Marigolds (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Marigolds" is a short story
that is written by Eugenia Collier
in 1969. She reports that she wrote the story during a time in which she was quite unhappy. She won the Gwendolyn Brooks
Prize for Fiction for it, and now considers Marigolds her favorite piece of fiction
. It has been widely anthologized
and is now used in many secondary school
English
classes.
It is an account of an incident during the adolescence of a young African-American girl, Lizabeth, growing up in rural Maryland
during the Great Depression
. "Marigolds" is not autobiographical
; Collier explains that her adolescence was much easier than that of the story's narrator.
s. Miss Lottie is the town outcast, and frustrating her is a common past time for the children of the town. In their Depression-era town, her marigolds are described as one of the only spots of amazing vibrant colors. The Marigolds and Miss Lottie seems to confuse and amuse the children at the same time. Later that evening, Lizabeth overhears her unemployed father sobbing to his wife of his frustration and anger in not being able to provide for his family. Never has she heard her father cry. Never has she considered the vulnerabilities of adults. As she wrestles with the fear and anger over their difficult situation, Lizabeth cannot sleep and, in the middle of the night, returns to Miss Lottie's flowerbed. There in the darkness she unleashes her fury on the marigolds, trampling them and uprooting them. When Ms. Lottie sees this, Lizabeth has nothing to say but to stare at what she has done. As her rage and sadness run their course, she looks up to see an equally devastated Miss Lottie standing over her. She then understands the difference between childhood and maturity and that one cannot have both compassion and innocence in them. It is at this moment that Lizabeth sees through the eyes of adulthood, with eyes of compassion, and she knows that the innocence of her childhood is gone forever. Later she states that she, also, planted marigolds like Ms. Lottie.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
that is written by Eugenia Collier
Eugenia Collier
Eugenia W. Collier is an African-American writer and critic best known for her 1969 short story Marigolds, which won the Gwendolyn Brooks Prize for Fiction award. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA....
in 1969. She reports that she wrote the story during a time in which she was quite unhappy. She won the Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985.-Biography:...
Prize for Fiction for it, and now considers Marigolds her favorite piece of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. It has been widely anthologized
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
and is now used in many secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
classes.
It is an account of an incident during the adolescence of a young African-American girl, Lizabeth, growing up in rural Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. "Marigolds" is not autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
; Collier explains that her adolescence was much easier than that of the story's narrator.
Plot summary
Lizabeth, the tomboyish main character, narrator and protagonist, tells this story from her childhood. The leader of her group of friends, Lizabeth takes part in throwing stones at Miss Lottie's flowerbed of marigoldTagetes
Tagetes is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants in the sunflower family . The genus is native to North and South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. One species, T...
s. Miss Lottie is the town outcast, and frustrating her is a common past time for the children of the town. In their Depression-era town, her marigolds are described as one of the only spots of amazing vibrant colors. The Marigolds and Miss Lottie seems to confuse and amuse the children at the same time. Later that evening, Lizabeth overhears her unemployed father sobbing to his wife of his frustration and anger in not being able to provide for his family. Never has she heard her father cry. Never has she considered the vulnerabilities of adults. As she wrestles with the fear and anger over their difficult situation, Lizabeth cannot sleep and, in the middle of the night, returns to Miss Lottie's flowerbed. There in the darkness she unleashes her fury on the marigolds, trampling them and uprooting them. When Ms. Lottie sees this, Lizabeth has nothing to say but to stare at what she has done. As her rage and sadness run their course, she looks up to see an equally devastated Miss Lottie standing over her. She then understands the difference between childhood and maturity and that one cannot have both compassion and innocence in them. It is at this moment that Lizabeth sees through the eyes of adulthood, with eyes of compassion, and she knows that the innocence of her childhood is gone forever. Later she states that she, also, planted marigolds like Ms. Lottie.