Analysis of Setting and Tension in Eudora Welty's 'A Worn Path'

This essay provides an analysis of Eudora Welty's short story, 'A Worn Path,' focusing on the role of the setting in creating tension for the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson. The essay examines the various obstacles Phoenix faces, including the physical environment, such as forests, thorny bushes, and the difficulties of navigating the city, as well as the challenges presented by other characters. The essay argues that these obstacles, which include both physical and social challenges, contribute to the overall tension of the story. It highlights how Phoenix's determination to obtain medicine for her grandson drives her to overcome these difficulties. The essay cites the relevant sources and provides a concise overview of the story's themes and the protagonist's journey. The essay explores how the environment and the challenges she faces reflect the struggles of an elderly African-American woman in the context of the story.

Running head: PROMPT WRITING
Prompt Writing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PROMPT WRITING
A Worn Path is a short story which was written by Eudora Welty. The story tells the
reader about the journey that the protagonist of the story Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African-
American woman takes in order to bring back medicines for her grandson. Along the way,
she faces a number of tensions which makes the journey difficult for her. This is what the
story talks about.
The purpose of this essay is to describe how the setting creates tension for the
main character in the story itself.
In the short story, the readers are presented with the tension which the author creates
for the main character. These tensions represent the various obstacles which Phoenix Jackson
comes across in the story. This point is supported by the obstacles, adversities and the
problems which she faces in the way. In the story, these tensions refer to the dense forests
with the wild animals which she had to pass (Welty, 2013). Apart from that, tensions have
also been represented in the manner of the thorny bushes, the hills, dogs, a hunter, ditches in
the road itself as well as the confusion and chaos in the city itself and the stairs of the
medicine shop which she had to climb. These obstacles have been referred by the term
tensions because of the fact that these are quite difficult to cross for a woman of her age
(Claxton, 2013). However, it is her undying love for grandson which motivates her to
overcome these obstacles and carry her journey to get the medicines for her grandson.
It is from the above paragraphs that the readers can understand the various tensions
which the protagonist faces in the story herself. It is because of these reasons that these
obstacles have been referred to as tensions in the story itself.

2PROMPT WRITING
Reference List
Claxton, M. M. (2015). Migrations and Transformations: Human and Nonhuman Nature in
Eudora Welty's" A Worn Path". The Southern Literary Journal, 73-88.
Welty, E., & Sarcone, E. (1991). A worn path. Creative Education.