Plot and conflict
Why is the structure of the plot so important?
Because without it’s structure the story would not have an order and therefore wouldn’t make sense.
What point of view was used in this story and how did you come to that conclusion?
The story was written in the 1st person and the use of the pronouns I and we back up that conclusion.
How does the rundown and colourless setting add to the mood throughout the story?
The rundown and colourless setting adds to the mood by making everything feel darker and sadder than it is. For example, when the story includes a couple of oak trees, the rundown and colourless setting we established in the story would have painted a picture in your head of a more “sadder looking” tree instead of a “normal or healthy looking” tree.
How did Lizabeth’s description of Maryland help paint a picture of the setting for the reader?
Lizabeth’s description of Maryland helps paint a picture of the setting for the reader by telling us how Maryland feels and looks like. She uses adjectives to describe the setting and goes into detail about specific landmarks she can remember seeing in her town as well. With all the information given, readers can also deduce other things that could have been in the setting but were not mentioned in the story.
What kind of characterization is used in this excerpt from the story, and how do you know?
Miss Lottie didn’t like intruders
In this excerpt, direct characterization is being used. This is because the author is directly telling the reader that Miss Lottie didn't like intruders.
What was the event that finally lead to Lizabeth's outburst?
Hearing her father's cries was the final nail in the coffin as her emotions finally became too much for her leading to the destruction of the Marigolds
What are some advantages of using the 1st person in this story?
Some advantages are that since the events are coming from someone in the story who witnessed and experienced those events, it’s more likely that the recollection of those events are true and accurate. Plus, we get a more intimate relationship with the protagonist because we hear her thoughts and feelings.
When talking about how quiet the night felt, Lizabeth goes into detail about how the smallest things could be heard. For example, her brother breathing and the sound of crickets. How could this affect the interpretation of the mood in this part of the story?
Adding these details into the story affect the interpretation of the mood by emphasizing how Lizabeth felt in that certain moment. It makes it more clear for the reader to know how still and eerie the night felt.
How did Lizabeth’s description of the homes in Maryland help you understand the way of life in her town.
Lizabeth describes the homes in her neighbourhood to all be very rundown. They have been described as if they are rotting. They have no porch, no steps, no shutters, and the materials that make up the house are sliding to the side. Knowing how poorly the houses are made, the reader can infer that life is lived very poorly in Maryland and the citizens of Maryland clearly do not have much money to repair their home or purchase a new one.
Why is Lizabeth considered a dynamic character?
Lizabeth is considered a dynamic character because she is portrayed as conflicted. She's conflict regarding her child and woman self, how she should act.
Is the story written with a Person vs Person conflict or a Person vs Self conflict?
The story has a person vs self conflict, the main issue being that Lizabeth feels like she is torn between childhood and womanhood
Using what you know about narrative point of view, how do you think using the 3rd person would impact the story?
Using the 3rd person omniscient would allow the reader to experience the emotion of all the characters in the story. Knowing Miss Lottie's story and her feelings would probably change our view of her. However, using limited or objective would diminish the meaning of the story because of the lack of emotion, which in this story are really required to move the plot forward.
The story uses an angry / confused tone when it comes to the children's attitude towards the marigolds. How does the use of that tone help you understand how the children felt about the marigolds?
It helps the reader understand that the children are blinded by their innocence, not understanding the more profound meaning / symbolism the marigolds represent. Furthermore, the reader understands that the children are resentful of the marigolds because it angers and confuses them.
Which part of the setting is the most symbolic? Why?
When something is symbolic it means we are adding another meaning to an object or action. The part of the setting that is the most symbolic are the marigolds. These flowers are common and are used quite often. However, in this story they mean much more. The marigolds mean beauty, color, and life, in the midst of ugliness and sterility in the town of Maryland.
Transform this sentence from the story into indirect characterization.
But our real fun and our real fear lay in Miss Lottie herself.
But we children enjoyed tormenting Miss Lottie more then anything, although we didn't stick around long after.
From that sentence the reader can guess that the reason the children didn't stick around was because they're scared of her.
How does Lizabeth's motivation for destroying Miss Lotties Marigold's differ from the beginning of the story to the end?
Unlike the earlier attack on the marigolds Lizabeth's motivation in the later attack comes from a place of fear and frustration.
How would it impact the story if it was being told from a Miss Lottie's point of view?
It would be interesting to hear the story from Miss Lottie's point of view because she is portrayed as a sort of villainous character from Lizabeth's point of view. If we could hear her side of the story, it might change the way we view the tone, mood, and meaning of the story.
Later in life, Lizabeth finally understands why Miss Lottie planted those marigolds in the first place. How did the mood change from before Lizabeth tore out the marigolds, to after it all happened?
Before Lizabeth tore out the marigolds the mood of the story was very infuriating, dark, and stressful. However, after Lizabeth pulls out the marigolds and realizes why Miss. Lottie planted them, the mood of the story becomes very disappointing, and shameful. This is because the meaning of the marigolds now affects Lizabeth by making her feel disappointed in herself as she never even thought of the beauty the marigolds brought to her town as a child.
Why is the story set in a certain era and season?
This story is set in the era of The Great Depression. It is set in this era because it adds to the poorly lived setting. Lizabeth says in the story that no matter how much the adults worked, they almost never had enough money to purchase anything. Therefore, the children of Maryland didn't grow up with many things such as radios and newspapers. This can also explain the constant boredom the children of Maryland were met with on a day-to-day basis. This story has also been set in the summer. We can confirm this with two things. In the description of Maryland that Lizabeth gives us and the marigolds. Lizabeth describes Maryland to be very dusty, if this were set in the spring for example, she would say that it would be very muddy caused by much rain instead. The marigolds can also tell us this is set in the summer because the marigolds wouldn't even exist if the story were to be set in the fall or winter season because of the harsh weather.
Transform this sentence from the story into indirect characterization.
John Burke was what was known as queer-headed.
John Burke never moved and sat in the same spot every day! I've never heard him speak, and he has one big temper sometimes.
From this sentence, the reader can guess that he's odd and queer-headed.
Why does Lizabeth say that destroying the marigolds was her last act of childhood?
After she destroys the Marigolds, Lizabeth gains compassion for Miss Lottie and as she says in the story "This was the beginning of compassion, and one cannot have both compassion and innocence." So by gaining compassion and loosing that innocence her childhood fades and her womanhood begins.
In this excerpt, what details would allow the reader to comprehend the importance of using the first person?
I had indeed lost my mind, for all the smoldering emotions of that summer swelled in me and burst—the great need for my mother who was never there, the hopelessness of our poverty and degradation, the bewilderment of being neither child nor woman and yet both at once, the fear unleashed by my father’s tears. And these feelings combined in one great impulse toward destruction.
This excerpt portrays the fountains of feelings gushing out of Lizabeth. Using the first person really extenuated the power of these feelings because they come directly from the person experiencing them. Therefore, the author can really be put them into detail. The 3rd person omniscient could have shown these feelings as well but, it wouldn’t have the same effect because it’s not coming from the person themselves but from an unknow figure.
Why is the reflective / poignant tone important when it comes to understanding Lizabeth's character development?
Because the use of a reflective / poignant tone allows for us to be given insight on how Lizabeth reflects and views her adolescence. Her narration implies that she's changed, having matured from childhood to womanhood. We can interpret that she regrets destroying the marigolds after understanding what they represented to Mrs. Lottie.
How does the setting in this story affect how the protagonist is perceived by other people?
Living in Maryland with no access to radios, newspapers, and transportation, can affect Lizabeth and how she is perceived by other people outside of her community. Other places and people outside of Maryland may be more developed than they are and will perceive Lizabeth and her community as “different” or “strange.” In the story Lizabeth also adds how nowadays people even call their community “culturally deprived” because of how they were living their lives.
How does Lizabeth being a dynamic character affect the progress of the story?
This affects the progress of the story because if she wasn't conflicted between the two sides, and she was veering more toward her child side, Lizabeth probably wouldn't have had any second thoughts about her actions of aggression towards Miss Lottie. Lizabeth wouldn't've understood the situation of her family money wise so, she wouldn't have understood and been so affected by her father's sadness and therefore probably wouldn't have reacted the way that she did. Which changes the whole plot of the story.