Lizabeth's Childhood In Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

In the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier, a woman named Lizabeth tells the story about her 14-year-old self maturing into the woman she is now while having to deal with the Great Depression. This story tells the events that occurred in Lizabeth’s childhood that causes her to mature, it takes place in a town that struggles with poverty. Although Lizabeth’s adolescence affects her actions when she would disrespect Miss Lottie and her garden, her adult perspective in the story reveals that she learned that one can’t have both compassion and innocence. An important aspect to the story is adolescence and how it plays an important role to how Lizabeth would act and treat others. In the story, Lizabeth wouldn’t think twice of how her actions would affect others before doing them. Lizabeth mainly hangs out with kids younger than her which may influence some of her decisions. For example, Lizabeth “cursed and spat on the ground … get the stones, I’ll show you how to use ‘em.” (9). Lizabeth only joined in with the rest of the kids to seem brave, she spat on the ground to show phony bravado. Lizabeth felt the need to show phony bravado because she was peer pressured, or, influenced by the kids she hung out with. After Lizabeth threw rocks at Miss Lottie’s garden, she was hit with sudden remorse. Lizabeth realized

When Lizabeth became a woman her first realization was that one cannot have both compassion and innocence. Compassion is showing pity for another’s sufferings. Just like Lizabeth was able to have compassion for Miss Lottie after hearing her father’s cry and tearing her garden up. She finally understood what Miss Lottie was going through and why she planted the marigolds. The marigolds symbolized hope for the Great Depression to soon end. After Lottie passed, Lizabeth also planted