1. Marigolds by Eugenia W. Collier
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Introducing the Story
Literary Focus: Conflict
Reading Skills: Making Inferences

2. Marigolds by Eugenia W. Collier

3. Marigolds Introducing the Story
“. . . one cannot have both compassion and innocence.”
from “Marigolds” by Eugenia W. Collier

4. Marigolds Introducing the Story
The narrator of this story lives in a small town in Maryland during the Great Depression. Because her family has always been poor, Lizabeth is unaware of new family hardships. She cannot explain why her neighbor’s lovely flowers should anger her so.
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5. Marigolds Literary Focus: Conflict
Conflict is the struggle at the heart of a story.
Internal conflict—characters struggle with opposing needs, desires, or emotions.
External conflict—characters struggle with something outside themselves (other characters, society, or nature).

6. Marigolds Literary Focus: Conflict
Conflict is most intense when characters face both internal and external struggles. In this story, Lizabeth
takes part in an external confrontation with Miss Lottie
struggles with contradictory desires that she doesn’t fully understand
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7. Marigolds Reading Skills: Making Inferences
A character’s motivation helps explain the conflicts that occur.
When you read, think about why characters behave as they do.
As you consider the reasons for their actions, you are trying to determine their motivation.

8. Marigolds Reading Skills: Making Inferences
Often writers don’t make direct explanations about a character’s motives. The reader makes inferences, or educated guesses.
Clues from the text: What characters say and don’t say.
How characters act.
Prior knowledge: What you know about people and how they behave.
Inference about a character’s motivation. + =

9. Marigolds Reading Skills: Making Inferences
While you read this story, look for clues that may help you infer the motives of the characters.
Look for reasons behind the children’s behavior as individuals and in groups.
Don’t forget to consider deeper motives behind the neighbor’s garden work.
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