MARIGOLDS

Marigolds

by Eugenia Collier

9.1(A)

9.4(F)

9.1(d)

9.4(G)

9.10(A)

9.5(C)

9.10(B)

9.5(D)

9.10(C)

9.8(D)

9.2(B)

9.8(E)

What will our learning look like today?

Today, we will explore the theme of "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier by analyzing the text and discussing our interpretations. By the end of this lesson, you will have a deeper understanding of how the author's choices contribute to the story's theme.

• I will use appropriate academic language to discuss and analyze the theme of "Marigolds."
• I will be able to articulate their interpretations clearly and coherently.

By the end of this lesson, students will be successful if they can:

• Identify the theme of "Marigolds."
• Provide evidence from the text to support their interpretation.

Do Now:

This is a Marigold

Write down any associations or feelings that come to mind when you see this image.

Introduction

Eugenia Collier (b. 1928) is a writer and educator from Baltimore, Maryland, who is best known for this powerful short story, which received the Gwendolyn Brooks Prize for Fiction. Growing up in a Depression-era town, Lizabeth, the narrator of “Marigolds,” recalls two things: the dusty air of her childhood, and a moment in her adolescence that changed her life forever. Confused and amused by why the town outcast, Miss Lottie, puts so much care into the brilliantly colored patch of marigolds outside her crumbling gray shack, Lizabeth and her friends tease the old woman and throw rocks at her flowers. A later incident in the garden causes Lizabeth great shame, but leads to a deeper moral understanding. *watch StudySync Video

Historical Context

• “Marigolds” takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s, which is still considered the worst economic crisis Americans have ever faced. Many African Americans lived in rural areas, making a living through subsistence farming or hard manual labor. Their poverty worsened during the Depression as white landowners lost their farms and black farmers and laborers lost their jobs.

• The setting of “Marigolds” is a Maryland shantytown, or a makeshift town made of shacks, where poor people who had been made homeless during the Depression lived. A shantytown might be comprised of a few shacks or as many as 1000. These shantytowns were also called Hoovervilles, after President Herbert Hoover, who was blamed for the terrible economic conditions of the time. According to estimates, by 1932 between 1 and 2 million people in the United States were homeless.

Vocabulary

abstract- using color, line, and shape to express an idea or feeling rather than a realistic image

amorphous- having no definite form or distinct shape

futile- useless; no chance of being successful

Vocabulary

lure- a quality that attracts by seeming to promise some kind of reward

malicious-having a desire to harm someone; mean-spirited

vigor- active force or energy; enthusiasm or intensity

READ

Summary

In this short story, the narrator, Lizabeth, reflects on the dusty, Depression-era summer when she was fourteen and left childhood behind. Lizabeth’s older neighbor, Miss Lottie, lives in a ramshackle house with her son and her beloved marigolds. One day, Lizabeth, her brother, and some neighborhood kids decide to throw stones at Miss Lottie’s marigolds to pass the time. Afterward, as Lizabeth is ashamed and unable to sleep, she overhears her father crying because he cannot provide for his family. Disturbed, Lizabeth runs out into the night and finds herself in Miss Lottie’s yard, destroying the marigolds. Suddenly, she notices Miss Lottie standing over her. At that moment she sees Miss Lottie for who she is: a broken and lonely old woman. Later, Lizabeth realizes this was the moment she first began to feel compassion for others. *watch StudySync TV

Assignment

You have a Graphic Organizer that looks like this: In it, you will follow the prompts and complete the questions.

Comprehension Questions

How does Lizabeth’s destruction of Miss Lottie’s marigolds relate to her transition from adolescence to adulthood? Use evidence from the text in your answer.

What does the reader learn about the background and setting of the story from the first four paragraphs of the text?

Why does Lizabeth think Miss Lottie’s marigolds look strange and out-of-place? Use supporting evidence from paragraph 22 in your response.

Use context to determine the meaning of the word futile as it is used in “Marigolds.” Write your definition of futile here and explain which details from the text helped you determine its meaning.

THANKS