Essay
The short story A Worn Path write by describes Phoenix Jackson is “an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag” ( ), she is to travel a path that is full of barriers like the thorny bush that threatens to tear her best dress that is suited for going to - town - occasions, the hills that pulls her back like a ball and chain and the stream that prompts her unstable balancing act, yet she manage to continue her journey to the small town of Natchez in the hope of getting to the clinic for her grandson’s medicine. One could not deny that Phoenix has so much inside her – her awareness of the reality she is in; that is akin to pain and her as being an old tired hungry woman and this was shown when after her precarious balancing act on the stream where she rest for awhile under a tree, letting lose of inner desires, reaching out for a plate with a slice of marble cake offered by a small boy, when upon reaching only her hand was in the air. Her frailty and senility didn’t stop her from facing the cruel world which was symbolized by the barbed wire fence, the hollow figure of the ghost that turns out to be a scarecrow, and the insolent young hunter; which are the ones that contrasts her initial look. Phoenix strengths and qualities were emphasized on such expedition yet, quite a few person see her as “Granny”, as she was compared to a child who is going to town to see “Santa Clause” or as “just aunt Phoenix” as the white attendants see her and even, changing her status from the “mighty Phoenix” who once knew very well her grueling going – to – town journey and prevail over difficult circumstances by rudely asking if she were deaf just because Phoenix was momentarily lost and wasn’t able to answer the routine questions. In the end part, she was treated with compassion at the clinic, Phoenix reveals her sad plight as being impoverish and a miraculous ability to accept the harsh reality of her life, and go on. This brought about a generalization that no matter what appearance, age, color and gender she belongs and the poverty she is in, she is still like all the rest traveling in the hope of pursuing goals and dreams. That is to bring a smile on her ailing grandson’s face by the essence of a small paper windmill that her illiteracy denied her and that she is overwhelmed to bring back one for her grandson. Phoenix’ path is worn not only due to the fact that she herself has had to travel it so frequently, but it signifies the path traveled by the poor and oppressed people everywhere.
The second short story entitled, Chrysanthemums by is about a married couple, Henry and Elisa Allen of which without a child. Elisa Allen was described as being “thirty-five…her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water…her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low over her eyes” (). Elisa can be observe as unhappy with her female function, and her unhappiness as a woman has directed her attention to try to take on both more masculine activities and to put more ardor into the feminine tasks in which she already does—when she is pruning the chrysanthemum stalks, “her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful” (), who tries to find her sexual identity however, the effort resulted in nothing but façade. Her femininity much depended on her chrysanthemum garden patch wherein she considered it as her surrogate children as she tends to them carefully, “no aphids were there, no sow bugs or snails or cutworms. Her terrier fingers destroyed such pests before they could get started” (); like a mother tends to her child. The insects seem a natural threat to her garden so, before it could cause any harm, she eradicates them before they could get started. Elisa has a gift of the “planter’s hand” but does not extend to new horizons when Henry indirectly offered for her to do it in their apple orchard. It is seen that the Henry and Elisa are having troubles with their married life, aside from the obvious lack of child in the house, it seems that they do not know how to argue, both parties would try to meet in both ends but meeting unfairly. Upon the introduction of the traveling repairman, Elisa does not like his presence but once, the repairman conjures a story. That moment made Elisa vulnerable, she “tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair” () and reveals her true female self. It gives her a pinch of hope in fulfilling another woman’s dream that has everything stocked in her garden except for chrysanthemums. The giving of the flower pot with the seedling represents her heart in which she is willing to be carried out to take part in someone else’s dreams – the aching need to be accepted as a female in a male dominated world. Little did she know that her gift of chrysanthemum was discarded later and that the traveling repairman didn’t cared on the emotional aspect of Elisa. On their way to the Salinas drive, she makes the unfortunate discovery of her chrysanthemum on the road side cast away. It gives her the realization that no matter how may tough she look with her gardening costume matched with a black man’s hat that projects masculinity, she will always be female at heart.
The House on Mango Street that was written by is about a the protagonist, Esperanza Cordero of about 11 years old and is seen as a shy little girl who was disappointed by the red, ramshackle house in the Latino section of Chicago to overcome the limitations of gender, race and class that has placed upon her. She, who dreams that one day she could be a writer and acquire a house of her own outside the impoverished neighborhood, as the story goes, Esperanza has changed her views on Mango Street, the older kids has presented her the sad reality in a rough neighborhood in her young eyes. Her mother’s advices will always be ideal and she reveres it and act upon it. With her budding sexuality, one of the important lessons her mother had shared is that girls like Lois who can't tie her shoes "are the ones that go into alleys" (73) and that "to wear black so young is dangerous" (). She, like her friend Sally dreams of one day sharing of their love with someone special. But Esperanza has set her standards high, not wanting a husband to escape, because she has seen too many neighbors unhappy in marriage. One is Sally’s who run away from home and married a traveling salesman where in the cycle of abuse continues. In the near end of the story, she talks with Alicia, a girl who wants to excel from the mediocrity – be more than her father’s housekeeper. Alicia who dreams to return to Guadalajara, Mexico someday is entirely in contrast with Esperanza who wants to have a house of her own and be away from Mango Street. However, Alicia told her, “You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can't erase what you know. You can't forget who you are" (105). The same advice that was give to her by the three old ladies whose only connection is with the moon who tell her that although she will leave Mango Street and established her name as a writer, she will return for she cannot forget Mango Street, her name that is linked with her heritage. At the end part, she has now become an independent woman and vows that, "one day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever" the final lines of the novel reveals that she will move far away from Mango Street and come for those who cannot make it out on their own.
The three stories are about three magnificent females at of different age. Phoenix Jackson, a senile woman though in the story, the barriers are the landscape itself. That didn’t stop her from pursuing what she has come to do in the small town of Natchez. She has humbly accepted what she has and what she lacks, even the taunting of the white people she can still manage to put a smile on her grandson’s face and has forgotten the obstacles she has crossed over on her way to town and is willing to go home knowing that it would be a lot harder to face the challenges since, its coming sun down but still, the hope of seeing her grandson happy is enough for her to travel again the worn path. That same goes with Elisa Allen who has willingly accepted the mediocrity of her life. She is not willing to go into couple fights (In my opinion that what she literally means when she replied to Henry, “I don’t like fights”); avoids changes in their marriage thus, the only output of her desires is to take good care of her surrogate children – the chrysanthemums. Her desire to be appreciated as a woman – that was merely hidden in the male dominating society, was taken advantage by the traveling repairman that she was gullible enough to be swindled and that when she saw her priceless gift on the roadside it crushed her heart that she would like to have a fine wine for dinner to ease the pain rather talking about it. Probably, her in acceptance of herself as woman who wants to live the joys of womanhood like being a mother could be one of the reason why she puts a façade of being strong and her not responding to opportunities that was offered by her husband. She limits herself in boundless possibilities and focuses more on her flower patch and their hard-swept home that she limits her to open freely herself. Esperanza Cordero is unlike the two previous characters, Phoenix Jackson and Elisa Allen; both characters were going with the flow that the web of life has presented to them. Esperanza on the hand, didn’t not change her course rather, she was flexible enough to meet her expectations from self and discuss her sorrows, ambitions or dreams and willing to compromise. She has become the modern woman nowadays – strong and capable of doing the work of a man yet of heart as a woman. Though, this is not of gender issue… It is about how she has transformed herself from a weakling shy girl to a writer she has dreamed of and having a house of her own. Its about pursuing dreams yet being able to take responsibility on all actions, being observant on the teachings of life and the people that has surrounded her, being able to defend what she wants and help those who hasn’t that much of self-esteem. Like Phoenix, even if she cannot fulfill her desires, she would like in some way, show the paper windmill to her grandson to prove that it existed. Esperanza was reaffirming every now and then to get away from Mango Street only to realize, it is where here heart is, her home and her life that is bound to exist even if she says goodbye to Mango Street. Hence, to prove what’s worth of something, one must work hard to get that worth.
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