My Reflection, "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

I was immediately immersed in the story.  The way Welty goes into great depth to describe the character Phoenix.  I could picture her as she walked, "along a path through the pinewoods."  Through her description I could also envision my grandmother, who used to walk through the woods and I remember thinking how brave she was.  This is how I viewed this character an old lady, small and frail, yet unafraid and determined to make her journey.   The character's name, Phoenix  made me think that the story would be about a person  who will or has encountered hardship and overcomes it.  The descriptions of the things along the path remind me of scenes from my childhood in Mississippi.  Because of these descriptions and scenery the story had more meaning for me.  The mention of trees and barbed -wire fence, snakes, and cornfields made me think of Mississippi before I knew that the scene was set in Natchez, Mississippi. 

Phoenix has made this journey before because she can almost make it with her eyes closed.   Hence, the significance of the title, A Worn Path.  There is a recurring of the theme of birds in the story.  The character's name Phoenix, the mythical bird, the solitary little bird, and the mourning bird all give meaning to the story.
Welty uses a lot of themes and symbolism throughout the story that captures the attention of the reader.  As I read the story I tried to figure out what meaning the  different characters or images add to meaning of the story.
I like Welty's style of writing and her use of dialogue.  I am happy to have been introduced to this writer.  I look forward to reading more of her work.