Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret, become impoverished after the death of her husband. His farm, Norland in Sussex, must pass to John Dashwood, son of his first marriage. Although John promised his father to take care of his stepmother and sisters, his egotistical wife, Fanny, easily dissuades him from giving them part of his inheritance. The Dashwoods are treated as unwanted guests in their own home, and soon begin to look for another place to live.
Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters soon march from Norland to Barton Cottage in Devonshire. His landlord is Sir John Middleton, a distant cousin who generously offers them a low rent. He lives in Barton Park with his wife, cold and elegant, and her children.
B. The cell phone with the blue case is mine, not hers.
If you're comparing the two, why not take a look at this photo (attached).
Consider what was going on during the time of the Great Depression. You have the Dust Bowl happening in the west (which you can link very easily to the first paragraph of the text. Think about looking at the visual imagery the author describes).
The author speaks a lot of the nostalgia, which again relates to the history. Right before the Great Depression, people were living this life of luxury in the Roaring 20s. Consider the look in the woman's face. How does the nostalgia read in her eyes, her body language, and so on. You can connect this feeling of nostalgia with the quote about the marigolds reflecting "the strangest times." Consider how the speaker portrays this feeling of nostalgia or the memory of what once had been.
The marigolds represent not only the past but also... what could have been. Consider how you can link the hope that can be evident as well in the woman's eyes.
