Lizabeth's Innocence In Marigolds By Eugenia W. Collier
In the short story, “Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier, the protagonist, Lizabeth learns a very big life lesson that has been conflicting within herself during adolescence because she discovers the value of compassion and hope. In the beginning of the story, Lizabeth’s innocence makes her infantile to the real world. As she realizes how complex people are, she becomes paralyzed and wants to escape from the circumstance that she is facing right now. At the end of the story, Lizabeth experiences a “painful poignancy” because she wants to go back and change the past; however, she could not, so she empathizes with Miss Lottie and is still wistful to the action that she did every single time (5). The regret that Lizabeth feels after destroying the
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After she destroys Miss Lottie’s Marigolds, it is the end of her innocence and the beginning of compassion. Lizabeth describes Miss Lottie as “the witch(that) was no longer a witch but only a broken old women who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility” (5). Lizabeth realizes that Miss Lottie has nothing left to take care of in her life: “Whatever was of love and beauty and joy that had not been squeezed out by life, had been there in the marigolds she had so tenderly cared for” (5). In addition, Miss Lottie might see the Marigolds as her only happiness in her old life and does not want anyone to take it away from her because John Burke, who is Miss Lottie’s son, is a queer-headed person that Miss Lottie herself cannot even take good care of, so the Marigolds will be the thing that she will take good care of. Lizabeth has “planted the marigolds,” which she feels and sees the the picture of how the Marigolds impact Miss Lottie’s life, and Lizabeth still wistful to the action that she did every single time (5).
In the story, Marigolds symbolise hope because in the ugly shanty town, they are so bright and beautiful. The genuine meaning of the marigolds is at the end of the story when it says, “For one does not have to be ignorant and poor to find that his life is as barren as the dusty yards of our own town. And I too have planted marigolds” (5). Lizabeth means that she too will plant hope
After she destroys Miss Lottie’s Marigolds, it is the end of her innocence and the beginning of compassion. Lizabeth describes Miss Lottie as “the witch(that) was no longer a witch but only a broken old women who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility” (5). Lizabeth realizes that Miss Lottie has nothing left to take care of in her life: “Whatever was of love and beauty and joy that had not been squeezed out by life, had been there in the marigolds she had so tenderly cared for” (5). In addition, Miss Lottie might see the Marigolds as her only happiness in her old life and does not want anyone to take it away from her because John Burke, who is Miss Lottie’s son, is a queer-headed person that Miss Lottie herself cannot even take good care of, so the Marigolds will be the thing that she will take good care of. Lizabeth has “planted the marigolds,” which she feels and sees the the picture of how the Marigolds impact Miss Lottie’s life, and Lizabeth still wistful to the action that she did every single time (5).
In the story, Marigolds symbolise hope because in the ugly shanty town, they are so bright and beautiful. The genuine meaning of the marigolds is at the end of the story when it says, “For one does not have to be ignorant and poor to find that his life is as barren as the dusty yards of our own town. And I too have planted marigolds” (5). Lizabeth means that she too will plant hope