In "A Worn Path", colors are used to emphasize the depth and breadth of the story and to reinforce the parallel images of the mythical phoenix and the protagonist Phoenix Jackson. Eudora Welty's story is rich with color references that are both illustrative and insightful, inspiring us to investigate an additional historical facet of the story. The surface story is the journey of a poor black grandmother with an errand; to get medicine for her laundry-burned grandson. The colors used tell the reader another story. This parallel story uses color to tell us about the journey taken by a poor, black, disenfranchised people to fully embrace their legal and civil rights; they were burned by lies. “A Worn Path” uses the journey of this remarkable woman to serve as a prism through which to observe the struggles of African-American people. Welty tells the story with "a few dreams and naggings and one or two little triumphs, a few jolts to [the Phoenix story." ] of pride, a few flights of fancy to console her, one or two encounters to scare her, a moment that made her ashamed, a moment to dance and preen…” (quoted in Moberly, 109). Early harassment evokes symbols of slavery such as walking through the "dark shadows of the pines" in slave costume, "a dark striped dress...an equally long apron made of bleached sugar bags...all clean and well tidy” (Roberts, 95 years old). The “chains around my feet” and the uphill climb literally describe being a chained slave. Being caught in the “pretty green bush” (Rogers, 96) which turns out to be a thorny bush is a figurative and relentless path towards equal rights, fraught with pitfalls and invisible obstacles. The "purple stalks" (Rogers, 96) and the nozzle and through the "old cotton" (Rogers, 96) represent the mourning of the African American people,...... middle of paper...... 79): 92. Academic research completed. EBSCO. Internet. April 26, 2011.Herodotus, Histories 2. 73 (trans. Godley) (Greek historian C5th BC)Keys, Marilyn. “A USED PATH”: THE PATH TO DISPOSSESSION. » Studies in Short Fiction 16.4 (1979): 354. Academic research completed. EBSCO. Internet. April 26, 2011. McGerr, Angela http://www.rhiannon.ie/myths.htm Moberly, Kevin. “TOWARDS THE NORTH STAR: EUDORA WELTY’S “WORN PATH” AND THE SLAVE NARRATIVE TRADITION” Roberts, Edgar V., Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th compact edition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008, printSykes, Dennis J. "Welty's The Worn Path." Explainer 56.3 (1998): 151. Academic research completed. EBSCO. Internet. April 26, 2011. Welty, Eudora. “A worn path.” Literature: an introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 4th compact edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008, p.. 95-100.