In "A Worn Path" Eudora Welty uses an old, seemingly insignificant African American woman to demonstrate what love truly is. She begins with a detailed description of the outward appearance of the old woman. Welty proceeds by painting a striking image of the setting on a snowy Christmas morning in the midst of a pinewood forest. While being captivated by the intricate details of the cold morning, the reader becomes aware of the fact that the woman, Phoenix Jackson, is in the midst of a long, rigorous journey through the still, thick woods. Throughout this harsh and unselfish journey, Phoenix clearly exhibits courageousness and perseverance.
             As the journey progresses, the reader begins to realize the magnitude of Phoenix's unselfish nature. Welty uncovers her unselfish motives when the reader discovers why Phoenix embarked on the long grueling journey. It is revealed towards the end that the sole purpose in Jackson's trip is to get medicine for her grandson when the nurse asks, "is his throat any better?" (295). During her journey, Jackson collected two nickels from different people. She unselfishly decides to use her money not on herself, but rather to buy her grandson a Christmas present.
             While Jackson is on her trek into town, she comes across several situations to reveal her true courage. She comes to a log laying over a creek and simply "mounted the log and shut her eyes" (292). After conquering the log, Phoenix bravely looks down the barrel of a hunter's gun without so much as a blink of an eye. When asked if she is scared she boldly replies, "[...] I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for what I done" (294). She simply will let nothing stand in the way of the mission she has set out to accomplish.
             Throughout her journey, Phoenix boldly displays the admirable quality of perseverance. The trail she travels is full of obstacles and hardships. Howe...