Imagine that a grown-up Lizabeth is granted the opportunity to return and apologize to Miss Lottie, explaining why she destroyed the marigolds. Write a narrative that focuses on the dialogue that takes place between these two characters, years after the events described in the story. To prepare, review textual details and descriptions of Lizabeth's childhood world, how her feelings developed over the course of the text, her motivations and interactions, and consider how they influenced her devastating actions.

Answer and Explanation:

Not much had changed. Our neighborhood was still poor, just less miserable. As I approached Miss Lottie’s house, my heart began to sink. She had not lost her desire to bring some beauty into this world. There it was, a garden filled with marigolds just like the one I once killed. I say killed because I now know what I did was something like murder. Killing someone else’s hopes and dreams, because my own had been shattered.

I planned on saying all that to her. I knocked and waited. Slow, dragging footsteps reached the door; veiny, trembling hands opened it.

In a matter of seconds we sat facing each other in her dark kitchen. I tried to avert my gaze, but to no avail. She didn’t seem to bother. I began.

“I’m sorry.” There was nothing else I could have said, no better ice-breaker. As she remained silent, I carried on. “Miss Lottie, I’m sorry about that evening, about ruining – killing – your marigolds.”

She looked down.

“I have come to apologize and give you an explanation. Not a justification, not an excuse. I just… I’d like you to know what I felt that evening.”

Miss Lottie faced me, her eyes scrutinized my face.

“I had just understood, finally comprehended, how unfair life was. How sad, poor, and unbearable a life we were all doomed to live. My parents, myself, my brother, the children I’d have in the future… And I was angry. I felt impotent, and that is why I was angry. There was nothing I could do,; I was powerless in front of reality.”

Miss Lottie took a deep breath. She finally spoke, her voice hoarse and as old as time.

“Then why my flowers?” There was not accusation in her tone.

“Because they were not reality. They were… beauty. They were hope. They were everything we did not, could not have.  I was angry at their existence because they represented a different life. The life none of us would ever have.”

She nodded. A faint smile crossed her lips.

“I knew that already,” she whispered as she got up from her chair. “But it feels nice to finally hear it.”

Miss Lottie was making us some tea all of a sudden. I was stunned. Speechless. She knew all along. She had known all those years. Did that mean she had hated me all the while, or…?

“I never blamed you,” she whispered once more, as if she had read my guilt in my eyes. “How could I? How could you blame yourself?” She sat down once more.

“But Miss Lottie… I shouldn’t have -”

“We all do things we shouldn’t do. We all get carried away by our anger, our fears, our disappointments. You’re only human, dear. Your life and happiness are more precious than a thousand gardens.”

We drank the tea.

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)

the anecdote makes readers feel sorry for the man’s lack of heritage, then reminds readers that the man has an equally valuable heritage.