The descriptions in this story about a seemingly senile old woman were really what kept my attention. The detail of the wrinkles on her face compared the pattern of tree branches is beautiful and paints the picture perfectly. Also, the part where she thanks God for allowing there to not be any snakes, she mentions how it once took her a while to get past the snakes which was really the first clue to me that she was having conversations with herself. This short conversation gave me the impression that she thinks she once encountered a similar situation in her life, but what is the snake representative of?
I kind of view this story as her plotting out her life experiences and going through different things that have happened to her. She might be on her death bed, as one conversation she has with herself she says, "who be you the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by" which implies she is aware that her life is coming to an end. This story also possesses an eerie feel to it, an old woman wandering by herself, the wind, nature, the conversations all seem like they could be a part of the setting of a thriller or mystery movie.
Old Phoenix draws sympathy from me, she is alone, seems wistful of another time, and preparing herself for the end. The story was saddening but captivating at the same time.
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