Theme Of Marigolds By Eugenia Collier

In the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier, the theme of there is beauty in life for those who are willing to see it applies to Miss Lottie. Through many children’s eyes, including Lizabeth, the main character, they viewed Miss Lottie as a witch. In reality, she is merely a broken woman who tried to grasp onto the last ray of hope in the shanty town. The marigolds bring joy and love into her life. On page 223 of “Marigolds”, it states, “...only a broken woman who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility. She had been born in squalor and lived in it all her life.” Miss Lottie dealt with the poverty-stricken life for years. She owned the most run-down house in the town, along with having a mentally disabled son. To her, the beauty of the marigolds lighten and bring colors to the ugly surroundings. Despite how desperate times are, Miss Lottie still enjoys painstaking the breathtaking yellow flowers that washed her worries away. The marigolds hold a special place in her heart, where it flourish above the dry soil and sprout into bright petals that emits the same light as the sun.

Something bad had to happen for someone to realize the good. Johnny was injured badly through the fire incident and it made him realize the harsh reality of their world, reminding Ponyboy to “stay gold” before he passed away. In the book, it asserts, “‘Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…’ The pillow seemed to sink a little, and Johnny died.” All good things come to an end eventually. Through his statement, Johnny reminds Ponyboy not to change for the world and become senseless with certain emotions. He wants his friend to stay true to himself like watching the sunset, along with remaining unblemished in the corrupt world. Childhood like gold, can not last forever and Johnny tells Ponyboy to keep his youthful innocence by saying “stay