorous c. flexible
2. study : comprehension :: practice : ______
a. competence
b. ability
c. understanding
3. bush : thicket :: petal : ______
a. stem
b. flower
c. bouquet
4. festive : party :: solemn : ______
a. prayer
b. coffin
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answers.
c. funeral
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
Objectives
• To demonstrate proficiency in each
aspect of the listening process such as
focusing attention, interpreting, and
responding 
• To make relevant contributions to
conversations and discussions
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
Building Background
The main character in “A Worn Path” is named
Phoenix Jackson. The name Phoenix comes
from Greek mythology. Only one phoenix was
alive at any one time, and it lived to a very old
age. Some Greek writers believed it lived for
exactly 500 years, but others said it lived for
almost 13,000 years. When the phoenix’s time
on earth was done, it burned itself to death on a
funeral pyre. Out of its ashes, another phoenix
arose. The phoenix is a symbol of immortality
and spiritual rebirth.
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
Critical Viewing
Listen carefully to what Eudora Welty
has to say about her own writing.
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
Click the Videodisc button
anytime throughout this
section to play the complete
video if you have a videodisc
player attached to your
computer.
Click the Forward button to
view the discussion
questions.
Click in the above window to show a preview of the video.
Click in the video window to see a preview of the video.
Click the Videodisc button to play the complete video from the videodisc.
Side B
Chapter 17
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
What did you learn about Welty’s life in the
South and her life in New York? How were
the experiences different?
Side B
Chapter 17
Eudora Welty:
Listening and Writing
In a brief paragraph, describe the voice that
Eudora Welty says she has always trusted.
Welty says that when she writes,
she hears the words in the same
voice she hears when she is
reading. When she rereads her
words, she listens to that voice and
makes changes according to what
she hears.
Side B
Chapter 17
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the answer.
Newspaper Article
After listening to the
introduction, read
the newspaper
article on page 830
of your textbook and
respond to the
questions on the
following slides.
This feature is found on page 830 of your textbook.
Newspaper Article
Does this endurance
run sound appealing
to you? Why or why
not?
This feature is found on page 830 of your textbook.
Newspaper Article
Why, in your opinion,
do people push their
physical limits? What
might they discover
about themselves by
doing so?
People often push their
physical limits to determine
what these limits truly are
and to discover how they
respond to difficult
situations. They often
discover that they are stronger than they realized
and can survive hardships.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
This feature is found on page 830 of your textbook.
This newspaper article connects to “A
Worn Path.” People travel long distances
for many reasons. Some, as in this article,
run long distances to test their physical
and mental strength. Others, like Aunt
Phoenix in “A Worn Path,” travel great
distances because it is necessary.
This feature is found on page 830 of your textbook.
Sense of humor Her response is humorous when
the hunter asks what she is
doing on the ground.
Determined
“I bound to go to town, mister.”
Self-sacrificing
She makes the long walk to town
for her grandson.