Name: ______ Period: _____

A Worn Path

by, Eudora Welty

While Reading: Look for ways a character acts that:

...are contradictory (opposite or different) to how the character has acted in the past.

… contrast with how you would act in that situation.

… reveal a difference among characters (a way that this character is different from another).

Ask: “…Why did the character act (or feel) this way?

What character or feeling was
unexpected? / Pg
# / What was unexpected about the action or feeling? / Why do you think the character acted/ felt this way? (What inference can you make about why the character would act this way?)
“…Her name was Phoenix Jackson” / 8
4
9 / Isn’t “phoenix” a popular allusion? What could it mean?
“…she carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella…” / 8
4
9 / When a person carries a cane, what is the author using indirect characteriza-tion to show? What is shown by the umbrella?
“… an equally long apron of bleached sugar sacks…she might have fallen over her shoelaces, which dragged from her unlaced shoes…” / 8
4
9 / Why use this indirect characterization? To tell the reader what?
“… she gave a full, severe look behind her where she had come…” / 8
5
0 / Why do we give anything a “severe “ look? What is
“behind her”?
“It was not possible to allow her dress to tear…” / 8
5
0 / Why was it “not possible” for her dress to tear?
“At the foot of this hill was a place where a log was laid across the creek. Now comes the trial …she mounted the log and shut her eyes…she began to march across..” / 8
5
0 / Why does she shut her eyes when she is going to walk across a log over a creek …with shoes that aren’t even tied?
“…when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake… but when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air.” / 8
5
0 / Why “marble cake”? What is marble cake? What does the boy represent?

page 2

What character or feeling was
unexpected? / Pg
# / What was unexpected about the action or feeling? / Why do you think the character acted/ felt this way? (What inference can you make about why the character would act this way?)
“A black dog with a lolling tongue came up out of the weeds by the ditch. She was no ready, and when he came at her over she went in the ditch. So she lay there …” / 8
5
3 / What is implied about Phoenix when she lays there instead of getting up?
“The man came back… he laughed and lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix. … “Doesn’t the gun scare you?”
“No sir, I seen plenty go off closer by in my day, and for less than what I done.” / 8
5
4 / What does Phoenix mean when she says “… and for less than what I done.” What did she “do”?
“ Please, missy, will you lace up my shoe?” / 8
5
4 / How would you react to someone asking you to lace their shoe?
Why doesn’t Phoenix lace her own shoe?
“Do all right for out in the country, but wouldn’t look right to go in a big building.” / 8
5
4 / Why “wouldn’t it look right to go in a big building” but be alright for her to walk all the way there?
“She entered a door, and there she saw nailed up on the wall the document that had been stamped with the gold seal and framed in the gold frame, which matched the dream that was hung up in her head.” / 8
5
4 / What is her “gold” dream?
“Now, how is the boy?” asked the nurse. Old Phoenix did not speak. “I said, how is the boy?” But Phoenix only waited and stared straight ahead, her face very solemn and withdrawn into rigidity.” / 8
5
5 / Why doesn’t Phoenix speak?
“.. I was too old at the surrender” / 8
5
5 / What is “the surrender”?

page 3

What character or feeling was
unexpected? / Pg
# / What was unexpected about the action or feeling? / Why do you think the character acted/ felt this way? (What inference can you make about why the character would act this way?)
“My little grandson, he sit up there in the house all wrapped up waiting by himself.” / 8
5
6 / Does this mean she left him all alone?
“He got a sweet look. He going to last.” / 8
5
6 / Is he sick?
“I am going to buy my child a little windmill.” / 8
5
6 / Why a windmill? To make a windmill go around, you must blow on it – wouldn’t that be hard if your throat was closed up?

Writing: Complete the following statement by giving specific examples from the story:

Phoenix’s grandson is probably ______(insert either ”dead” or “alive” on the line). Three specific examples from the story to support this thesis are:

1.______

______

______

______

2.______

______

______

______

3.______

______

______

______