Marigolds 

A short story by Eugenia W. Collier

Plot of "Marigolds":

"Marigolds" is a short story written by Eugenia Collier. The plot revolves around a young girl named Lizabeth who grows up in a poor neighborhood during the Great Depression. Lizabeth and her brother Joey know about their parents' struggles, leading to a sense of hopelessness and frustration. One day, Lizabeth, overcome with emotions, destroys Miss Lottie's prized marigold garden, a symbol of beauty and hope. This action turns Lizabeth's life around, helping her realize the importance of preserving beauty and innocence, even in hard times. The story displays themes of coming of age, loss of innocence, and the impact of poverty on a young girl. Definitely worth the read!

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Character Profiles

Get to know the characters!

Lizabeth

Age: Around 14 years old

Personality: Lizabeth starts as a typical, rebellious teenager. She's filled with different emotions such as frustration and anger about her situation. She's both curious and sensitive, as well as capable of both cruelty and remorse. Her actions surrounding Miss Lottie's garden is an important moment in her character development.

Joey

Age: Lizabeth's younger brother

Personality: Joey is just a supporting character. He helps emphasize the family's situation, highlighting the poverty effects and difficult circumstances, but is more innocent and naive than his sister.

Miss Lottie

Age: Elderly neighbor

Personality: Miss Lottie is kind and nurturing. She tends to her garden and has a peaceful, calm aura, serving as a contrast to the hardship that is the kids' lives.

Lizabeth's Mother

Personality: Lizabeth's mother is a hard-working, worn-down and struggling mother. She, along with her husband, are just trying to get by and provide for their children.

Lizabeth's Father

Personality: Lizabeth's father serves as a symbol of the hardships and struggle that the family faces. Also just trying to make ends meet.

Thematic Analysis:

"Marigolds" explores several themes, including but not limited to:

  1. Loss of Innocence: The story follows Lizabeth losing her innocence as she commits her impulsive act of destroying the garden. This marks the moment when she becomes aware of the harsh reality and the consequences of her actions. 

  2. Poverty and Struggle: The time period and context of that era help set the stage. The Great Depression as a backdrop to the story emphasizes the hardships Lizabeth's family and others on the community have to face.

  3. Beauty and Hope: Miss Lottie's garden of Marigold flowers are not only a sign of beauty, but also a sign of hope. The fact she is able to find some happiness through gardening in these hard times gives others hope that they as well can achieve happiness, no matter the circumstances.


Author Background:

Eugenia W. Collier (born April 6, 1928) is an American writer and critic best known for her 1969 short story "Marigolds," which won the first Gwendolyn Brooks Prize for Fiction in 1969; it was Collier’s first published story. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Collier's "Marigolds" is one of the most widely anthologized short stories in high school English textbooks. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the story describes the moment that the 14-year-old narrator, Lizabeth, comes of age. It is the moment she is first able to feel the pain of another human being, and Collier's narrative argues that innocence and compassion cannot exist in the same person. It is widely used as a catalyst book for the coming of age unit in high school English classes. Since retiring in 1996, Collier continues to live in Baltimore, and occasionally visits classes to discuss creative writing and her stories.


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