In Response to "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

From the beginning, I was very invested in the outcome of this story.  I think that not knowing where the story was going, but knowing that it was going somewhere made me curious and kept my attention.  I was also very worried about what would happen to Phoenix.  Welty does a good job of making her seem like a tough old lady who can make this journey through her monologue addressed at the wildlife around her.  However, the description of Phoenix gave me the impression that she was very fragile and vulnerable compared to the abundant wildlife she is journeying through.  She has the air of a person who was not to be messed with when she was younger, and still has that mentality, but not the physicality to match it.  This is the reason I was particularly worried about here as a reader, because it seemed as if she had taken on a little more than she could handle with this trip into town.    Her character changes dramatically in the presence of the nurse and the attendant.  She becomes much less fierce and apparently loses her memory for a little bit.  This new softer persona is enhanced by the knowledge that she made her long journey to get medicine for her grandson.  This scene gives a completely new dimension to her character.  Throughout the story, Phoenix's fierce spirit seems to decline as she approaches civilization.  Starting with her encounter with the hunter, she begins to appear less and less dignified and tough, and by the end, she is being treated with  condescension and almost seems like a crazy old lady.  Dialogue and encounters with other characters had a huge influence on how I viewed Phoenix as a character.