Marigolds Review

Reread lines 78-88: How does Joey feel and how might his feelings move the story forward?

• Joey is bored, and does not want to go anywhere or do anything

• Joey is happy, and decides to "go somewhere" because he is in a good mood

• Joey is bored, and his friends want to "go somewhere" to find a new activity or adventure

• Joey is sad, and wants to hang out with Lizabeth

How does the metaphor from lines 27-29 affect the tone of this story?

• It suggests a feeling of hope and perseverance

• It reveals how the speaker feels about her life

• It suggests a feeling of desperation and ongoing sadness

• It shows a feeling of happiness and hope

Reread the following quote: "I suppose that futile waiting was the sorrowful background music of our impoverished little community when I was young." What two things are being compared?

• "futile waiting" is compared to "sorrowful background music"

• "futile waiting" is compared to "our impoverished little community"

• "community" is compared to "young"

• "our impoverished little community" is compared to "sorrowful background music"

What do the details on lines 1-12 suggest about what the theme might be.

• Summer time is a time for adventure

• The theme may relate to what can be learned from poverty

• Poverty has no impact on someone's life

• Childhood is a time for adventure

Reread lines 1-12 on page 213: Select the details that show the time and place of the story.

• "it does not present things as they are, but rather as they feel; another incongruency of memory"

• "the home town of my youth; the dust of late summer"

• "I don't know why I should remember only the dust; but memory is an abstract painting."

• "lush green lawns and paved streets under leafy shade trees somewhere in town; dry September dirt roads... of the shanty-town where I lived"

Reread lines 237-248: Select the detail that show the conflicting feelings Lizabeth is experiencing.

• "Suddenly I was ashamed, and I did not like being ashamed."

• "The mood lasted all afternoon."

• "I did not notice my father's silence, for he was always silent these days."

• "The child in me sulked and said it was all fun, but the woman in me flinched at the thought of the malicious attack."

How does the description of the marigolds on pg. 218, lines 158-174, contribute to a possible theme?

• The narrator might learn something from the beauty of the marigolds

• The narrator might learn something about what it is like to be John Burke's mother

• The narrator might learn something about planting flowers

• The narrator might learn something from Ms. Lottie and her son

Reread lines 197-201: What does the phrase "the bars of our cage" refer to?

• Ms. Lottie's fence, which causes an obstacle for the kids to get to the marigolds

• The bars of the cage Ms. Lottie put Lizabeth in

• The formlessness of the kid's summer, which leaves them feeling trapped

• The poverty of the children's lives, which is like a cage they cannot escape from

Reread lines 158-174 on pg. 218: Select the details that describe Lizabeth's reaction to the marigolds.

• "leaning over the bright mounds, her backside in the air"

• "interfered with the perfect ugliness of the place; they were too beautiful"

• "We had to annoy her by whizzing a pebble into her flowers or by yelling a dirty word..."

• "did not fit with the crumbling decay."

Reread this sentence from pg. 217: "But our real fun and our real fear lay in Ms. Lottie herself." What is motivating the children to annoy Ms. Lottie?

• The kids view her as cruel, so they are excited by the fear of her being mean

• The kids view her as a challenge because, even though she is an elderly woman, the kids are afraid of her, which is probably exciting to them

• The kids view her as a funny, old lady because always makes a joke when the kids are around

• The kids view her as an easy target because she is always inside, so they know they cannot get caught