Marigolds By Eugenia Collier Essay

Growing up is a universal experience, but the maturity that comes with age can be seen either as a blessing or as a curse. In the short story “Marigolds,” by Eugenia Collier, the author explores the natural journey to maturity through the childhood of Lizabeth, a 14-year-old girl who will soon be a girl no longer. As Lizabeth matures into adulthood, the reader can observe her growth into maturity and begin to learn who she truly is. Collier uses Lizabeth’s personal story to convey the omnipresent idea of growing up and maturity, and through her experiences, the reader can discern that maturity comes from understanding one’s place in the world. Additionally, Lizabeth’s first exposure to womanhood shows that a realization and understanding of

Lizabeth recalls a snippet of her childhood from a first-person point of view, and she explains that as a kid, she was unaware of the poverty that limited her and her family. Years later, Lizabeth tells, “We children, of course, were only vaguely aware of the extent of our poverty. Having no radios, few newspapers, and no magazines, we were somewhat unaware of the world outside our community” (Collier 444). In her narration, Lizabeth explains that from her perspective as a child, she was oblivious to the true extent of her poverty. Lizabeth’s words, “unaware of the world outside,” show how she is trapped in a bubble of ignorance, believing that she is free when in reality, she cannot escape the oppression her family faces. Her parents feel suffocated by the struggles of the Great Depression, but Lizabeth has not yet matured and therefore cannot see that poverty entraps her, and how she does not have the opportunity to choose her own place in this world. Since she experiences unawareness revolving around her own poverty and status in the surrounding world, Lizabeth has not yet matured and will not do so until she fully understands these concepts. As an adult telling of the maturity she found in her teenage years, Lizabeth has finally grasped the idea of her own poverty. She remarks, “The Depression that gripped the nation was no new thing to

Acting childishly, Lizabeth throws rocks at and taunts Miss Lottie, but afterwards, she begins to realize the impact of her actions. Lizabeth reflects, “Suddenly I was ashamed, and I did not like being ashamed. The child in me sulked and said it was all in fun, but the woman in me flinched at the thought of the malicious attack that I had led” (Collier 448). The narrator acts immaturely towards Miss Lottie, and it is evident that she has not yet grown into maturity due to the childish nature of her acts. The first-person point of view showcases Lizabeth’s internal conflict between “the child in [her],” and “the woman in [her],” and the reader can observe the narrator begin to feel regret and comprehend the effects of her actions. As she grows into womanhood, Lizabeth starts to see past the mask of innocence that has shrouded her perspective for so long, and she even “flinched” at the realization of how she has harmed Miss Lottie, displaying her newfound empathy. As Lizabeth unintentionally commences her journey away from innocence and towards understanding, she grows closer to maturity, expressing that these factors are what initiate this growth. When Lizabeth eventually recalls her story as an adult, she looks back to see her loss of innocence and to