Aim: How does a writer create effects through the connotations of words and images?
Do Now: Describe an event in your life that at first seemed like fun, yet after the incident concluded you were ashamed or disappointed with yourself. Why do you believe you felt that way?
The Do Now was a discussion for the whole class. Each person had to think back to a time where they did something that seemed to be fun and harmless at first but eventually made them disappointed in themselves for doing it. An example of this, which many students have stated during the class, is doing a prank on friends or family. After considering this, each person had to consider why they felt the way they did after the event. This activity connected to the short story we were previously assigned to read, “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier. My example would be when I ate a large meal. Before the meal, I tried to convince myself I needed to eat at some point anyway. After the meal, I was extremely disappointed with myself for doing that because I felt very guilty for not starving myself to be skinny. This is caused by a negative mindset that I will only approve and love myself if I look a certain way. Ms. Peterson also shared her own experience in which she painted nail polish on an expensive piano when she was a toddler, which inflicted guilt on her for years.
Marigolds Kahoot Quiz
After the discussion, we had to join a Kahoot, which was counted as a quiz grade to test our knowledge of the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier, which we had to read, study, and annotate previously. We were given the annotations rubric as guidance for the latter. The quiz had 15 questions, many of which were about the short story’s literary elements.
Team Collaboration
Directions: Please answer the following questions COLLABORATIVELYwith your TEAM, based on your annotations from the story. Additionally, rephrase ALL questions as part of your answers, and make sure to fully develop ALL responses by answering ALL components of each question.
Following the reading quiz, everyone had to answer a set of questions collaboratively with their team. We were supposed to use the annotations we have made previously to assist with the work. All the answers needed to rephrase the questions and answer all of the points mentioned in each question.
- In Paragraph 22, why are the marigolds so important to Miss Lottie, and why do the children hate them?
- What stands out about the imagery in paragraphs 22 and 27?
| The marigolds are important to Miss Lottie because they were what gave beauty in her life and her house a bright feel. The children thought it made so sense that such beautiful flowers should interfere with the otherwise completely unappealing atmosphere of the house. The imagery that is provided, while it is not what happens, allows the reader to visualize the broken state of the house using words like “crumbling”. In paragraph 27, the phrase “bars of our cage” immediately gives the idea of major restraint with no way out. |
2. Describe the internal conflict occurring for the narrator, Lizabeth. Find “textual evidence” to support your statement.
| The internal conflict for the narrator is the battle with herself emotionally regarding innocence, compassion, growing up, and accepting responsibility. In paragraph 22, Lizabeth does not understand why Miss Lottie planted the marigolds because that is before she grew up, so it is implied that is when she was still innocent. Paragraph 61 emphasizes that one cannot be both compassionate and innocent. That means that at that moment, she lacked the understanding of how she must feel for other people. She is torn between her childlike ways and a new set of instincts and intuitions. |
3. Lizabeth overhears her parents’ conversation. How does it make her feel? What is the consequence of her hearing this conversation?
| Lizabeth was not meant to hear the conversation, which is essentially what exposed her to something that shook her. The thing that surprised her the most is that she heard her father in such a despairing state, which she did not even know was possible. She was very confused and heartbroken to find out how someone so strong and reliable had broken emotions. She was forced into a state of bewilderment and fear. She believes the image of her family is shattered because of this change. |
4. What can you infer from the text as to Lizabeth’s reasons for her final act of destruction?
| It can be inferred that Lizabeth acted the way she did because she was too overwhelmed by her broken family situation. She desperately needed to take her anger out on something physical that she did not understand and did not respect, similarly to how her family changed. She did not have a source of comfort that prevented her anger from rising due to the unfairness of her life. |
5. Paragraphs 57 & 60 are especially rich in Juxtaposition.
Juxtaposition: (pronounced juhk-stuh-puh--zish--uh-n) is the placement of two or more things side by side, often to bring out their differences. Imagine a man walking a well-groomed dog on a pink leash on one hand and a rough Rottweiler on a spiked collar on the other hand. The juxtaposition could be shocking, humorous, or just plain strange. Regardless, this literary term calls attention to two distinctly different things by placing them right beside one another, or juxtaposing them.
Examine the diction and imagery and show your understanding of juxtapositionby identifying two images or words set up for comparison.
| The first image is where Lizabeth took her anger out on the marigolds, stomping on them. The second is Joey trying to calm her down while crying himself. He was afraid and hesitant about how to act since he has not seen his sister act like that before. |
6. Consider the last sentence of the story...
“And I too have planted marigolds.”
...and make inferences about whether the narrator is speaking literally, figuratively, or both.
| When the author says she has planted marigolds, it is implied that she then understands the value of Miss Lottie’s marigolds. She then resonates with Miss Lottie’s attempt to create something symbolizing so bright. She also planted them in tribute to the woman who taught her to see other people with value and to remember the importance of compassion to others. |
Individual Activity
Brainstorm here! Try to describe the narrator’s voice.
- Think of ways to explain how the writer’s diction and imagery create this voice.
- You might also mention other literary elements, such as juxtaposition, that contribute to the narrator’s voice or point of view.
Following the work done collaboratively within our breakout room groups, we had to individually consider what voice the narrator has in the short story “Marigolds”, which was helped by the fact that we already analyzed it through annotations and group discussion.
| The narrator’s voice is generally somber and reflective throughout the story. The somberness is shown within her descriptions of the impoverished shantytown in which she lives as well as the sorry state of her parents. This includes her father’s loss of work and his emotional breakdown, and the rearrangement of the roles in her family, causing the narrator to appear confused and fearful for the future. This is all tainted negatively due to the fact that the story is happening during the Great Depression. The imagery adds to the voice by painting a picture of her surroundings crumbling apart, such as the state of Miss Lottie’s house, in contrast to the bright symbolism of the marigolds. |
Reflection
The main purpose of the lesson was to teach the importance of writers’ use of connotations of words and images. The lesson revolved around the short story “Marigolds” and emotions resulting from seeing the consequences of your actions. The story was essential in helping realize how authors use literary devices, especially imagery, to make the reader visualize the writing differently. When an author has a deep meaning or image they want to convey, they use connotations so that it is less obvious, more thoughtful, and meaningful. This lesson will help keep in mind to pay attention to the narrator’s voice and underlying messages hidden within the literary language. This will help understand the writing and interpret more details.
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