The Love And Devotion Of Phoenix Jackson

2 Pages 602 Words

The Love and Devotion of Phoenix Jackson

Eudora Welty creates clues to enhance Phoenix Jackson as a round
character. The reader forms a clear mental picture of Phoenix’s appearance like her skin having, “Numberless branching wrinkles...as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead.” Also, Welty draws a connection relating Phoenix’s hardships and triumphs to everyone’s struggles in life for the reader to sympathize and relate to. Welty elaborates the unstoppable love and devotion Phoenix Jackson holds for her grandson through her overcoming obstacles of growing senility, deteriorating health with age, and walking a treacherous journey.
Although Phoenix grows senile and might have forgotten her journey's purpose, in her heart the unyielding love for her grandson directs her feet to the medical building. The reader first discovers Phoenix’s digressing mental health when she starts to talk out loud saying, “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits......Keep out from under these feet, little bob-whites” (para 3). Even with Phoenix’s prevailing loss of reality the only thing real to her has been her indomitable love for her only family, her grandson. Another incident arises after Phoenix crosses the creek to reveal in depth Phoenix’s challenge with senility, when she imagines a little boy brings her a piece of marble-cake. She says to the boy, “That would be acceptable,” (para 15) and then she returns to reality and proceeds on her mercy quest.
Welty illustrates Phoenix’s devotion to overcome her own declining health through obstacles Phoenix encounters on her journey. A black dog comes at Phoenix and “Over she went in the ditch, like a puff of milkweed,” (para 33). Phoenix becomes an immovable frail and weakening granny lying on her back, “Like a June-bug waiting to be turned over,” (para 37) until a young hunter picks her up from the ...