What Is the Setting in “A Worn Path”?

The setting in “A Worn Path,” a short story by Eudora Welty, begins on a wooded trail in Southwestern Mississippi on the Natchez Trace and later moves to the town of Natchez. The story takes place in the winter of 1940.

Phoenix Jackson, the main character of the story, is an elderly African-American woman on a quest to procure medicine for her grandson. Years earlier, her grandson had swallowed lye, resulting in recurring medical needs for his throat. The journey is very difficult for Phoenix, but she treads on determined to find help. This story is one of great love and sacrifice.