As Joshua encountered interpretative difficulties with Welty's "The Worn Path" today I dissected the symbolism , metaphors , and allusions in this famous piece of short fiction. We focused on the protagonist, Phoenix , as a Christ- like figure , who perseveres the racism of the South in 1940 Mississippi and compared the resurrection of the mythical phoenix to Christ's resurrection after crucifixion. In this regard, I explained the significance of the thorn bush and the veiled image of Mary Magdellon washing Christ's feet as a woman kneels down to assist Phoenix tie her shoe.