A Worn Path - vernacular

Welty tells tells the story of a venturing woman named Phoenix Jackson in A Worn Path. Phoenix makes the journey to get medicine for her sick, dying, or dead grandson. Phoenix's love for her grandson becomes noticeable as the length of the journey is revealed by the position of the sun throughout her journey. Phoenix set out at sunrise, was halfway at noon, and arrived near sunset. Welty creates an effect by characterizing Phoenix as a less educated woman with Phoenix's vernacular. Phoenix speaks phrases such as "he not get his breath." Phoenix's dialect, or vernacular, helps the reader learn of Phoenix's isolated background. However, I believe Phoenix may be senile. The first sign of this can be found  in Welty's writing, "...a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it...But when she went to take it there was just her hand in the air (224)." Additionally, when Phoenix arrives in town, she stares off into space because she cannot remember why she even came there in the first place. Phoenix's questionable memory brings to question whether her grandson is even still alive. Honestly, my original theory was a little crazy compared to most people's. I thought what if Phoenix is dying and in her evanescent moments she begins to dream of her dead grandson who she had trekked days to get medicine for since this was most likely one of her moments that she was proud to think about. As expected, this theory does not hold much water, and one of the questions at the end says that Welty answered a student saying that Phoenix is alive. After reading this, I believe Phoenix just makes this trip as a show of love her grandson regardless of whether he is alive or not.