"Marigolds" Short Story by Eugenia Collier

Front

Who was the narrator of the story? Options: Lizabeth, Joey, Paul, Eliza

Back

Lizabeth

Front

Who is John Burke?

Back

Miss Lottie's son

Front

"Joy and rage and wild animal gladness and shame become tangled together in the multicolored skein of fourteen-going-on-fifteen as I recall that devastating moment when I was suddenly more woman than child, years ago in Miss Lottie’s yard."—What do you think the theme is based on the evidence provided?

Back

The theme of the story is growing up.

Front

This metaphor compares what two things? "I suppose that futile waiting was the sorrowful background music of our impoverished little community when I was young."

Back

Sad background music and the poor community

Front

What motivates the children to annoy Miss Lottie?

Back

Fear and fun

Front

"I said before that we children were not consciously aware of how thick were the bars of our cage. I wonder now, though, whether we were not more aware of it than I thought. Perhaps we had some dim notion of what we were, and how little chance we had of being anything else. Otherwise, why would we have been so preoccupied with destruction?"

The phrase "the bars of our cage" refers to:

Back

The poverty the children live in, but don't notice due to their age.

Front

Identify the conflicting feelings Lizabeth is experiencing after throwing stones at the marigolds.

Back

The woman in her feels ashamed, and the child in her is sad because it was only for fun.

Front

What motivates Lizabeth to wake Joey?

Back

She is afraid and wanted some company.

Front

Identify the feelings that are causing Lizabeth to return to Miss Lottie.

Back

The emotions she had that were building up over summer, confusion, bewilderment, hopelessness.

Front

After destroying the flowers, what does Lizabeth's reaction to Miss Lottie reveal about her?

Back

She has realized that what she has done was wrong, and childish. Miss Lottie after all is just a woman trying to make the world a bit more beautiful. This was her last act of childhood, she is now a woman.