“The themes of the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier include poverty, maturity and the relationship between innocence and compassion. These themes are realized through the main character, Lizabeth, and her relationship with an old woman, Ms. Lottie. The story is set in rural Maryland during the Great Depression” (“Marigolds”).
Mostly though, the story is about hope and the nerve of Ms. Lottie to hope in the midst of so much hopelessness.
Ms. Lottie dared to cultivate a beautiful crop of marigolds and water, weed, and care for those golden flowers in the midst of a dust-bowl neighborhood where the black families had suffered through economic depression long before their white counterparts caught up when their economy crashed.
Lizabeth took matters into her own hands and protested Ms. Lottie’s outlook in a childish outburst that cost her the innocence of childhood.
Healthy people cling to hope to endure difficulty, but for some, hope is audacious. It simply does not fit. For whatever reason, they cannot see any light at the end of their proverbial tunnels.
I think of those suffering clinical depression or loss of a close relationship.
Perhaps you’re feeling that now. “It’s just too hard to keep going.”
Find hope… Seek for it… Ask those you see who have it to help you. Pray for it… Fight for it.
You’re not alone. The psalmist David felt it. Don’t believe me? Grab a Bible and read Psalm 42. David sought after hope, and today we remember the adulterer and murderer as a “man after God’s own heart.” If there was hope for David, there’s hope for you.
Put hope in a flowerpot and use it as a symbol to remind you of it, but never give up.
Our Lizabeth found it later in life, when she herself would plant marigolds. She dared to hope.
…and that’s the view from My Front Porch.
If you have lost hope, I’d love help. Leave a comment to give me your contact info; I will not publish the comment, but I will do what I can to lead you to Hope.
Wikipedia contributors. “Marigolds (short story).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 May. 2017. Web. 17 Aug. 2017