Some authors such James Hurst, Tim O’Brien, and Doris Lessing use transformations in stories to show readers how characters change for the better as they push through arduous times or make careless culls. Eugenia Collier uses the literary element of transformation in her fictional short story, Marigolds, to show us the development of the main character, Lizabeth, as she changes from childhood to womanhood when she eradicates Miss Lottie’s marigolds. The story flashbacks to when Lizabeth had been fourteen, about to turn fifteen, in the Depression and took place from the poor neighborhood, she lived in, where she and her friends picked on Miss Lottie for being the poorest. Collier uses the characterization devices, speech, actions, thoughts,…show more content… Collier first uses speech to show how insolent and rude Lizabeth had been before she transmuted. The story takes place during the Depression, when Lizabeth had been fourteen, just about to turn fifteen, and she and her friends couldn’t stand their repulsive day. Her brother, friends, and she came up with a conception to pick on Miss Lottie after her friends couldn’t stand the dullness of their lives. She became enraged out of nowhere and she commenced throwing pebbles, “…chanting madly, ‘Old witch fell in a ditch, picked up a penny and thought she was rich’” (Collier 19). The penny refers to the marigolds visually perceiving that Miss Lottie thought that they were the richness in her life since it was the only belonging she had that was bewitching. It also displays the level of maturity Lizabeth has because a grown woman wouldn’t act obscene toward an elderly or anyone at all. However, her parents might have not taught her manners since her mom was too busy with her job and her dad was busy trying to find one. The author also uses Lizabeth’s actions to show how infantile she was by making horrible choices before she had learned her lesson. Lizabeth and her friends had gotten sick of their tedious day so Lizabeth then came up with the idea of picking on Miss Lottie. They were hiding in the bushes until Lizabeth suddenly became furious, “Then I lost my head entirely, mad with the power of inciting such a rage, and ran out of the bushes in the storm of pebbles” (19). The quote characterizes the character as if she had something against Miss Lottie. She didn’t have anything against Miss Lottie though and she was confused how something so beautiful can be created in the midst of ugliness. She didn’t understand that her act was childish and that the marigolds were cared for with passion because Miss Lottie wanted to create beauty. Overall, Collier
