Free Essays on A Worn Path

Life’s Journey Every person, living and dead, has a story to be told. Phoenix Jackson is no exception. Some may perceive the story on Phoenix’s journey to town in a sad light. Each journey however, must have some trials and tribulations just as Phoenix does during her trip. Phoenix’s difficult journey to town seems to indicate that the struggles she has endured throughout her life enable her to possess the wisdom to overcome many obstacles. Throughout her journey Phoenix endures a number of problems not allowing any of them distract her from her goal. Before she gets very far she finds herself entangled in a thorn bush that with some persistence she frees herself from. This seems to indicate the difficulty of the impending travel ahead. The path soon comes to a small creek only to be crossed by walking the log that makes the path. This is obviously no easy feat for an old woman walking unsteadily with a cane. Yet Phoenix makes it across safely. Through barred wire and after a tumble into a ditch she finally makes it safely and unharmed into town. Even the younger more capable hunter exclaims â€Å"Why, that’s too far† when he hears of her destination (McMahan 292). Phoenix does make it to town despite the difficulty of the journey and proves she has the persistence and wisdom of her years to enable her to survive. Three times during her trip Phoenix shows her wisdom by obtaining things from various people along her way. She shows her abilities first by managing to obtain money from a hunter who claims â€Å"Id give you dime if I had any money with me† (McMahan 294). To accomplish this she must distract the hunter from realizing he lost this valuable commodity. She pretends to be interested in watching his dog chase a cur and he subsequently goes off to do just that. She then quickly assumes possession of the fallen nickel. Secondly, she comes across a woman who obviously look down at Phoenix. T... Free Essays on A Worn Path Free Essays on A Worn Path You Can’t Trick Me Death is always lurking around us. Nobody really knows when death will come knocking at his or her door. In her short story, â€Å"A Worn Path,† Eudora Welty uses many different symbols that convey an underlying meaning that death is lurking around every corner and around every bend in the road. Some of these symbols include the title itself, â€Å"A Worn Path,† the rustling in the bushes, Phoenix Jackson’s dress catching in the bush, and the scarecrow and the black dog. All of these symbols represent death in one way or another. The first symbol is the title of the story and how it brings Phoenix Jackson to her journey of â€Å"A Worn Path.† This path is familiar to Phoenix, for she has traveled down it her entire life. As Phoenix starts her long journey through the deep ominous woods, she knows anything could happen if she is not careful. With her ears and senses alert, she makes slow but steady steps into the woods. Phoenix hears rustling in the bushes as she makes her way along the path. Phoenix does not see anything, but she thinks the wild animals might try to get her, so she says â€Å"Out of my way all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!† (87). The path Phoenix takes is the path of her life. She knows death lurks behind every shadow and can take on any form or shape. The rustling in the bushes represents the evil that could cross her path and interrupt her way of life. People can sense when their time of existence is near the end. They will take painstaking care to look presentable when entering Heaven. Phoenix’s â€Å"long dark striped dress† gets caught on a bush, and to her this is not acceptable. She says, â€Å"Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass† (87). Phoenix finally frees herself from the bush. Death plays many games, and this is one more that Phoenix has endured and overcome. At times people feel like the devil has a hold on them. The ... Free Essays on A Worn Path A Vital Path Life is full of purposeful journeys. These journeys are often taken to overcome, to succeed, or to protect. In Eudora Welty’s short story â€Å"A Worn Path,† the elderly Phoenix Jackson sets out on one of these voyages. Her trip down the path is a vital part of her life and essential to the survival of her grandson and herself. Beginning her perilous trip to town, Phoenix confidently exclaims, â€Å"’Out of my way all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons, and wild animals!†¦I got a long way.’† Phoenix knows what trials she must face, and she is determined to overcome them. When her eyesight fails her and she is caught in brambles, she works intently to remove them from her tangled skirts and continues along her way. Phoenix encounters even more challenge when the initially amiable hunter becomes unpleasant and disrespectful and tries to frighten her into going home. Needless to say, Phoenix is not deterred; she says, â€Å"’I bound to go on my way, mister,’† and continues down the path. Surmounting these challenges keeps Phoenix determined to complete her journey. Phoenix’s trip down the path is crucial to her sick grandson. Her love for him runs deep and she knows that she must make this journey for him. Without Phoenix’s resolve to repeatedly travel to town for medicine, her grandson’s illness may take his life. If that were to occur, because of Phoenix’s old age, she may no longer have the will to keep living. Phoenix also makes the journey for herself. The old woman’s name alludes to the fabled Egyptian phoenix that, after five hundred years of life, consumes itself in flames and is resurrected from its ashes. Like the bird, Phoenix Jackson periodically makes her journey and is, in a sense, reborn from her experience. When she skillfully crosses a log over a creek and says, â€Å"’I wasn’t as old as I thought,’† it is clear that the trials Phoenix faces on the path g... Free Essays on A Worn Path Life’s Journey Every person, living and dead, has a story to be told. Phoenix Jackson is no exception. Some may perceive the story on Phoenix’s journey to town in a sad light. Each journey however, must have some trials and tribulations just as Phoenix does during her trip. Phoenix’s difficult journey to town seems to indicate that the struggles she has endured throughout her life enable her to possess the wisdom to overcome many obstacles. Throughout her journey Phoenix endures a number of problems not allowing any of them distract her from her goal. Before she gets very far she finds herself entangled in a thorn bush that with some persistence she frees herself from. This seems to indicate the difficulty of the impending travel ahead. The path soon comes to a small creek only to be crossed by walking the log that makes the path. This is obviously no easy feat for an old woman walking unsteadily with a cane. Yet Phoenix makes it across safely. Through barred wire and after a tumble into a ditch she finally makes it safely and unharmed into town. Even the younger more capable hunter exclaims â€Å"Why, that’s too far† when he hears of her destination (McMahan 292). Phoenix does make it to town despite the difficulty of the journey and proves she has the persistence and wisdom of her years to enable her to survive. Three times during her trip Phoenix shows her wisdom by obtaining things from various people along her way. She shows her abilities first by managing to obtain money from a hunter who claims â€Å"Id give you dime if I had any money with me† (McMahan 294). To accomplish this she must distract the hunter from realizing he lost this valuable commodity. She pretends to be interested in watching his dog chase a cur and he subsequently goes off to do just that. She then quickly assumes possession of the fallen nickel. Secondly, she comes across a woman who obviously look down at Phoenix. T... Free Essays on A Worn Path In Eudora Welty’s "A Worn Path" the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandson’s health and her state of poverty. "Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles†¦" (paragraph 2). This quotation was one of many indications of Phoenix Jackson’s old age. Normally, in society there are benefits for the elderly and those of the golden age. There are various organizations that help people who are over the age of sixty-five. They also provide various services towards them such as meals on wheels. Was there not someone who could have delivered the medicine to this woman of nearly 100 years of age? Perhaps Phoenix Jackson was too shy or had too much pride to ask for a service of that nature. The doctors from the medical building knew about the condition of Phoenix’s grandson and did nothing to try and help. This showed the lack of respect that was present in the society. In today’s society, someone of that age commands and deserves the proper respect. The next conflict that plagued her is that of her health. "She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her," (paragraph 1). In the preceding quotation, there was one important note that readers should take into consideration... Free Essays on A Worn Path I need a Summary of the Worn Path:A Worn Path by Eudora Welty It was December- a bright frozen day in the early morning. Far out in the country there was an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag, coming along a path through the pinewoods. Her name was Phoenix Jackson. She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grandfather clock. She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her. This made a grave and persistent noise in the still air that seemed meditative, like the chirping of a solitary little bird. She wore a dark striped dress reaching down to her shoe tops, and an equally long apron of bleached sugar sacks, with a full pocket: all neat and tidy, but every time she took a step she might have fallen over her shoelaces, which dragged from her unlaced shoes. She looked straight ahead. Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under the dark. Under the red rag her hair came down on her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, and with an odor like copper. ...

The 5 Best Schools to Earn a Human Resources Degree + What You Can Do With It

The 5 Best Schools to Earn a Human Resources Degree + What You Can Do With It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you hear the term â€Å"human resources† or â€Å"HR,† what do you think of? You’ve probably heard it quite a few times, whether that’s from your business courses, the news, or even as you’ve researched potential majors. One of our favorite examples of someone who works in human resources is the character Toby fromThe Office. Toby’s job was to keep Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin’s off-the-wall regional manager, in check. (If you’ve ever seen The Office, you know that was an impossible order!) And if you remember Toby, you’ll also recollect that he was also considered a wet blanket and no fun. But despite its portrayal in The Office, working in human resources is actually an excellent fit for anyone who enjoys working with people and shaping a company’s policies. This article will not only introduce you to the human resources degree, it will also give you a peek at the doors it can open for you. What Is Human Resources? So if human resources isn’t the snooze-fest that The Office makes it out to be, then what is human resources, exactly? Human resources is the department in a company or business that â€Å"is focused on activities relating to employees.† In other words, the human resources team’s whole job is to handle any organizational, policy, or staffing issue as it relates to the people who work at a company. That means that human resources is a vital part of any healthy business! The duties of a human resources department vary depending on the size and structure of a company, but in general, it handles all the personnel (or employee) issues for the business. This includes things like hiring employees, training new team members, implementing new employee-oriented programs, managing employee benefits, protecting employees’ legal rights, helping employees advance in their careers, keeping everyone motivated, and establishing/maintaining the company’s culture. It might make more sense if you think of a business like a car. If executives are the drivers and employees are the engine, then people who work in human resources are mechanics. They help make sure that the car is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible! What Does a Career in Human Resources Look Like? The human resources field is robust and offers people career opportunities in an incredible variety of sub-fields that range from personnel management to corporate training. Here are four human resource jobs that you might not have known existed! HR Specialist Median annual salary: $60,350 If you get a degree in human resources, you’re qualified to enter a company as an HR specialist. HR specialists handle a wide variety of human resources tasks, especially when it comes to recruiting, interviewing, and hiring employees. Because this isn’t an entry-level position, HR specialists often deal with more complex HR issues, like administering benefits, addressing internal problems, and developing company strategies, too. Training and Development Manager Median annual salary: $87,700 An HR Training and Development Manager is in charge of all the education, training, and career development for employees within a company. Often, they develop unique training sessions, classes, and workbooks specific to their company and its needs. People who excel as a training and development manager enjoy helping people learn and grow. Their job is to make sure that everyone has access to the materials and knowledge they need to have great careers! Executive Recruiter Average annual salary: $78,785 Executive recruiters are talent scouts for companies. Their job is to help large companies and corporations fill empty leadership positions with the best and brightest people. Executive recruiters have to be insightful and persuasivenot only do they need to understand what the hiring company needs, they have to convince executives to take a chance on a new role, too. (Many times, executive recruiters are courting people who already have jobs at other companies.) Additionally, some executive recruiters have the potential to earn financial bonuses for successful hires...so this job can be a lucrative one! Labor Relations Specialist Median annual salary: $83,298 A labor relations specialist serves as the intermediary between labor unions and a company. Not only do they negotiate with unions, they also help draft contracts, too. It’s important for a labor relations specialist to understand local, state, and federal labor laws. It’s also their job to make sure their company complies with all the important labor regulationsso this is a great position for anyone interested in working in a legal field! Operations Manager Median annual salary: $63,708 Becoming an operations manager isn’t strictly a human relations job, but it’s a common career path for people who start off in a human relations field. Operations managers’ job is to make sure all of the operational aspects of a company are running smoothly. This includes overseeing product development and manufacturing, making sure deliverables make it to clients on time, and working to keep projects on budget. In bigger companies, operations managers also serve as important members of the leadership team! This job is a fantastic fit for highly organized people who like jobs with lots of variety. What Is a Human Resources Degree? A human resources degree program is a specialized course of study that prepares you for a career as a human resources professional. It combines classes in general businesslike business management and strategywith others designed to help you manage the personnel issues a business might face. Unlike some fields, you can earn a human resources degree on four different tiers: the associate level, the bachelor level, and the master level, and the Ph.D. level. Associate’s Degree Some community colleges offer associate’s degrees in human resources. These are normally two-year degrees that you complete on a community college campus in your city or through a distance learning program associated with a community college in your state. People who have associate’s degrees in human resources are often considered generalists, meaning they don’t specialize in a specific field of human resources, like benefit management or training. That means their degree will qualify them for entry-level positions, like human resource clerk or assistant recruiter. Some companies offer people with associate’s degrees on-the-job training so they can advance into more specialized, higher-paying roles as they grow their career. So an associate’s degree in human resources is a great option for anyone who isn’t a good fit for a four-year degree but still wants to enter a job field with the potential for advancement! Bachelor’s Degree The bachelor’s degree is by far the most common human resources degree. Most large universities offer a human resources program, which is usually run through an institution’s business school. These four-year programs offer a comprehensive business education that includes overviews of business management, practices, and finance. But more importantly, bachelor’s programs provide a comprehensive education in the field of human resources, and they equip graduates to start their careers in a variety of different business environments ranging from small, local companies to national non-profits. Additionally, some bachelor’s programs allow students to specialize in a specific sub-field of human resources, like organizational development or human resources management. This allows students to find better, higher paying jobs right out of school (and qualify for general HR positions, too). Master’s Degree People who pursue master’s degrees in human resources have their sights set on leadership positions. Earning a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) degree with an emphasis in human resources can lead to roles like directorships, or even becoming the vice president for human resources at a larger company. In general, an MBA in human resources takes two years to complete. The MBA in human resources is even more concentrated than the bachelor’s degree, meaning that students will take more rigorous, more in-depth courses about human resources and the future of the field. Consequently, that means there’s no standard course load for this type of degree. Each program is different, so you’ll want to do your research before committing to a specific university. PhDDegree A PhD is the highest degree you can earn in any field, and the PhD in human resources is no different. People who pursue a PhDare preparing themselves to enter academia (as a professor) or related research fields. Unlike other degree programs which focus on the practical application of human resources principles, PhD programs are designed with research in mind. Students work with faculty advisors to undertake new, unique research projects related to human resources. A PhD in human resources can take anywhere from four to seven years to complete. Online Degree As education has moved into the digital age, so have degree programs. Schools across the United States offer online-only human resources degree programs...which means you can earn an associate’s, bachelor’s, or even master’s degree from the comfort of your own home! Online degree programs have the added benefit of letting you learn at your own pace, so if you’re a working student, this could be an excellent option for you. One word of caution, though: the online education space is rife with potential scammers. Make sure that you’re signing up with an accredited, non-profit university! You should research both the program and school so that you know you’re participating in a legitimate program. A picture of Cornell University in Ithaca, New YorkMaeshima Hiroki/Wikimedia Top 5 Human Resources Programs in the United States If you want to get a human resources degree, you have lots of schools to choose from. We looked through programs from across the nation to put together our best-of-the-best list. #1: Cornell University Cornell takes the top spot on our list because a) it’s one of the best schools in the nation and b) it offers human resources degrees on the bachelor, master, and Ph.D. level. That means that Cornell boasts some of the best professors in the United States, so you’re guaranteed to get a great education. Additionally, Cornell’s ILR School offers a unique approach to the undergraduate degree. Not only does it offer state-of-the-art human resources education, it also boasts an interdisciplinary program that lets students stretch their studies into other related fields like law and social justice. This program is great for curious students who want to take their human resources career to new heights. #2: University of Nebraska The University of Nebraska offers a human resources management undergraduate degree, which is a great fit for anyone interested in moving into a management or director role during the course of their career. Because the program focuses on leadership, the College of Business offers students tons of networking opportunities through student organizations like Enactus and Alpha Kappa Psi. The school also gives students access to the Center for Entrepreneurship, which connects students to alumni and business partners around the state. This gives students who may want to start their own human resources businesses or consultancies a leg-up before they ever graduate. #3: Rutgers University Rutgers University snags the number three spot on our list because of its balance between degree offerings and course selection. The school offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human resource management, but it also offers an online program and minor programs, too. Students have lots of options, so they can choose the HR program that’s right for them. Additionally, the School of Management and Labor Relations takes an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Students studying human resources also learn about business strategy, psychology, economics, and sociology while engaging in cutting-edge research in the HR field, too. Students with HR degrees from Rutgers are ready to succeed in multiple business arenas as soon as they graduate. #4: Michigan State University Unlike some of the universities on this list that roll their human resources degrees into their business programs, Michigan State University has a whole school dedicated to studying human resources. The School of Human Resources and Labor Relations prides itself in making sure their students get a robust educational experience while preparing for the workforce. It’s one of the only HR-specific schools that also offers a study abroad program, which is great for anyone interested in entering the international human relations field. But more importantly, when you graduate with a degree in human resources from Michigan State, you’re practically guaranteed success. In fact, 98 to 100 percent of students land a paid internship while in school (at companies like Boeing and Microsoft!), and 98 percent of students will have a job by the time they graduate. #5: Purdue University Purdue is not only one of the top universities in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report, but it also has a top-tier human resources program, too. Students who decide to pursue a human resources degree will enter a rigorous program that fully integrates with the Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) exam, which is the industry-leading certification program for HR professionals. In addition to taking incredible classes, students also have the opportunity to gain experience in working with big data through Purdue’s state-of-the-art Analytics lab. The program even offers a combined minor in business management to prepare students for business leadership positions! What’s Next? If you’re reading this article, you might be struggling to pick a college major. And you’re not alone! The process is really hard, especially for people who are interested in lots of things. Here’s a guide that can make the process a little easier. If you really can’t narrow your choices down, you might be a good candidate for a double major. But what is a double major, exactly? Here’s an expert guide that tells you everything you need to know about double majors and the double majoring process. But the first step to majoring is getting into college. If you want to go to the school of your dreams, you need to get great test scores. You can learn what constitutes a good score on the SAT by clicking here. (More of an ACT person? We’ve got you covered, too.)