Analysis Of Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

The two stories “How to kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier both have important lessons in them about growing up and harsh circumstances. One of the best themes that both stories have in common is Judging someone unfairly before knowing their intentions and their life conditions, for instance, have you ever been judged unfairly by someone is your life? Imagine a lady sitting in traffic for forty-five minutes and arriving late for an appointment. Her hair is disheveled and she has sweat stains under her arms because the air conditioner in the car died. By this time, she is in a foul mood and not at her best. The prospective employer she is meeting takes one look and forms an impression of her that is not very favorable. This example illustrates why first impressions are often the worst means of judging people.

The combinations of all the emotions she had started to channel into “one great impulse toward destruction” (4, Collier). This foreshadowed the destruction of the objects that confused Lizabeth the most- Mrs. Lottie’s marigolds. In the story it says, “I leaped furiously into the mounds of marigolds and pulled madly, trampling and pulling and destroying the perfect yellow blooms” (5, Collier). This is the point in the story where channeling these emotions into one violent action changes Lizabeth’s understanding in life. She sees more in life than just horseplay. Lizabeth’s personality has changed from a child, into a woman as it says, “that was the moment when childhood faded and womanhood began. That violent, crazy act was the last act of childhood” (5, Collier). In remembrance of Mrs. Lottie, Lizabeth even ends up planting marigolds. Maturity changes a person, and gives them an understanding from the inside of their

Living in poverty and having to face one’s crumbling society is extremely stressful. In Eugenia Collier’s short story, “Marigolds,” the main character, Lizabeth, and the other citizens of the town she lives in, including her parents, her friends, and Miss Lottie, must learn to cope with that stress, and in Lizabeth’s case, learn how to deal with the effects of maturation. The different types of conflict within “Marigolds” are man versus man, man versus society, and man versus self because Lizabeth has to face peer pressure, the living conditions brought by the Great Depression, as well as the development of her own emotions.

“Eugenia W. Collier uses elaborate use of diction, interesting and unique syntax, and very imagery and poetic figurative language to create a didactic, optimistic, and abstract tone in her writing of Marigolds” As the story begins, the author uses a very abstract feeling and tone towards the subject of poverty. In the quote, “Surely there must have been lush green lawns and paved streets under leafy shade trees somewhere in town; but memory is an abstract painting—it does not present things as they are, but rather as they feel” (1) it talks about how the memory of poverty is elusive. The second part of the sentence, “but memory is an abstract painting—it does not present things as they are, but rather as they feel” shows what the writer feels

Eugenia Collier, the author of Marigolds evokes empathy in the audience to inspire action and bring about a deeper understanding of the world by using first person point of view in her text, so she used Lizabeth an imaginary person to tell a story from her point of view. She uses Lizabeth as the narrator of the story, so Lizabeth tells a story about her life experience in dusty depression-era town. In the text where it mentions “whatever verve, there was left in her, whatever was of love and beauty and joy that had…. Awkward and ashamed”(Lizabeth 62-63) and “She never planted marigolds again….. And I too have planted marigolds”(Lizabeth 64), she is trying to describe something. She is trying to describe that the marigolds brought happiness

In the story "Marigolds", a story by Eugenia Collier, the author uses the literary techniques of juxtaposition and symbolism to show the overall message that during the coming of age and maturity in a world full of poverty and darkness, people always look for a light of happiness. The author uses juxtaposition of the conversation of the mother and father to show how the darkness, which is represented by the father, is trying to destroy the lightness, which is represented by the mother. In rage and pain of his poverty bent life, Lizabeth’s father is clouded with darkness and fear, but Lizabeth’s mother a still hopeful and looking for something to bring joy to the family. Lizabeth's dad explains to Lizabeth’s mother, “Twenty-two years, Maybelle, twenty-two years, and I

A child holds innocence from a young age and does not understand the importance of having compassion. As a child's innocence gradually fades away due to maturity, he or she transforms into a compassionate person. In a coming of age short story called, “Marigolds,” the author Eugenia Collier writes about a series of events about a young girl, named Lizabeth, develops into a compassionate person. Lizabeth narrates these events in a flashback that involves the marigolds of her neighbor, Miss Lottie. Miss Lottie's marigolds represented the essence of hope in the midst of the town, filled with dust and dirt. Despite the dirt and dusty roads that were accompanied by the house, Miss Lottie decided to plant her marigolds. The effect of economic struggles the townspeople go through causes Lizabeth to destroy Miss Lottie's marigolds. Throughout the short story,

In the short story “Marigolds”, the author, Eugenia Collier, uses several key events throughout the short story to represent the unseen cage that the main character, Lizabeth, is trapped in, and ultimately breaks. The story is set in a shanty town, likely taking place during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Lizabeth goes through a difficult stage in life, a stage in which she is in conflict about whether she wants to be a carefree, innocent child, or an educated, compassionate adult. The climax of the story, when Lizabeth tears and rips up Miss Lottie’s marigolds, is such an emotional moment for Lizabeth that she finally completes her transition to adulthood, understands her endless cycle of poverty, and breaks the final bar of the cage.

The short stories “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, and “Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier, are all meaningfully connected through peices and feelings that are felt while reading the stories. Each is unique, but they have the same point behind them. All three of the ‘main’ characters in these stories have all destroyed something. Rather it be important to them or someone else.

In the story “Marigolds”, by Eugenia Collier, the theme consists of accepting who you are- because if you put it off, you may do something you may regret. The main character, Lizabeth, is on a path to adulthood, which is greatly treacherous and is a journey full of many challenges. Lizabeth quotes in many parts of the story that she feels conflicted in whatever she does, making her very emotionally frustrated. “The child in me sulked and said it was all in fun but the woman in me flinched at the thought of the malicious attack we led.” (Collier 124). Lizabeth’s statement proves that she feels very split on what to do, because of the emotions interfering with her. Her statement proves that the path to adulthood is not as easy

The transformations in people are caused by a variety of circumstances. Within the variety of these circumstances, stress is the most influential one. In Eugenia Collier’s short story Marigolds, it tells the narrative of a young African-American girl living in rural Maryland. Due to her frustration with life, she destroys Miss Lottie’s marigolds. In the story Marigolds, the author uses the narrator’s transformation and characterization to convey that identity is only found in times of crisis.

Society can learn a lot from Cinderella-like movies such as Maid in Manhattan. However, what society learns from these fairy tales is not always that Cinderella meets a prince and lives happily-ever-after. In the movie Maid in Manhattan, directed by Wayne Wang, a hotel maid meets a wealthy politician and lives a Cinderella-like tale after wearing a wealthy guest’s designer outfit. Most people focus on the obvious love story between the maid and the politician. Many overlook the psychological plight of Cinderella herself. In these tales Cinderella loses her mother and often her father too. This has a tremendous effect on the young girl’s self-worth. However, other complex relationships are also revealed, including the mother/daughter relationship. Similarly, the text “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” by Elisabeth Panttaja, discusses the influences of Cinderella’s mother. These sources are worth exploring because they demonstrate how a woman’s self-worth is shaped by her relationship with her mother.

Countee Cullen is one of the most well-known poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Born as Countee LeRoy Porter, Cullen was raised by his maternal grandmother for the first few years of his life. He later was adopted by the Cullen family to become Countee Cullen. With his adoptive family, Cullen lived in Harlem, New York, which later became the headquarters of the Harlem Renaissance. Being raised in the center of this all-black society influenced Cullen’s style of writing. The man’s writing style is distinctly demonstrated in his poem, “Fruit of the Flower”. In “Fruit of the Flower”, Cullen conveys the message that African-Americans should be treated as equal to white Americans. The song, “Team”, written and vocalized by Lorde, a modern pop

Most of the time there is a moment in life where one realizes they have lost all innocence and gained some compassion.  “Marigolds” shows how one young girl transferred from a child to young adult through her life experiences.  Throughout this story another young, but at the same time old in her prime, lady’s experiences are revealed:  the author’s.  In this short story, “Marigolds,” Eugenia Collier’s subconscious is unmasked through symbolism, diction, and Lizabeth’s actions.

Kate Chopin is a renowned author of the twentieth century. She is famous for her short stories that were written in the late 1800’s. Most of her works were published in magazines at the time but were a posthumous success because of societal dissent. The beliefs and values exhibited in her works of literature are far ahead of their time by representing women’s desire for independence from being a homemaker. One of her most popular short stories, “Desiree’s Baby,” shows how women had no choice over their own fate and were bound by the will of their husbands during Chopin’s lifetime. It was not well received by the public until years after Chopin’s death because the story draws sympathetic feelings towards the situation in which the main character Desiree finds herself in. In “Desiree’s Baby,” Chopin uses symbolism and irony to present the message of how the innocent suffer unjustly as a result of judgmental attitudes; she does this through the main characters of Armand and Desiree.