The Lottery Rose

From the opening lines, Georgie Burgess is portrayed as a wounded animal. Physically and emotionally scarred from abuse, he recoils from attention and often lashes out in fear as a self-preservation tactic. The extent of his reaction to his abuse is apparent to the reader but not to school officials, who misconstrue Georgie’s actions as delinquent behavior instead of recognizing the signs of abuse and neglect. Georgie’s body bears the evidence of The Effects of Abuse and Trauma on a Child, though his clothing conceals his physical wounds. Because his wounds are hidden, his teacher fails to connect Georgie’s learning struggles to potential problems at home. In psychological theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs indicates that when an individual’s basic needs for food, sleep, and a sense of safety aren’t met, they can’t access higher levels of thinking. Georgie is hungry, in physical pain, and lives in a constant state of fear, thus prohibiting him from concentrating or progressing in his schoolwork. He can’t think beyond his day-to-day survival.

Potentially worse than Georgie’s open wounds is the emotional trauma he experiences from the fear of Steve. Each time Georgie returns home, he’s never sure if Steve will be there, and he constantly fears Steve’s return. Georgie also worries about Steve’s appearance and his potential response to Georgie’s behaviors outside of the home, anticipating that Steve will somehow find out and become angry. For example, when Georgie is at the grocery store, he worries that Steve will appear there or take issue with Georgie entering the raffle. Additionally, when Georgie is injured at the hospital, he refuses to cite Steve as the source of his wounds, understanding that things will become more dangerous if he does so. Beyond lacking basic food and hygiene, his ongoing experience of anxiety and lack of stability causes Georgie to incur emotional and psychological consequences, resulting in his aggressive and defiant behavior at school and impaired cognitive function.

Mrs. Sims, the store cashier, is initially the only adult Georgie has in his life who recognizes his plight, and she represents The Importance of a Supportive Community for Vulnerable Individuals. In contrast to Georgie’s teacher, who embarrasses him in front of the class for his deficiencies, Mrs. Sims treats Georgie respectfully and doesn’t draw attention to his lack of resources or inability to read. Mrs. Sims plots to use the store lottery to ensure Georgie wins something to boost his spirits, but she gives him a much more valuable gift by gifting him the ticket. In winning the rosebush, Georgie gains hope that his life can be different.

After Steve’s brutal beating, Mrs. Sims temporarily becomes Georgie’s guardian, but her inability to keep Georgie represents the inherent deficiencies in the foster care system. Though she and her husband could provide a loving home for him, they are deemed too old, and Georgie must be sent to a group home. However, Sister Mary Angela quickly becomes an ally and advocate for Georgie as she begins teaching Georgie to trust adults. Still suffering under the pain of his physical wounds, Georgie is socially withdrawn, operating in an acute stress response. Sister Mary Angela recognizes the need to meet Georgie’s physical needs for food, rest, and healing before she can expect him to grow emotionally. By giving Georgie his first friend in Timothy, Sister Mary Angela also meets a critical need in his life and provides Georgie another path toward healing through companionship.

Initially, unsafe at home and school and unable to trust the adults in his life, Georgie can only find respite in the pages of his favorite book as he looks to The Natural World as an Escape from Adversity. Though he can’t read the words, the pictures of the garden in the flower book temporarily transport Georgie to a better place. Traditionally, nature is viewed as a source of refuge and comfort, as well as a place to return to childhood innocence. Poverty and abuse have stolen Georgie’s innocence and robbed him of a childhood, but within the lush gardens of his imagination, Georgie is safe, free, and happy. Emotionally connected to the flower book is Georgie’s rosebush. Like him, the rosebush is withering and in danger of dying. Georgie bestows upon the shriveled shrubbery all the love, care, and compassion he’s been denied by his mother and the other adults. The rosebush, like Georgie, is vulnerable, and he hopes that if he can plant it somewhere safe, it might have a chance to survive. Georgie immediately becomes a passionate caretaker for the shrub, understanding that it requires love and attention—something Georgie needs desperately and lacks. This need to take care of the rosebush occurs throughout the narrative and parallels Georgie’s emotional healing. When he is ultimately able to lessen his emotional, iron grip on the rosebush, he is in a place of love and safety. Until he reaches this point, the rosebush means more to him than other people and his own sense of self. After the court removes him from his home and he moves to the boys’ school in the country, nature affects Georgie again as he sees his fantasy garden come to life in the Harper family’s yard. To Georgie, it feels like fate that his new home is adjacent to the garden of his dreams, but reality comes crashing down when he learns the garden is off-limits. A metaphor for his life, the garden represents a safe, happy existence to which Georgie feels he’s been denied access.