A Long Journey Full of Pictures The story "A Worn Path" is filled with beautiful images of an elderly woman's journey to get medicine for his nephew. Upon first reading the story seems relatively simple. The story doesn't take on a larger meaning until it's reread repeatedly, so things that someone might never have noticed initially start to come forward. For example, the journey that Miss Phoenix takes to reach the city can represent more than a long walk in the forest, this path can represent her life as a slave and her journey to freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayFirst of all, Eudora Welty uses a thorn bush to form a giant metaphor for slavery and how it kept the people it held captive in submission. Phoenix's path begins simply enough, but an obstacle soon presents itself that could very well involve her life as a slave. This obstacle is the thorn bush, which in its own way he mistakes for any bush and does not take any precautions when crossing it. She soon learns that the bush is full of thorns and becomes entangled in its grip. As she tries to extricate herself she continues to get trapped, but is unwilling to tear her skirt to free herself. The thorn bush and her entanglement in it represent her entrapment in bondage before being freed. After all, as a slave she was trapped in the grip of her social position that had been imposed on her, and even if she tried to free herself from its grip in many ways, something else would come along and capture her again. Just like with the thorn bush that kept getting caught in her skirt. However, what is most interesting about her interaction with the thorn bush is her reluctance to tear her dress. Which could very well be about her reluctance to cause great harm to herself in order to be freed from bondage. After all, there were some slaves who would give their lives for a taste of freedom, but Phoenix doesn't seem like the type. Instead she treasures her life and takes her time knowing that in the end she will be free. So Welty uses the very setting of a wire fence and some dark trees to create the image of slaves trapped on the grounds of their master's property. The phoenix must quickly pass under the wire fence to avoid being caught before coming across a forest of dark trees and a vulture standing guard. Of the two, the fence may have the more obvious connotation with Phoenix's past as a slave. After all, if she tried to escape, she would have to go under fences and through rough paths to finally be free. And if she were caught she would be horribly punished, just as she would be for crossing a stranger's fence if she were ever caught. Phoenix also mentions that she might lose an arm or leg if she isn't careful and gets caught, which would most likely happen to some extent if she was caught trying to escape as a slave. Even if it's not just the fence at that moment that refers to his past. There is also the forest she sees once she comes out from under the fence. Miss Phoenix describes the trees as “Big dead trees, like one-armed black men” (Welty, 315). These trees most likely represent his fellow slaves and the description almost seems to bring images of time-worn black men. Then there is the vulture sitting in one of the trees who seems to watch over everything. The vulture summons.