Essay about Chrysanthemums, A Review

1. In "The Chrysanthemums," the interaction between Elisa and the traveling repairman helps develop the story's theme about taking risks. Describe their interaction and explain how it helps to develop the story's theme. Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your ideas. (10 points)

Elisa, also a housewife, usually had activities involved in routine housework and maintaining her flower garden, that was filled with chrysanthemums. She took care of the chrysanthemums as if they were her children, and being a farmers’ wife, she had more free time than her husband, Henry. When the tinker, also known as the tin man, came up to Elisa for work he tried to manipulate her into giving him some work to do. When the tinker saw there was no way Elisa would give him work, he tried to work her. “What’s them plants, ma’am?” (Steinbeck, 208). Tinker asked Elisa about the plants probably so he could influence her about chrysanthemums- that way they bond on the subject of the flowers and from there Elisa started to explain the importance of these flowers. Elisa doesn’t realize she’s being played with until near the end when tinker finally leaves she waves goodbye to him but her voice drops as she says the word “Goodbye to goodbye”, finding that the tinker threw Elisa’s chrysanthemums away (Steinbeck, 210). This quote showed the attachment for the chrysanthemums Elisa had, and the minute the tinker threw away those flowers, it broke Elisa’s heart. This makes Elisa thinks about how a man can get what he wants while Elisa

Firstly, Elisa and Mrs. Mallard related in the fact that they both faced the sad reality that women in their time periods were unbearably unequal to men. For example, in "The Chrysanthemums," it was clear that women had no say in the business aspects of things such as running a ranch. This is

In The Chrysanthemums, Elisa is a woman who is trapped at her husband Henry’s ranch by her gender and society’s idea of what a woman can manage. She is a very strong, capable woman who works all day to make the house spotless and the garden thrive. Elisa is good at her work, “behind her stood the neat white farm house… it was hard swept looking little house, with hard-polished windows, and a clean mud-mat on the front steps”. That show just how much work she puts into keeping the house clean. Elisa knows she is capable of successfully accomplishing any number of what society labels as men’s work and being held back makes her bitter and resentful. In an attempt to feel freedom, Elisa gifts some of her chrysanthemums to a traveling solicitor. She is devastated when she spots the flowers dumped on the road on her way to town with Henry. Elisa, like her flowers, feels discarded and devalued by men and society.

Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums. Since her husband is always working the cattle in their farm, she never has enough attention or any kind of affection. The result of this dispassionate marriage leads Steinbeck to describe his main character as follows, "Her face lean and strong…Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's black hat pulled low…clod-hopper shoes…completely covered by a big corduroy apron…" (Page 206-207) This neglect from her busband causes her to turn to her

She soon lets the man into her yard and prepares pots for chrysanthemums while the man tells her about one of his regular customers who also gardens. He claims this customer has asked him to bring her some chrysanthemum seeds if he ever finds some on his travels. After that Elisa gives him full instructions for tending them. Then he drives away in his wagon with fifty cents and the chrysanthemum shoots promising to take care of them until he can deliver the chrysanthemums to the other women. Now Elisa trusts him much that she gives him her chrysanthemums flowers to take care for someone

Beginning with the opening sentence, Steinbeck conveys a somber tone through the description of the setting hanging above the farm in The Chrysanthemums. “The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world” (Steinbeck, John uhhhh boneless pizza). As the female protagonist in a historically accurate story in the late 1930s, Elisa is condemned to living in a sort of confinement from the outside world, seeing as her husband would do all of the business on the farm. She has something in common with the Salinas Valley, as she too is closed off from the sky and from all the rest of the world under the cloak of her married name. Accompanying the isolation from the outside world is a dismal depression, which can be transcribed as a “high grey-flannel fog” or an overcast sky to mimic the solemn feeling. Elisa’s attempt to stave off this depression of not being able to live her best life can be noticed as she gives her utmost attention to her flowers.

John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" shows the true feelings of the main character, Elisa Allen, through the use of setting and her interactions with other characters in the story. By way of vivid descriptions, Elisa's feelings of dissatisfaction over the lack of excitement in her life are portrayed. Her role as a mere housewife and then the subsequent change to feelings of a self-assured woman are clearly seen. These inner feelings are most apparent with the portrayal of Elisa working in the garden with the chrysanthemums, the conversation she has with the man passing through, and finally, when she and her husband are going out to dinner.

She does not help with the ranch or the cultivation of the orchard, but rather tends to her own garden. Her reportedly stellar chrysanthemums represent her delicate side. By maintaining and ensuring a yearly exemplary flourish, Elisa sustains and nourishes her suppressed womanly essence. Although Steinbeck reveals that, “The

As just stated, her husband controls her life, but he also does not treat her the way she wants to be treated; all she wants is for him to see her as beautiful. Like her chrysanthemums, he doesn’t care or even seem to notice how pretty they are. In the middle of the story, while he is away, a man comes along and compliments Elisa on her flowers, which was just like complimenting her, so it made her almost vulnerable, “Kneeling there, her hand went out toward his legs…’ (320). Since she was so desperate for this attention she was sat in front of him “like a fawning dog” (320). The flowers show how she is ignored by her husband as he seems to only think of her as a friend, instead of a

Since Elisa is a woman with more than superficial qualities, in addition to being a good worker, she seeks a way to fit into this world she feels is limited to her. She feels that it is limited because it is being dominated and interpreted by men. Thus, she tries to seek out some understanding from a stranger who is looking to find "fix-it" work. Many readers see Elisa as being cold and frigid towards the stranger at first appearance. Yet, this is quite possibly her intelligent reaction from being experienced with the realities of life. This scene portrays a "combat of wits in which she shows herself a person of right feeling, one who doesn't let her charitable instincts run away with her" (Beach, 312). Here we have a strange man, and men have proven to Elisa they have a limited understanding of a woman's gentler qualities. Her reaction shows intelligence, good instincts, and is revealing of the period in which the story

Elisa, the main character in “The Chrysanthemums,” appears to be bored with her current lifestyle, which becomes apparent when she constantly inquirers about “the fights” that not many women attend (Steinbeck). Additionally, her boredom becomes even clearer when “the very big man” confronts Elisa for directions. At first, Elisa shows the man her usual tired, not-very-interested personality. However, once the man asks about her chrysanthemums, something that she adores, she immediately becomes alert and interested in the conversation. It appears that Elisa wasn’t used to feeling this “happiness” when she “shook herself free and looked about to see whether anyone had been listening (Steinbeck).” Furthermore, it becomes obvious that she is generally unhappy with her life when she and her husband are driving to the movies. After again asking her husband about the fights and hearing his response, she breaks down into tears

When he states a bad comment of her flowers, she quickly reacts and had the potential to deal with him. Elisa states ‘“It’s a good bitter smell,” she retorted, “not nasty at all”’ (Steinbeck 5). After all he tried to solve the problem that he had with Elisa and told her of a woman he knew on the road who likes chrysanthemums too. He began to explain that she had a flower garden; but she didn’t know how to grow chrysanthemum flowers. Then he convinced her to give some chrysanthemum flowers to him.

His voice took on a whining undertone" (849). The man uses pathos for her to believe that he is in dire need for money; the man even complains that he would not have any food to eat for dinner. The man found Elisa's niche when he addressed her chrysanthemums, and she eased up enough for him to take advantage of her. When she stated her opinion such as the scent of the flowers, he was quick to change his tone (849). Her vulnerability shines through when she takes off the hat for the man and reveals her beautiful hair; a beauty that she does not allow her husband to see. Elisa shares her livelihood and passion for chrysanthemums with the man, who is dishonestly intrigued by gardening skills. This man is a knight to her, someone that lives adventurously and on the road. I think that she is attracted to his lifestyle and even states that she wished women could travel like him (850) and I also see that this is the first time that she is treated as an equal—even highly regarded as a successful gardener. I feel as though the man uses her crave for recognition as a woman to his advantage.

Elisa protects her garden with “wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens.” (Steinbeck 210) The fence also protects Elisa from the man’s world. It isolates her and gives her a clear view but does not let her get tangled in it. The fence is her boundary of her world and as long as she stays within the boundaries she will be safe. Elisa does step outside the fence when the tinker comes to visit. He shows her a little bit of attention by taking interest in her chrysanthemums so that she will find him something to fix. He describes the chrysanthemums as “Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?” (Steinbeck 212) she finds herself flattered by his comments. The chrysanthemums symbolize her femininity and sexuality when “she tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair. The tinker restores her feeling about her femininity and sexuality. He made her realize that she did not need to step outside of her boundaries. All she needs to do is to make herself look more feminine. “She scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice, legs and thighs, loins and chest and arms, until her skin was scratched and red.” (Steinbeck 214) Elisa wears her best dress “which is the symbol of her prettiness” (Steinbeck 214) to impress Henry. He