The two short stories, "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty and "The Swimmer" by John Cheever are not originally meant to be similar, but do have some ideas in common. Although these stories are similar in that the main characters are both on a one-day journey to reach their loved ones, encounter many obstacles along the way, and both reach their final destination, the outcomes are very different.

The main characters, Phoenix of "A Worn Path" and Neddy of "The Swimmer," are both on a day's quest to get back to their loved ones, whether it is a literal journey or one to face reality. Each title basically implies the movement of going somewhere-- down a path and in a pool. Phoenix Jackson, an old Negro woman, sets out walking one morning to the city where she is to meet the doctor. Her journey is very straightforward and...