Phoenix
Jackson is a redoubtable old lady and thinks nothing of making the long trek on foot from her
home in the country all the way to Natchez. She embarks upon this journey twice a year to pick
up some medicine for her sick grandson. We get the impression that the old lady must really love
her grandson if she's prepared to make such a long, hard journey at her time of life.
As well as the numerous obstacles and dangers she encounters on her journey, Phoenix
also has to endure the humiliation of being treated like a charity case when she finally arrives
at the clinic. But Phoenix is prepared to go through all this for the sake of her grandson, who
suffers from a sore throat after swallowing lye. Lye is an alkali used in the manufacture of
food. It's also used in detergent and drain cleaners, and swallowing it in this particular form
can be lethal. Phoenix's grandson has clearly had a lucky escape, but he still requires medicine
for a throat burned by the swallowing of such a caustic substance.
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