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Phoenix Jackson
The hunter appears relatively briefly in the story, but he unforgettably exemplifies the racial politics that Phoenix has to deal with in her day-to-day life. Though at first he aids Phoenix when she has fallen in a ditch, he afterwards rather casually points a gun at her to see if it frightens her. The casualness of his action speaks to how little he actually cares for her as a human, and expresses his sense of racial superiority. The hunter also tells Phoenix that she should give up her journey and go back home, as he cannot imagine her – or any black person – possessing a legitimate reason for being out on the road to go to town. Condescending and superior, the hunter still gets duped by Phoenix when she takes advantage of his racism and urges him to get rid of the “big black dog” who isn’t “scared of nobody.” Ironically, he later tells her that he would give her a dime if he had any money, though he does not realize that she has already taken the nickel that has fallen out of his pocket.
Hunter Quotes in A Worn Path
The A Worn Path quotes below are all either spoken by Hunter or refer to Hunter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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A Worn Path
Quotes
"Why, that's too far! That's as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble." He patted the stuffed bag he carried, and there hung down a little closed claw. It was one of the bob-whites, with its beak hooked bitterly to show it was dead. "Now you go on home, Granny!"
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He gave another laugh, filling the whole landscape. "I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!"
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“He ain’t scared of nobody. He a big black dog.”
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Phoenix heard the dogs fighting, and heard the man running and throwing sticks. She even heard a gunshot. But she was slowly bending forward by that time, further and further forward, the lids stretched down over her eyes, as if she were doing this in her sleep. Her chin was lowered almost to her knees. The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen. Then she slowly straightened up, she stood erect, and the nickel was in her apron pocket. A bird flew by. Her lips moved. "God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing."
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“No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done.”
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“I’d give you a dime if I had any money with me. But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you.”
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Hunter Quotes in A Worn Path
The A Worn Path quotes below are all either spoken by Hunter or refer to Hunter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
A Worn Path
Quotes
"Why, that's too far! That's as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble." He patted the stuffed bag he carried, and there hung down a little closed claw. It was one of the bob-whites, with its beak hooked bitterly to show it was dead. "Now you go on home, Granny!"
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He gave another laugh, filling the whole landscape. "I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!"
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“He ain’t scared of nobody. He a big black dog.”
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Phoenix heard the dogs fighting, and heard the man running and throwing sticks. She even heard a gunshot. But she was slowly bending forward by that time, further and further forward, the lids stretched down over her eyes, as if she were doing this in her sleep. Her chin was lowered almost to her knees. The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen. Then she slowly straightened up, she stood erect, and the nickel was in her apron pocket. A bird flew by. Her lips moved. "God watching me the whole time. I come to stealing."
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“No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done.”
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“I’d give you a dime if I had any money with me. But you take my advice and stay home, and nothing will happen to you.”
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