A Worn Path- Eudora Welty

"She doesn't come for herself- she has a little grandson. She makes these trips just as regular as clockwork." PAGE 229

Phoenix, the grandmother of the story, gets her livelihood from making these trips. Whether her grandson is dead or not, she wants to make the trek to get the medicine. It is her way of honoring and showing love to her grandson. She might not be totally healthy herself, but she makes the trip for the grandson. I think it is very sweet that she does this. I do not understand, however, why she would get the medicine even after he is dead. If he is dead, then she doesn't need to get the medicine for him. It seems to me that he has passed away or is totally fine. I think he is dead because she forgets why she is even at the doctor's and why she made the long journey. She would not forget something like that if her grandson really was sick. As I read, I also wondered if they actually gave her placebos rather than the actual drug because they knew. Anyway, the life or death of the grandson is irrelevant because the focus is on Phoenix and her journey. Her journey helps characterize her by depicting details of her actions.