Gardening plants can teach us important responsibilities in life, such as nurturing plants, animals, and babies, because it shows others how to take care of living organisms. In Paul Fleischman's novel Seedfolks, two main characters who are dynamic are Maricela and Sae-Young. Fleishman’s vacant lot garden changes the lives of Maricela and Sae-Young, because the garden connects them back to the world and brings them happiness. To begin with, Maricela is a sixteen-year-old pregnant girl who hates life, because she does not want to have her baby. The garden makes her appreciate what she has, and it teaches her how to be happy. Fleischman’s character Maricela says, “It seemed like I could actually see the leaves and flowers growing and changing.
First, Roberta finds her purpose of life with the help of Roxanne. In the beginning, Roberta did not want to cover a tall azalea bush planted by her husband’s mother because she “[runs] out of energy for unwinnable battles against nature” (4). When Roxanne encounters a life issue, she asks for Roberta’s advice of whether she should leave the town. Roberta did not know how to answer and points out that she has been staying in town “chasing [her] tail doing nothing” (21) in the past. Her response reveals her sentiment of feeling trapped in the town and not pursuing her goals or contributing to anything. Roxanne, however, disagrees as she explains that Roberta’s job is not “like the jobs [other] people have … but it’s something to [her] “(39). Roxanne in fact appreciates Roberta’s effort of raising her in the past years and the azalea plant symbolizes Roberta’s work. Although the plant will still
The founder of the garden is a nine year old vietnamese girl, named Kim. She begins planting in dedication of her father, who passed away eight months before she was born She wants to feel apart of the family by crying and grieving with her mother and sister. Kim decides to plant peas, so her father can tell that she’s his daughter. . Ana is an older lady who lives in a small apartment.She likes to be entertained by others. Her role in the garden is the watcher. She depends on Wendall, who lives below her in the apartment building. She first sees Kim planting the peas and thinks the young girl could possibly be hiding drugs, money, or a gun. This tells us that Ana has trust issues and likes to know everything that’s going on. In chapter 2 of Seedfolks Fleischman chose certain characters to have certain characteristics. I wouldn’t use the word certain twice in one sentence.Ana is one of those people. In chapter 3, Wendall is called upstairs urgently by Ana. Fleischman writes, “But she planted ‘em way too early. She’s lucky those seeds even came up.” But they did, said Ana. And it's up to us to save them”(p.10). Wendall is being critical of whomever planted the lettuce, but all Anna wants to do is save them. Ana is willing to help out someone who she doesn't even know. If Ana hadn’t asked Wendall to save the plants forKim, the oriental girl who planted the lettuce would
For instance, in Sam’s chapter, a young boy named Royce is introduced. He is an African American teenager that Sam hires to help him plant something in the garden. People automatically assumed he was a trouble maker or someone who couldn’t be trusted. Later in Amir’s chapter, it is revealed that Royce was one of three men who stopped a robber trying to steal a woman’s purse. This is when everyone forgets about the previous stereotypes and realizes that Royce is actually a very generous, trustworthy teen. So in addition to helping people overcome their prejudice, the garden also helped the people who were victims of stereotyping. It made them feel like a real citizen in the community. On page 50, Nora explains, “Many people grew plants from their native lands- huge Chinese melons, ginger, cilantro, a green the Jamaicans call Callaloo, and many more.” Later on the page she continues, “We, like out seeds were now planted in the garden” Nora’s first quote explains that people that may have been judged for bringing their culture to Cleveland, now felt proud to show off all of the unique parts of it. Her second quote explains that the garden was making people finally feel welcome because all of the stereotypes were melting away. This shows that when people from different communities come together, it can make them stronger and more
Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a tale of poignant family relationships and childhood and also of grim privation. The story revolves around the protagonist of the story, young Francie Nolan. She is an imaginative, endearing 11-year-old girl growing up in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York. The entire story revolves around Francie and the Nolan family, including her brother Neelie, her mother Katie and her father Johnny. An ensemble of high relief characters aids and abets them in their journey through this story of sometimes bleak survival and everlasting hope. As we find out, the struggle for survival is primarily focused against the antagonist of this story, the hard-grinding poverty afflicting Francie, the Nolan’s and Brooklyn itself. The hope in the novel is shown symbolically in the “The “Tree of Heaven””. A symbol used throughout the novel to show hope, perseverance and to highlight other key points.
In the story “Marigolds” the author, Eugenia W. Collier uses symbolism and conflict to explain why Lizabeth destroyed Miss Lottie’s marigolds. The story “Marigolds” is a short story about a young girl named Lizabeth living during The Great Depression in Maryland. Lizabeth is a very dynamic character and has many qualities in herself that develop throughout the story. Lizabeth describes her hometown as a dusty brown, arid environment but with a splash of yellow marigolds. “-a brilliant splash of sunny yellow against the dust-Miss Lottie’s marigolds” (1). The marigolds were the only colors in their depression-era town, and it was planted in the yard of Miss Lottie’s house. Lizabeth also thought the marigolds didn’t fit in with the environment since they were the only colors present and that they were too
Plants can teach us how to nurture living things and help people carry out their responsibilities in life.In Paul Fleischmen’s novel Seedfolks, two main characters who change because of the garden are Curtis and Sae-Young.Fleischmen’s vacant lot garden changes the lives of Curtis and Sae-Young, because the garden helps Curtis by gaining a better perspective of what he should do in life.Sae-Young was changed by the garden, because she felt like she was accepted and could socialize with others.
Seedfolks is a popular book by Paul Fleischman, that shows how people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, ages and nationalities can come together as a community because of a garden. A young Korean girl planted some lima beans in an abandoned vacant lot in remembrance of her father who had died before she was born. Fleischman shows how people with diverse backgrounds can come together as a community. Sae Young was forced to live a life fearing a brutal robbery, Maricela who was pregnant as a teenager but hated it, and Curtis whose girlfriend had broken up with him.
Alice’s mother had a passion for plant life. Any spare moment she had would be spent tending to her garden. Alice describes her mother’s habits as such: "Before she left home for the fields she watered her flowers, chopped up the grass and laid out new beds. When she returned from the fields she might divide clumps of bulbs, dig a cold pit, uproot and replant roses, or prune branches from her taller bushes or trees- until night came and it was too dark to see.” (Walker 150). Enchanted by the garden, her mother’s green thumb drew her in, even if it meant going before and after a hard day in the fields. Not only did she love gardening, but she was exceedingly skilled in her ability to grow her plants. Her skill was described by Alice as "magic". Not only did Alice notice this extraordinary skill from her mother- being able to cultivate such a beautiful, bountiful, diverse garden in what little land she was on, caught the attention of many
She cared for people. She cared for Miss Lottie. At this moment all she wanted to do was apologize. She felt guilty. The guiltiest she has ever felt in her entire life. She single-handedly ruined the one thing Miss Lottie had a hope for in this world. Lizabeth grew up and realized it in one moment. She looked back on this moment, and talked about how after this year. Miss Lottie never grew marigolds again. But Lizabeth looks back at this time in her life, and she embodies Miss Lottie. Lizabeth then realizes you must look at the beauty in your life, and not the despair. “For one does not have to be ignorant and poor to find that his life is as barren as the dusty yards of our town. And I too have planted marigolds” (Collier 148). In a different period of time, Lizabeth gives back to Miss Lottie, even after she has passed, with a peace offering. Her marigolds. Her marigolds that Lizabeth grew now symbolize the hope that Miss Lottie had in the world in the future. Her marigolds were Miss Lottie’s. Even after her death, Lizabeth uses marigolds to make the legend of Miss Lottie live
the modern garden. She interprets how we have the need to control and create what we consider perfect with our sciences and labs. While rules reign, sanitation demands, and socialization take control of the perfect scene for a pleasant environment, the unpleasant side of these malls such as their trash is kept out of the vision of the consumer. Most of these consumer products that are used to entice the population to enter into this heavenly place on earth became waste that is not entirely recycled
After reading and annotating Marigolds by Eugenia W. Collier, I learned that there are some things we don’t know or realize when we are a child. When we become a woman, we have a different perspective on things. That is what Eugenia learned by the end of the story. Once she ruined all of Miss Lottie’s marigolds, she immediately felt guilty. Miss Lottie stood there with no anger on her face, just disappointment. Eugenia said that was when she saw her childhood fade and womanhood start to begin. Once she began womanhood, she learned that those flowers were precious to Miss Lottie and she was tying to make some beauty out of her shanty house. She viewed Miss Lottie as “… only a broken old woman who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness
Instructor’s comment: This student worked hard to forge a straightforward journalistic style that was supple enough to accommodate moments of poetic perception. This essay is a beautiful piece. Written with hard-won simplicity, it’s alive with images, and brimming with information about the possibilities of front-yard gardening.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” This is a quote said by Mary in the movie The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett. All of the characters have one part of their lives that is similar. They all want to feel happiness and love by others. When Mary first moved, the characters had very little companionship towards each other. As the movie progresses, they soon open up and realize what is most important to them all, the garden can help them find the love and happiness they are yearning for. In the movie The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett , the main characters are able to unlock their feelings and hearts and is demonstrated through: Mary, Collin, Lord Craven, Mrs. Medlock.
"Kew Gardens," by Virginia Woolf, is skillfully developed and written in such a manner as to be jammed full of images, ideas, and possibilities. One of the many ideas found in the story is the presentation of human existence as meaningless, random, and haphazard. Indeed, throughout the story, many images, words, and even plot structure support the fact that the lives of the characters of the story are lives without meaning or direction. Woolf presents the reader with characters whose lives are noticeably blurry and unfocused, undefined and haphazard, lived without direction, and full of distraction and interruption. The characters' lives are lived in a haze, with meaningful existence eluding them. Evidence for this idea can be found throughout the story, both in the descriptive words Woolf uses and in the structure of the story.
...that suspends the boundaries of man and nature, the way in which she structures the last image to be one of hostility indicates the unsustainable nature of the garden.