Devotion in A Worn PathIn "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty, an elderly African-American woman named Phoenix Jackson chooses a cold December day to make yet another another perilous journey to a town to obtain medicine for her sick grandson. Along the way, this ninety-year-old woman encounters many obstacles, both natural and artificial. Phoenix relies on her perseverance and willingness to sacrifice to help her along her journey, but it is the undying love for her grandson that truly guides and leads her towards her end goal. Phoenix Jackson has a seemingly inexhaustible determination. From the moment she sets out on her journey, she must meet all the challenges that nature has in store for her. Early on there is a threat of attack by wild animals and Phoenix shouts "get out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, rabbits, coons and wild animals!" » challenging them without hesitation. Phoenix is ​​a very old woman whose aged and fragile body is not adapted to such a long journey. At one point, as she climbs a hill, she states that it feels like "there are chains around my feet, it's about time I got this far." And yet she trudges on, stopping only once for a short break. Going down the hill, she finds herself caught in a bush, the thorns of which tear her most beautiful dress. “I’m in a thorn bush,” she exclaims. But she doesn't give up; she remains there, untangling herself from the bush, “her fingers busy and attentive”. After overcoming this obstacle, she faces a new test. Across the path from Phoenix is ​​a stream and on the other side of the stream is a log that serves as a bridge. It's hard enough for Phoenix to walk on flat, stable ground, so walking on the log is a dangerous challenge for her. Even though there was a significant risk that she would fall and seriously injure herself, "she climbed onto the log, closed her eyes" and crossed to the other side. Then she encounters a barbed wire fence and, once again, without showing any signs of fear, she fords and crosses that too. Phoenix travels much of the day and faces many physical challenges that test her endurance, but the real trials are the physiological trials she faces as she meets people along her journey..