Question

journal entry: a glimpse of dust and color
context: the opening pages of \marigolds\ describe the setting (the pervasive dust, the poverty of the depression) and introduce miss lotties vibrant marigolds.
your task: write a journal entry from the perspective of lizabeth (as a young girl, not the adult narrator) on the evening she and her friends are restless from the heat and dust, just before they decide to do something \devilish.\
prompt instructions
in your journal entry, be sure to include and reflect on the following:

1. the dust: describe in detail what the dust looks like, smells like, and feels like to you. how does it make you and the other kids feel about your lives and your town? use strong sensory words.
2. the marigolds: you saw miss lotties marigolds today. describe the flowers and the feeling you get when you look at them, standing out against the \ugliness\ of the neighborhood. why do they bother you so much?
3. restlessness: express your current feeling of boredom and frustration. why do you feel the need to do something? what is the \meanness\ you feel stirring inside of you, and what are you starting to think about doing to those flowers?

goal: your entry should capture the contrast between the dreary setting and the one spot of color (the marigolds), and explain the growing restlessness and anger that is building inside lizabeth.

Explanation:

This task involves creative writing from a character's perspective, which falls under the Arts discipline, specifically the subfield of Writing. The goal is to use sensory details and reflect on emotions as per the story's context.

Answer:

Journal Entry

Date: [Fictional date during the Depression era]

Dear Journal,

The dust is everywhere. It’s like a thick, gray blanket that coats everything. When I breathe, it tastes bitter and dry, like old paper. It feels gritty against my skin, as if tiny needles are pricking me. Looking around, the town seems dead. The dust makes our lives feel so small and trapped. We’re just kids, but the dust makes us feel like we’re stuck in a never - ending, colorless nightmare.

And those marigolds! Miss Lottie’s marigolds are like a burst of fire in a sea of ash. Their orange and yellow petals are so bright. When I look at them, I feel a strange mix of envy and something else. They stand out against all the “ugliness” of our neighborhood. But they also bother me. Why does Miss Lottie have something so beautiful when the rest of us have nothing but dust?

I’m so bored and frustrated. The heat and dust make me feel like I’m going to explode. There’s this “meanness” inside me. I keep thinking about those marigolds. Maybe if we do something to them, we can make the world around us match how we feel. Maybe we can take away that one beautiful thing because it just makes our own lives look even more miserable.

[Elizabeth’s name]