A Worn Path

The author of “A Worn Path” tells the story from a third-person limited point of view. This point of view lets the readers think more themselves and allows the reader to sympathize with Phoenix, because her thoughts and actions are blatantly exposed. With third-person, the reader can view Phoenix from a distance and gain insight into other people’s perspectives.

I was most sympathetic towards Phoenix. She is an elderly black woman trying to take care of her sick grandson while living in a white world. She is also dealing with different kinds of conflict. The two conflicts I saw were Man vs. Nature and Man vs. Society. We see Man vs. Nature when Phoenix faces the hardships against nature while traveling along her worn path. As a black woman living in an all white world, Man vs. Society arises. The encounters with the hunter and the attendant show conflict between Phoenix and society.