How does the resolution of lizabeth’s conflict in “marigolds” develop the theme? lizabeth realizes that miss lottie is not a wit
ch but a broken person trying to make a little beauty in her world. the late-night outing with her brother brings lizabeth a sense of companionship. lizabeth is able to express her deep anger by ripping up all of miss lottie’s marigolds. lizabeth is able to replace the lost marigolds and bring peace to miss lottie’s life.
The best answer is indeed letter A) Lizabeth realizes that Miss Lottie is not a witch but a broken person trying to make a little beauty in her world.
Explanation:
In the short story "Marigolds", Lizabeth is a 14-year-old girl who lives in a poor neighborhood. The poorest of the houses belongs to Miss Lottie. Even though it is the ugliest house, it has a most beautiful garden full of Marigolds tended by Miss Lottie. Lizabeth and the other kids in the neighborhood would often throw rocks into the garden and tease Miss Lottie for being - in their childish belief - a witch.
At the end of the story, Lizabeth's destroying Miss Lottie's garden is a means to express her anger. Still, that in itself would not solve the conflict. Lizabeth's anger came from the realization that she and her family were poor and hopeless. She had heard her own father cry because he hadn't been able to get a job for a long time - the story takes place during the Great Depression. After ripping out all the flowers, Lizabeth realizes why she hated the garden so much: because it brought beauty and hope to a place that had none of those things. The garden represented something she was not able to understand; at least, not until that moment. After her hideous act, Lizabeth becomes a woman. Her way to see the world - and Miss Lottie - changes. Her childish conceptions are now gone.
