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Question:

quiqweig
quiqweig
Teacher
Middle School

Who is the narrator Lizabeth of Marigolds speaking to when she writes "...as I desperately pass away the time waiting for you, who will not come."?

For my 7th Grade English class, we have formulated an answer that I'd like to share, but we'd love to hear other opinions first.  In all the analysis of this story on the web, I have yet to find any speculation about the narrator Lizabeth's mysterious reference.

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Posted by quiqweig on Monday November 9, 2009 at 7:40 AM and tagged with literature, marigolds, narration, reference.

Answers:

  1. accessteacher
    accessteacher Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    My edition of the story (in "Elements of Literature - Third Course") only has "I remember them vividly now as I desperately pass away the time..." to end the second paragraph.

    Interesting difference... I guess I read it as the (much) older Elizabeth looking back fondly on her childhood whilst she is trying to fill her days with actions.

    Based on your quote, however, my first reaction to seeing it was that she was speaking to her earlier, pre-end-of-innocence self - wanting to regain that childhood innocence, that time when she had "an unseeing acceptance of things at face value, an ignorance of the area below the surface." Let's face it - life was much less complicated and didn't involve the emotions that the narrator experiences at the end of the story - "ashamed", "humiliating moment" and "wild contrition". 

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    Posted by accessteacher on Friday November 13, 2009 at 4:33 AM