Elisa Allen In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

If he gave her any personal praise, as a woman of distinct qualities (one who was vital to the farm's survival), he might be empowering her. Thus, he keeps his praise for her superficial skills, growing flowers. In this way, Henry frustrates Elisa by not seeing into her true character. The flowers represent Elisa trying to find some way of escaping from her frustrated and repressed husband, not from her own sexual frustration.

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.

Seemingly, the flowers represent Elisa. She believes she is strong and tough and able to accomplish anything thrown her way; however, taken for granted as she is only a woman allowed to look and act accordingly. Surrounding the flowers is a wire fence set up to keep out predators and to separate the flowers from the rest of the farm. The wire fence is symbolic in the fact that it is identical to the world Elisa lives in. Elisa is contained within the farm, unable to explore or leave without the help of someone else. Elisa is stuck on the farm, isolated from the rest of the world so that she can be kept safe. Naive and unaware of how the world works, her husband keeps her on the farm to protect her from harm. When Elisa gives the chrysanthemum to the travelling merchant, she gives him a small piece of herself. Later, as her and her husband are driving to town, she sees the flower tossed aside as though it was nothing; as a result, she realizes she could never go off on and live the way the merchant had. The flowers embody her character still, and how out of her home without protection, the world can be harsh and cruel. In short, Elisa’s isolation leaves her ignorant, unable to understand how callous the world is, and comes to the bleak realization that she can’t live a life anywhere outside of her fence. Because of how women were treated, constantly pushed down and unable to pursue their interests, Elisa is left unable to learn what life has to offer. Learning

Another character that is connected to a flower is Mrs. Maudie because just like the Azaleas she keeps positiveness even though she's surrounded by negativity. The author quotes, “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem

Steinbeck introduces Elisa, the main character, as a masculine young woman with a “face lean and strong” (Steinbeck 209) and “her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat...clod-hopper shoes.” (Steinbeck 209) He lets the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s true beauty. She feels that her husband does not see her as beautiful woman. All he can see is a house wife and a gardener. He shows little interest in the chrysanthemums. When Henry says, “You’ve got

The chrysanthemums being fenced in from the rest of the ranch symbolizes her feelings of isolation. Elisa craves to live an exciting life like the tinker does but is told that such lifestyle women cannot live. A reader could analyze that Elisa’s chrysanthemums are a replacement for the children she lacks. In Skredsvig analysis she states, “Elisa's planting skills is the possibility that her gardening is a sublimation of her frustration over having no children and a projection of her "natural" role as mother” (Skredsvig). Elisa tends them with love and nurture as the flowers are her pride and joy. Additionally, they represent Elisa’s femininity and sexuality as a woman. For example, Elisa feels resentful of Henry because he does not appreciate her femininity image; however, after having an encounter with the tinker, her hopes are renewed and revived for a brighter future. As she gets ready for a night out with Henry, she admires herself in the mirror appreciating the beautifulness of her sexuality with confidence. After witnessing her flowers wrinkled on the road, Elisa is devastated to see her flowers diminish symbolizing

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

Although her face was described as lean and strong, and her attire was somehow "manly" , Elisa is a repress woman who desires adventure, companionship, recognition and respect for her work with her Chrysanthemums.Her troubling break down at the end of the story was a complete total submission to a world she cannot hope to change. The moment she saw the dark speck and knew it was her Chrysanthemums, the flower she nurtured, cherished and that symbolizes her gift for growing things, her feminism and that is part of her, her heart broke in thousands pieces, even though she tried to stay strong for herself and her chrysanthemums, she eventually quietly broke down and started weeping like an old woman.

The 1937 short story written by John Steinbeck “The Chrysanthemums” illustrates the woes of repressed sexuality in a farmer’s wife Elisa Allen, a farmer’s wife in America set in the late 1930’s. Elisa Allen grows Chrysanthemums in her flower garden, and is quite passionate about her flowers. Elisa dresses rather mannish in the beginning and throughout most of the story excluding of course at the end of the story when she wears a dress to go out to town. Elisa also seems to be very passionate about her chrysanthemums, linking anything to them could reflect her passion onto that as well. Elisa also cleans herself with a pumice rock to cleanse herself in the falling action of the story.

Elisa is especially proud of her chrysanthemums and how big they are this year. Steinbeck exhibited this pride Elisa portrayed as "she straightened her back and pulled on the gardening gloves again. Yes they'll be strong this coming year." Elisa worked hard at her garden and it was important to her. In fact it was the only thing she had to be proud of. For Elisa the chrysanthemums symbolized the work she feels she is capable of as a

"The Chrysanthemums", one of John Steinbeck's masterpieces, describes a lonely farmer's wife, Elisa Allen. Elisa Allen's physical appearance is very mannish yet still allows a hint of a feminine side to peek through. John Steinbeck brings symbolism into play to represent Elisa Allen's frustrations and hidden passions. Isolation is another representation through symbolism found in "The Chrysanthemums." Elisa's failing detached marriage is represented through two symbols. The two reoccurring symbols are the chrysanthemums and fences. John Steinbeck draws pity from the reader for Elisa Allen who desperately wishes to experience the passions of a fulfilling marriage and the stimulation of

The love she wishes for herself and the peddler is a lustful, rebellious one. It serves more as a passageway from her normal and enforced life to a life of free will and wondering. The shining of her soul illuminates the need for Elisa to feel something that doesn’t come from the reliance of her husband whom she is tied down to. Once the peddler leaves, and Elisa sees her flower has been tossed out onto the road, like her fantasy relationship with the peddler, and “her eyes would not obey” (Steinbeck 6). While Elisa’s eyes are unable to look away from her flower that was tossed away, her soul is unable to accept the fact that she will never be able to obtain the abstract lifestyle she longs for. With her flower symbolizing her womanhood, she is able to see but not acknowledge the fact that she will never be able to escape the inequality of the stereotypical roles of women she if forced to live in, as her wanted freedom will only be thrown away and soiled by men or other controlling forces.

Steinbeck uses chrysanthemum’s to symbolize Elisa’s strength and power in order to show how societal standards cause women to miss out on opportunities and become frustrated with the confinement of their expression. “[Elisa] was cutting down the old year's chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors. She looked down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then. Her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful.” Chrysanthemum stalks require a great deal of force to be cut down, which is highlighted through Elisa’s use of “powerful scissors.” Ordinarily, flowers are portrayed as beautiful and delicate; however, chrysanthemums are sturdy and tough. Steinbeck chose specifically to use chrysanthemums because they symbolize the strength Elisa has; she is confident, empowered, and masculine, but all of her strength is confined within the standards of society just as the chrysanthemums are confined within the walls of her garden. Elisa, as a woman, is unable to express herself as strong, masculine, and proud because that was not the standard that women were held to during that time; her expression is confined to her work in the garden with her chrysanthemums, and it is frustrating for her to miss out on the opportunities that would showcase her strength and let it be appreciated by her husband and the mender because of the standard of delicacy and beauty that women are held to.

The chrysanthemums give her so much love and happiness that her husband couldn't give her. Her husband never for once praises her or her chrysanthemums. In this story, there were lots of symbols that Elisa using to take care of her beauty garden. One of the symbols is her pot where she always put her Chrysanthemums seeds whenever she wanted to plant on her garden. She is a very strong woman who always tries to make herself happy by working on her beautiful flower.

Elisa Allen, of “The Chrysanthemums,” had an emptiness within herself that she could never expose to the world; instead she kept it in until she no longer could. She ends up revealing her shadow to a stranger who gave her the desire she wanted. Elisa had a dream that she does not realize at first, but begins to realize it when the opportunity was in front of her. Her husband, who does not share the same interest as her with her garden, would only verbally support her interest when it came that he can see and receive profit from it. Her dream is to have a husband that shows interest in her biggest hobby that is gardening. Although she seems happy with her current husband Henry, she never realized how much she loves it when they talk about her gardening, even