Passage 2: "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier

Reread the following excerpt from Passage 2, paragraph 23:

How does the figurative language in the narrator’s internal speech reinforce the mood of the scene?

• The figurative comparison between the decaying house and pristine yard reinforces the uneasy mood of the scene.

• The figurative comparison between the marigolds and poverty reinforces the resentful mood of the scene.

• The figurative comparison between Miss Lottie’s determination and childish irresponsibility reinforces the confusing mood of the scene.

• The figurative comparison between Miss Lottie and John Burke reinforces the angry mood of the scene.

1. Read the following sentence from paragraph 3:

“Perhaps we waited for a miracle, amorphous in concept but necessary if one were to have the grit to rise before dawn each day and labor in the white man's vineyard until after dark, or to wander about in the September dust offering one's sweat in return for some meager share of bread."

Which word could replace amorphous in this sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence?

• unknown

• shapeless

• crystalline

• ever-changing

How does the author’s presentation of Miss Lottie reveal the complexity of the narrator’s emotions?

• Miss Lottie is introduced as a curious character whom Lizabeth likes, but soon she realizes that she values the opinions of her friends more.

• Miss Lottie is introduced as a kind character whom Lizabeth immediately admires and likes, indicating that she feels animosity towards her friend group.

• Miss Lottie is introduced as a bitter character whom Lizabeth immediately dislikes because she is antisocial and favors her flowers over human interaction.

• Miss Lottie is introduced as a mysterious character whom Lizabeth is immediately unsure about, but she later feels admiration towards her because of her determination.

Which quote from the story is the best example of the universal theme that “one cannot have both compassion and innocence?”

• 1. “Then I lost my head entirely, mad with the power of inciting such rage, and ran out of the bushes in the storm of pebbles, straight toward Miss Lottie, chanting madly, “Old witch, fell in a ditch, picked up a penny and thought she was rich!”

• "My mother, who was small and soft, was now the strength of the family; my father, who was the rock on which the family had been built, was sobbing like the tiniest child."

• "And then I was sitting in the ruined little garden among the uprooted and ruined flowers, crying and crying, and it was too late to undo what I had done."

• "The witch was no longer a witch but only a broken old woman who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility."

1. In the first paragraph of the story, which two images are juxtaposed?

• paintings and dust

• dust and marigolds

• geraniums and shade trees

• the narrator's hometown and paintings

Which of the following phrases from the beginning of the story BEST foreshadows what is to come by the end of the story?

• "...all I seem to remember is dust." (para. 1)

• "...chaotic emotions of adolescence..." (para. 2)

• "I don't know what it was that we were waiting for..." (para. 3)

• "...that devastating moment when I was suddenly more woman than child..." (para. 2)

Why do the children hate the marigolds so much?

• The marigolds are the reason why their respective childhoods have been difficult.

• The marigolds represent the hope and beauty that they believe is beyond their reach.

• The marigolds represent poverty and therefore make them subconsciously angry at their situations.

• The marigolds are the only splash of color in the entire town, and they are jealous of Miss Lottie's gardening skills.

1. The emotion Lizabeth feels when she hears her father cry is...

• fear

• guilt

• anger

• embarrassment

The two events that contribute most directly to the end of Lizabeth's childhood innocence are:

• chanting at Miss Lottie and pulling up the marigolds

• throwing rocks at the marigolds and then pulling them up

• hearing her father cry and pulling up Miss Lottie marigolds

• hearing her father cry and leaving the house at 4:00 in the a.m.