In many of her short stories, the main characters are socially subjugated individuals who break their traditional society-assigned roles. For example in “A worn path” the main character Phoenix, an old black woman who goes on a long journey to obtain medicine for her grandson. Throughout her quest, she encounters characters that embody racism, for example, she meets a white hunter whom she asks for help in order to get out of a ditch that she fell into. After the hunter begrudgingly helps her, he makes fun of her and asks if she is going to see “Santa Claus” because he believes that she is incapable of such good intention and strong determination to help her son being such an older woman. The hunter is also extremely mean to the older woman. For example “[the hunter] laughed and lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix.” After that, he asks “Doesn 't the gun scare you?” to which Phoenix responds “No, sir”. This again demonstrates Phoenix, the older black woman standing up against society and resisting the white
In many of her short stories, the main characters are socially subjugated individuals who break their traditional society-assigned roles. For example in “A worn path” the main character Phoenix, an old black woman who goes on a long journey to obtain medicine for her grandson. Throughout her quest, she encounters characters that embody racism, for example, she meets a white hunter whom she asks for help in order to get out of a ditch that she fell into. After the hunter begrudgingly helps her, he makes fun of her and asks if she is going to see “Santa Claus” because he believes that she is incapable of such good intention and strong determination to help her son being such an older woman. The hunter is also extremely mean to the older woman. For example “[the hunter] laughed and lifted his gun and pointed it at Phoenix.” After that, he asks “Doesn 't the gun scare you?” to which Phoenix responds “No, sir”. This again demonstrates Phoenix, the older black woman standing up against society and resisting the white