Discussion Questions about Eudora Weltys's "A Worn Path"

Discussion Questions about Eudora Weltys's A Worn Path

 

a.) What is the significance of the title?

          It is an intriguing title, it is vague yet descriptive. The title gives just a hint of what happens in the story, because Phoenix's journey is literally a worn path. She makes the journey "as regular as clockwork" due to her grandsons swollen throat.

 

b.) Why is the name Phoenix an appropriate name for the protagonist?

          It is an appropriate name for the protagonist because the mythical bird was said to live 500-600 years. The protagonist is also very elderly and faced ridicule while on her journey due to her age.Also in the beginning of the short story is says that "Her eyes were blue with age."

c.) Note where the Author refers to birds. Considering the symbolic meaning of birds, how does the bird motif contribute to the development of meaning?

          If there are good and alive birds, then good things happen to her soon or immediately after. If there are negatively thought of  birds or dead birds they symbolize bad things that happened or will soon happen.

d.) Note at least one other motif you discover.

          One other motif are the detailed descriptions of nature and her surroundings.

e.) What is symbolic about her journey back?

          It shows that even though she is elderly, she is willing to make a hard journey for someone that she loves and cares deeply for.

Compared and Contrast Essay (Chapter 20 Of On Writing Well and Finding Your Voice)

Both pieces are based on the topic of finding your voice in writing. About making it your own and giving your voice a distinct sound and style. They both discuss that it is natural for new writers to take on another writer's style and use it as a "prop." The works speak of how you should keep your writing new, by removing clichés and overused phrases. The goal is to be able to write two books about completely different topics and when readers read them both they can tell that you wrote them.

The big difference between the two is that "Finding Your Voice" makes you think about using your own style instead of another writer's, because by doing that you loose more and more of the message that you wish to convey.  Because when you try to capture the truth of what you are saying in someone else's style you are removing yourself one step further. "On Writing Well" is a lot more blunt and outright when telling you that you shouldn't use another writer's style. It explains that you shouldn't use clichés and that when trying to convey an effortless style you still need to have proper grammar (you don't want to be "just pals" with the reader.)