Comparative Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Comparative - Research Paper Example The journey represents the physical journey as well as the inner journey. The writers have chosen to use the symbol of a journey because they want us, the reader, to embark on this path of discovery with the protagonists. Both writers have used setting and symbols extensively to signify the start, the progress and the end of the journey. They have also masterfully created protagonists we can identify with, and as we travel on with the protagonists we are made aware of their feelings and beliefs and we end up empathizing with the protagonists because we could relate to their trials and embrace their humanity as our own, â€Å"the hold upon us of a character in fiction, for instance, is its ability to remind us of all those actual people who are therein described†. (Feibleman, 1949) In â€Å"A Worn Path†, Welty has endowed her protagonist, â€Å"an old Negro woman called Phoenix Jackson† (Welty, 1941, paragraph 1) with a physical quest to make her way to town. This physical journey is also an inner quest in search for immortality. Welty has painted the setting, that of a cold December morning and the character of a very old woman in the first two paragraphs. The antics of an ancient woman are fully described and the likeness of old Phoenix grows clear to us. In just the first few lines, Welty has fully planted this old and wrinkly woman before us and presented us with a suspending question at the same time, why is this â€Å"very old and small† (Welty, 1941, paragraph 1) woman making a journey alone in the cold? Similar to Welty, Rhys has also used a symbolic journey in her work â€Å"I used to Live Here Once†. Rhys has endowed her protagonist with a physical journey across a river to return to a place she has once lived in. The physical journey is deceptively simple. In actuality, the journey is also a journey of nostalgia and atonement and carries the enormous weight of memories. The start of the journey begins with the protag onist â€Å"standing by the river† (Rhys, 1976, paragraph 1). The protagonist describes the stepping stones with great detail. Each one is different but the stones are exactly as she remembers and this is significant because in the scenes after, she seems uncertain of the way things should look. Like Welty, Rhys has presented us with a suspending question here, what has taken place that makes the protagonist reacts thus? The missions of the quests in both works are not made clear to the reader till the end of the story. However, both Welty and Rhys have used the setting extensively to show the protagonist’s progress with the journey, the passing of time and their state of mind. The characters of old Phoenix and the ghost girl are fleshed out so well that towards the end of the journey, not only are the quests explained, we also empathize with the characters. As old Phoenix embarks on her journey, Welty let us know that old Phoenix is familiar with the path but the jour ney is long. Along the journey, old Phoenix has to cross different terrains. The pinewood at the onset of the journey marks the starting point of old Phoenix’s inner quest for immortality, as pine trees are often associated with immortality. The quest is not without a struggle. It is an uphill battle but old Phoenix is resolute. She then has to make her way through a forest of oak trees, oaks representing strength and wisdom to be gained. At this point, Welty has aptly