In “A Worn Path,” a story of about 3,500 words, Eudora Welty describes a brief incident in the life of an old but almost timeless black woman, Phoenix Jackson. Welty shows that Phoenix possesses great personal strength and cheerfulness despite the grimness of her life. The story is mostly narrative, with dialogue when characters other than Phoenix appear, and with monologue as Phoenix herself addresses animals, a thornbrush, birds, a scarecrow, and her self. Her spiritual strength and optimism are shown in her walk through the countrysi ....