How Does Lizabeth Contribute To The Death Of The Marigolds

When the author says, “I suppose that futile waiting was the sorrowful background music of our impoverished little community when I was young,” she means that the poor, mostly African American community she grew up in was always waiting for a change that would never come. Lizabeth explains about the perpetual wait, “I don't know what it was that we were waiting for; certainly not for the prosperity that was ‘right around the corner’ [...]” Lizabeth did not know what she was desperate for, but she understood that it was something very different than what white people were waiting for. Additionally, Lizabeth realizes that she and her community were waiting for more of an idea than a physical object. She states, “Perhaps we waited for a miracle,

The transition of her mindset from child to adult takes place very quickly once Lizabeth destroyed the marigolds. Lizabeth sobs, thinking, “For as I gazed at the immobile face with the sad, weary eyes, I gazed upon a kind of reality which is hidden to childhood.” Lizabeth’s rash decision to trample the marigolds causes her to see Miss Lottie and the world from a new, adult perspective. Furthermore, Lizabeth realizes a newfound compassion upon the death of her ignorance. These changes allow Lizabeth to have empathy for Miss Lottie and see who she truly

Lizabeth explains that the destruction of the marigolds, “marked the end of innocence.” Under the stress of her impulsivity, Lizabeth comes to an understanding of Miss Lottie from an adult point of view. The statement that Lizabeth destroying the flowers was the “beginning of compassion” shows that the loss of innocence that came over her caused her to feel sympathy for Miss Lottie. “In the depths of that moment [Lizabeth] looked beyond [herself] and into the depths of another person.” This moment allowed Lizabeth to finally see Miss Lottie as an old woman trying to keep herself from defeat. The loss of innocence in turn caused the attainment of compassion for