gryphon

p A Worn Path ' and Gryphon ' are two stories which are very similar and yet very different as well . Perhaps the most common factor that Gryphon ' and A Worn Path ' have is the way the stories point to mythological creatures and how it is given emphasis in the stories . In Gryphon , the story does not really focus on the mythological creature which is half bird and half lion but rather it gives the reader the idea that the protagonist of the story , Ms . Ferenczi was herself a woman who is something of a

gryphon too for although she relies on concrete and definite facts , she is also considerably half of this world , talking about out-of-this-world thing that at times her students wonder whether she is telling the truth or not

On the other hand , A Worn Path ' describes the journey of an old Negro woman , whose name also connotes to that of a mythological creature . In Egyptian mythology , Phoenix is a creature which symbolizes reincarnation . In the story , Phoenix Jackson might also have symbolized the reincarnation of an old woman who has endured and persevered in her travel from her home to the city of Natchez

Furthermore , the stories also point to travel as one of the major themes in the characters ' life . For instance , Ms . Ferenczi may not have actually travelled to the places in which she has vividly described and told her students but , the reader can nevertheless glean based from the narrator 's story that Ms . Ferenczi indeed knew of many wonderful things that her students almost believed her . Although the story does not really give influence over the reader as Baxter may have intended to leave the interpretation to the readers , we could also say that indeed the narrator might actually have believed her as evidenced by his perusal of the dictionary when he got home and check out the meaning of gryphon

On the other hand , A Worn Path , although told in a third person point of view theless gives the reader the notion the length that Phoenix Jackson travelled . The ordinary things that people normally see when walking through the woods were portrayed into things which they are not . For instance , Phoenix thought she saw a ghost but on closer inspection it was in reality a scarecrow

On deeper analysis of A Worn Path , Phoenix 's journey to the city could also be considered a pilgrimage considering that the time was set during Christmas and that her journey to the city was one of selfless concern for her ailing grandchild . And like the representations of Christmas , Phoenix 's journey represents self-sacrifice , self-giving and love for another person . Unlike Ms . Ferenczi 's character , who seemed to have no thought as to others ' plight . Her apparent disregard for what her students think and feel especially that of Wayne when she told him that he was going to die soon based on her tarot card reading was evident . While the character of Phoenix Jackson is portrayed as somebody...