Jake, brave, pitiful, and older than his years, gazed down at his starving family. His mother had passed on a few months ago, and her dying wish was that the family stay together. Jake knew the foster system; it was unlikely that they could all stay together, especially with his track record with the law. Yet, he knew that they would not survive long without more food and money. He felt torn between fulfilling his promise to his mother and that other promise he made, the promise to himself. He had vowed to change his life when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Stealing would fulfill her promise (as long as he didn't get caught) but break the promise to himself that made him a new man. This new man cared for his siblings; what would happen to his family if he became a thief?
Jake took his little sister's hand in his and sighed. Her hand was so frail and much too thin. Although it was only eight o'clock, he had put both his siblings to bed. What was there to do? The little ones had no energy left to play and bicker as they used to. Jake gazed at the remains of the chicken scraps he had dug out of the commercial trash bin. The kids had tried to share the pitiful amount, and it pained him that children so young had learned to sacrifice. It wasn't right for them to starve. It would be worse to break his promise to his mom and give them up to the care of the State. Jake clenched his fists as he contemplated stealing for the first time in his life. He had to keep his family together, but what would become of it once he became a thief?
Explanation:
This is the answer for the Indirect characterization one. The other person's is for the Direct characterization question. Hope this helps!!
The setting of "Marigolds" is during the depression or the 30s. You know this because the story says, "The depression that gripped the nation was no new thing to us" and "the black workers of rural Maryland had always been depressed".
