Comparing Childhood In Hughes And Marigolds

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Imagine walking home from school, after just failing another exam and not doing enough work to pass the class; however, that's not the focus of this in life. Instead, there is the worry of having enough money to eat, live, and survive. Growing up is a challenge, with “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier and “Mother to Son” by Langsten Hughes detailing these struggles of growing up. Whether it’s with encouraging perseverance or with the loss of childhood. Both Langsten Hughes and Eugenia Collier explore the concepts of childhood in connecting ways. Hughes and Collier have similar imagery of growing up and losing innocence. Hughes' poem has the Mother warning her son: “life for me ain’t been no crystal stairs” (Hughes, 1926, p.1). This text develops the idea that life has been difficult for the mother with the use of imagery in life, of the stairs not being clear and …show more content…

Likewise, Collier describes how Lizabeth “recalls that devastating moment when [she] was suddenly more woman than child” to signify the end of childhood and loss of innocence (Collier, 1964, p.1). Hence, the author evokes feelings of the literal loss of childhood. Additionally, the nonfiction article “Stories that Saved My Life and That’s Why I Write for Young People" by James Bird is a realistic example of challenges in childhood and how to persevere. According to the article “each eviction sent [his] family on the search for another apartment. [He] wasn’t an honor roll student but none of the other students know about section 8, HUD housing, food stamps, hotel vouchers, and how to pack everything you own into two black trash bags” (Bird, 2020, p.1). This conveys how struggles in childhood affect people, and how some learn from the challenges. The quote reveals a bit of imagery of getting kicked out of one’s home and having to pack items into a trash bag. Similarly, how Collier and Hughes use imagery in their

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