Answer:
Esperanza feels guilt because she believes that she is the cause of her aunt's death.
In "A Worn Path", Old Phoenix Jackson was able to hit the dog her cane before falling into a ditch. She waits until a young white hunter shows up and helps her out of the ditch. He is demeaning at first about her age, then shows prejudice because he says “I know you old colored people…wouldn’t miss going to town to see Santa Claus!”
She sees a nickel has fallen out of the hunter's pocket, and before taking it, she distracts him by saying that his big black dog isn't afraid of anything. Not only does he chase it off to prove her wrong, but also points a gun at her at an attempt to assert power.
