A Worn Path

"I remember so plain now. I not going to forget him again, no, the whole enduring time. I could tell him from all the others in creation." page 230


6. In answer to a student who wrote to ask her "Is the grandson really dead?" Welty responded, "My best answer would be: Phoenix is alive." What might have led the student to ask the question? How can the author's remark be seen as an answer?


I think the student's question is a valid question to ask. Phoenix has traveled a long distance and the entire way she was hallucinating. When she finally arrives to her destination, she forgets why she even made the journey in the first place. This makes the reader wonder if Phoenix knows anything about her real life or if she even has a grandson. The student's perspective is that if Phoenix can't even remember why she walked to town then how is she supposed to remember whether her grandson is dead or alive? I think the author's remark can be seen as an answer because the focus is not on the grandson, it is on Phoenix. The author is trying to get the reader to understand where Phoenix is coming from and understand her character. To me, Phoenix comes across as a woman devoted to the people in her life and a completely selfless person. She may not be as sharp as a regular person, but she still knows what her priorities are. I think the author wanted to have the story center around Phoenix instead of the grandson.