Devoted Love “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty is a story of an elderly woman’s rough journey. The stories themes are elicited from the symbolism of the journey as well as the encounters that this elderly women Phoenix Jackson faces. The central idea/theme of this story is that love can empower someone to over come many life-threatening obstacles. Phoenix conquers all odds to show her devoted love for her grandson; issues of race, age, and education often are shown throughout the story as well which highly influences the difficulties that Phoenix faces. An African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson lived in the 1930s during the depression. Jackson has to go through discrimination and humiliation all for the love of her grandson. All of the encounters that Phoenix Jackson faces on her journey known as the “worn path” are all examples of the how the white people treated the blacks in this era. A white hunter helps Phoenix out of a ditch after she tripped and fell in it. He says, “I know you old colored people! Wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Clause!” (273). He is referring to Phoenix as a colored person. Then he also taunts her and points a loaded gun at her. “Doesn’t the gun scare you?” (273). She explains that she is not scared of the gun and then he says that she must be 100 years old because nothing scares her. “Whites would often call older blacks “aunt,” “granny,” and “uncle” to as a way of denying them their dignity” (Herman). He calls her “Granny” with almost everything that he says to her, which is a term common for older African-American women. When she gets to the doctors office the nurse’s attendant scorns her because she does not feel comfortable talking in the office. “Aunt Phoenix, don’t you hear me? Is your grandson’s throat any better since the last time you came down for medicine?” (274). Phoenix doesn’t respond and just looks at the