Symbolism in "araby" and "a worn path"
...mbolic elements of “Araby” may show that the rejection the narrator feels towards the end of the story may be more than just the boy’s reaction to the loss of his first love. Many of the symbols in the story have to do with vision and blindness. The very first sentence tells us that North Richmond Street, is a “blind” street (or, a dead-end street), and that the house at the “blind” end has no one living in it, while the other houses “stare” at each other, meaning they have people in them. Other symbols in the story have a more religious meaning. When he convinces himself that he is in love with Mangan’s sister, all the religious symbols suggest that the boy may have a downfall in two different ways. First, he will realize that he does not really love her and second he will “fall from innocence”, as Adam and Eve did, when he receives knowledge of the real world. Finally, some elements in the story suggest a more social interpretation of the boy's experience. Mangan's sister represents Ireland to the young boy. He is in love with the thought of his native country, but in reality I don’t think that he can have that Ireland. All he can do is write about her, since she does not really exist. Eudora Welty brings the story, “A Worn Path”, to life through the use of symbolism. The title, “The Worn Path”, may suggest that the “path” that Phoenix takes and the obstacles that she faces are the same path and obstacles that all people deal with in their life. The journey down the path is both a metaphorical journey and a literal journey. The beginning of the story has Phoenix making her way into a forest flourishing with wildlife. The animals that she sees and is afraid of symbolize ...