Road_Not_Taken_&_Worn_Path

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”, focuses on the theme “Journey”. While the two literary works share a similar theme the point of view is different. Each story demonstrates a particular journey through which life can evolve. It seems the underlying story is as a person progresses through life there will always be various trials and tribulations that will seek to derail him or her. The key and historical value is the will to persevere. The term journey is relative. Relative in the sense it has different meanings to different people. To some a journey is a distance to be travelled. The problem here most individuals focus solely on the journey neglecting to glean the valuable wisdom available from the experience. The experience provides life altering insight that challenges and tears down the belief system of the individual. Needless to say, journeys are agents of change and maturation in some cases. Within this paper I will utilize Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” to compare and contrast the theme of symbolism of the journey. Introduction Robert Frost and Eudora Welty displayed their point of view about journey in their work. Each one defined journey from different perspectives through different themes of journey. In the poem “The Road Not Taken”, Frost’s skillfully displays the impact seemingly small decisions have on a person’s life. The text stated that “Frost’s intention in the poem was to highlight that a decision can appear to be miniscule and have a simple answer, but as one ponders its outcome and effects; the decision is not as simple as it once appeared” (Clugston, 2010). Essentially, as life progresses an individual can potentially be defined by the decisions they made in life. The narrator at the end of the poem states he took the road less travelled by and it made all the difference. The term difference is open for interpretation because the road not taken is unknown and has the potential to produce disastrous results. The short story “A Worn Path” begins with an elderly African American woman by the name of Phoenix Jackson. The story is set in the woods and as she proceeds she is faced with many obstacles. She faces bushes full of thorns, a hunter who points a gun at her, and her mental fears which often “manifested itself as death” (buzzard and male with a gun) (Guetebier, 2008). As the journey progresses we see her determination to complete it. She faces her fears head on and even dances with a scarecrow to quiet the constant thought of death. Upon making it to her destination we find out that the journey was made on behalf of her sick grandson. Characters The main character of The Road Not Taken faces two roads (diverged). As he looks at each of his options they appear to be equally appealing and terrifying. He examines one choice as thorough as he possibly can but the future limits his ability to see where it leads. As the poem progresses “he decides to take the road less travelled by admitting that both had been equally worn” (Yeager, 2000). In the last stanza he proclaims he took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference. The difference is the life lessons learned not the success gained. As I looked the lessons learned became more evident because of the sigh he audibly gives. The sigh is a surrender of one’s resolve to follow a particular path and be willing to endure the potential hardships. The text states “I now see that it reflects not just on the motive for choosing but on the nature of choice making. There appears to be delight, at least satisfaction, on the part of the speaker at the beginning of the poem, but the "sigh" mentioned at the end suggests that the choice was more complex than it appeared: It reveals the nature of decision making, implying that, at best, it's a fuzzy process with ambiguous aspects—both at the moment a choice is made and afterwards. In this way, a wise observation is made through the poem, and important life knowledge is gained” (Clugston, 2010). Phoenix Jackson’s character displayed some questionable behavior that is ethical at best. The dilemma she finds herself such as the taking of the hunter’s money shows she has a need. Themes The resounding theme of the two literary works is the journey. Each writer portrays it differently. The poem “The Road Not Taken” seems to have various meanings. Some meanings that can be deduced from the poem are taking chances, avoid following the crowd, and standing by one’s convictions. Within this poem the protagonists has choices, but unfortunately this not the case for Phoenix Jackson. “Her path was chosen for her and has been walked numerous times in order to obtain medicine for her sick grandson who swallowed lye and now suffers from the after effects” (Costello, 2003). A contrast arises from the motivations of each protagonist. For Phoenix Jackson her motivation is driven by the love of her grandson. She faces all obstacles including death to ensure the health of her grandson, where the protagonist of The Road Not Taken appears to be more self gratifying. Symbolism Within The Road Not Taken two roads are used to describe the various variables in making a decision. By utilizing symbolism Frost postulated that the road chosen was harder because no one else had ventured down it. He states chosen by speaker, “leaves no step had trodden black” (Clugston, 2010). Usually people pick the easy path in this scenario. The path that is ultimately selected speaks volumes about the individual. Alternatively, Phoenix Jackson’s comparison to mythological bird, the phoenix is the most noticeable symbol in the story “A Worn Path”. Fully adorned in bright and glowing colors, Phoenix’s spirit is highlighted by associating the mythical bird that rises from the ashes every 500 years. Furthermore, grandson of Phoenix Jackson is portrayed by her as “wearing” a little patch quilt and peep out holding his mouth open like a little bird” (Clugston, 2010). Historical Context Both literary works have historical context that appears to overlap. Understanding the historical aspects of each story can help determine the motivations each writer had. First, I would like to evaluate the historicity The “Road Not Taken”. The poem finds its roots during World War I. World War I had “three main reasons America entered in and they are governmental politics, military actions, and the "passions of the people” (Bowles, 2011). These three decisions ultimately led to millions of lives being taken and leaving many thinking about the road not taken. “A Worn Path” written by Eudora Welty was published in 1941; it was the same year the United States entered World War II because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. For several years Europe was already parts of conflict because Adolf Hitler was expanding Germany’s territory. In December of 1941, “Germany declared war with the United States, and United States declared war on Japan due to bombing the bombing of Pearl Harbor” (Bryant, 1968). Comparing to global world of international warfare, Phoenix Jackson’s world turns out to be much smaller. Phoenix Jackson’s world totally revolves around life in Natchez, Mississippi, her home and her grandson. The genesis behind “A Worn Path” begins with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in which Welty worked in early 1940s (Bowles, 2011). In 1934, President Franklin Roosevelt established WPA, in order to utilize several jobless citizens to build essential infrastructure dams, bridges and power plant in hopes of making the United States a more efficient and modern sovereign state. Phoenix Jackson was born into slavery. In the South two industries dominated the economy. The two industries were cotton and tobacco. Both industries were owned by wealthy whites and though blacks were hired to work on these plantations they did not make nearly enough to support their families. The unfair practices of the cotton and tobacco companies coupled with the discrimination practices of Jim Crow Laws brought extreme economic hardship on blacks. I believe this is one of the reasons Phoenix takes the money dropped by the hunter. Her socioeconomic status was evident as I evaluated her clothing. The text stated Phoenix wore an apron of sugar sacks and red rags in her hair. Her grandson wore patched up clothing. ‘Charity’ was used to describe the product given to Phoenix for her grandson. Conclusion “The Path Not Taken”, and “A Worn Path”, are two literary works that show how a single theme can have different meanings according to array of reader’s perspectives. Robert Frost and Eudora Welty showed their audiences how a simple theme can be interpreted several ways. Each author addressed the specific theme differently, demonstrating how the journey in life can be difficult. Robert Frost showed how a simple decision can have resounding effects on your life. It seems Robert’s story is displayed realistically. Eudora demonstrated the power of sacrifice for a loved one. The fact that she was well stricken in years and still was determined to obtain the medicine for her grandson demonstrates her commitment to her family and the journey she has taken so many times. By comparing the two literary works one can deduce that the themes are similar but the destinations are different. References Barron, J. (2000). Roads Not Taken: Rereading Robert Frost. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press Bowles, M. (2011). American History: 1865-Present End of Isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education Inc. Bryant, J. (1968). Eudora Welty - American Writers 66: University of Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers No. 66. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press Clugston, R.W. (2010). Journey Into Literature. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc Costello, B. (2003). Shifting Ground: Reinventing Landscape in Modern American Poetry. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Guetebier, A. (2008). Poetry Oracle. San Francisco, CA: CCC Publishing Yeager, P. (2000). Dirt and Desire : Reconstructing Southern Women's Writing, 1930-1990. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press