1. Change
1.1. Change isn't always a bad thing.
1.1.1. "Yet, there are times when the image of those passionate yellow mounds returns with a painful poignancy. 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." Pg.5
1.2. Change goes hand in hand with maturing as a person.
1.2.1. "...I could not express the things that I knew as I stood there awkward and ashamed...As I look back upon it, I know that that moment marked the end of innocence. In that moment I looked beyond myself and into the depths of another person." Pg.5
2. Empathy
2.1. Understanding someone else's situation can change your views.
2.1.1. "The witch was no longer a witch but only a broken old woman who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility."Pg.5
2.2. Feeling empathy for others can maker you a kinder person.
2.2.1. "...and that was the moment when childhood faded and womanhood began. That violent, crazy act was the last act of childhood. For as I gazed at the immobile face with the sad, weary eyes, I gazed upon a kind of reality which is hidden to childhood." Pg.5
3. Maturity
3.1. Maturing from your past mistakes can make you a better person.
3.1.1. "...despite my wild contrition she never planted marigolds again...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." Pg.5
3.2. As you age, you begin to understand why adults are the way they are. You just can't make sense of it when you're young.
3.2.1. "Everything was suddenly out of tune, like a broken accordion...I had indeed lost my mind...And these feelings combined in one great impulse towards destruction." Pg.3
4. Regret
4.1. Regret can change your view on certain situations.
4.1.1. "I did not join the merriment. Suddenly I was ashamed, and I did not like being ashamed." Pg.3
4.2. Even though you can't change the past, feelings of regret can be used to not repeat those actions and instead learn from it.
4.2.1. "In that humiliating moment I looked beyond myself and into the depths of another person. This was the beginning of compassion, and one cannot have both compassion and innocence."Pg.5