How Does Elisa Change In The Chrysanthemums

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.

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

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

They conversate about why he travels and what he does to stay afloat so to speak and during their conversation the repairman brings up the chrysanthemums in a metaphor,"Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?" the topic falls on the Chrysanthemums, to perhaps change the subject,that Elisa has worked so hard to raise and is so passionate about. The Repairman mentions that he has a friend who has wanted to grow chrysanthemums for some time. This invoked such passion that she swelled to him possibly symbolizing her need for sexual fulfillment as a woman,” Do you see? Your fingers and the plant. You can feel that, right up your arm. They know. They never make a mistake. You can feel it. When you're like that you can't do anything wrong. Do you see that? Can you understand that?". This burst of passion from Elisa doesn’t come about for no reason, she appears to be attracted to the repairman to some degree from the very moment that he strolled up in his greasy suit with his graying beard. When the repairman brings up the chrysanthemums and even tries to elaborate with a metaphor comparing the flower to colorful burst of smoke; that would be why this burst of passion directed blindly

In "The Chrysanthemums" John Steinbeck develops a theme of limitations. The story is essentially a man in the mirror story where the rigid Elisa sees herself for the first time as trapped. Although Elisa has recognized her life as limited and confining, she sadly accepts her life as is and does nothing to rectify her situation. In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" symbolism of the fence, the garden, and the chrysanthemums help illustrate the story by striking an emotional chord with the audience.

There are many symbolic references to Elisa Allen as a sexually repressed and frustrated woman. One representation of the chrysanthemum is Elisa's passion and eagerness to live and experience life a content woman. While tending her chrysanthemums "she pulled out the crisp little roots and trimmed of the leaves of each one with her scissors (Steinbeck 1464)." This is a symbolism of Elisa Allen closing off all opportunities to grow as a sexual woman; She has resigned herself to the monotonous life as a complacent farmer's wife (Lee 1). The "figured print dress (Steinbeck 1463)" under the apron shows the readers that Elisa is aware of her sexuality but instead of acting on it has chosen to subdue it. She keeps her sexuality and passions under control like she cares for her chrysanthemums "laid [in a] small [and] orderly pile (Steinbeck 1464)" (Lee 1). Elisa begins to allow this sexuality to emerge when the traveling tinker romantically describes her

John Steinbeck is remembered as one of the classic American writers, and his book Chrysanthemums is no exception. The title of the book is a reference to the symbols and plot of the story, a Chrysanthemum being a symbolic flower for the protagonist, Elisa Allen. The story is set during the Great Depression, and therefore marriage by arrangement was common in agricultural areas, as finding food and shelter were more important than childhood ambitions, as Elisa learned the hard way. Symbols are used to convey a particular meaning constantly in the Chrysanthemums, the flowers within the story reflect the emotions involved in the events that take place in the story.

the topic falls on the Chrysanthemums, to perhaps change the subject,that Elisa has worked so diligently to raise and is so passionate about. The Repairman mentions that he has a friend who has wanted to grow chrysanthemums for some time. This invoked such passion that she swelled to him possibly symbolizing her need for sexual

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.

“The Chrysanthemums” is a story written by John Steinbeck. In the story, the main character is Elisa Allen. Elisa is a married woman living in a valley with her husband. Her life in the valley has become limited to housewife duties and spends the most of her time in her chrysanthemum garden. In the story, the chrysanthemum is mentioned in the most part of the story.

In the short story "The Chrysanthemums", the main character Elisa Allen is a strong, childless, 35-year-old woman who is residing info Salinas Valley. Readers also met her husband who informs Elisa that after he is done with work they will celebrate him selling thirty calves at the restaurant in town. Elisa is then left alone, as she is a homemaker who has very little to do. Her only outlets in life are her husband, the house, and some flowers within her garden. These prized flowers of Elisa Allen are chrysanthemums.

At the end of “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, Elisa Allen is crying weakly like an old woman for many reasons. For starters, her husband does not seem to take her skills seriously. He initially approaches Elisa and complements her garden, and she takes significant pride in the compliment. However, he uses this to jokingly suggests that she should be working on the orchard, the prospect of which excites Elisa, it is clear that she wants more responsibility around the ranch. Sadly though, her husband brushes off this enthusiasm by implying that her expertise are limited to flowers.

The story The Chrysanthemums was solemnly based on Elisa. "The Chrysanthemums' seems to be a story of a woman whose role was in the garden. This story dramatizes the efforts made by a housewife, Elisa Allen, to compensate for the disappointments which she has encountered in her life. Steinbeck makes it clear that Elisa yearns for something more in her life then the everyday routines of farm life. The author’s portrayal of Elisa seems even more remarkable considering that he wrote the story during the time when traditional notions of women and their abilities persisted in America.

John Steinbeck, in his short story "The Chrysanthemums" depicts the trials of a woman attempting to gain power in a man's world. Elisa Allen tries to define the boundaries of her role as a woman in such a closed society. While her environment is portrayed as a tool for social repression, it is through nature in her garden where Elisa gains and shows off her power. As the story progresses, Elisa has trouble extending this power outside of the fence that surrounds her garden. In the end, Elisa learns but does not readily accept, that she possesses a feminine power weak for the time, not the masculine one she had tried so hard to achieve through its imitation.

In Leroy Thomas' critique of John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," Thomas draws attention to the physical shape as well as the gender of Elisa. Thomas does that by referring to Elisa as "totally unsexed" (Thomas). What Thomas is referring to is Steinbeck's description of Elisa when he says, "her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume" (Steinbeck). Thomas also describes the satisfaction Elisa feels as a woman merely from her conversation with the tinker. Thomas states, "She has now become a fulfilled woman - proud of her womanhood, her body. Whereas she was once barren, she now brought forth new life" (Thomas). Thomas explains this further by referring to the moment after she leaves the tinker, draws herself a bath, admires herself including her body and symbolizes her beauty by putting on her prettiest dress. Thomas retells when Elisa discovers that the tinker threw her chrysanthemum sprouts along the side of the road, and justifies that "he had to keep the pot" (Steinbeck) making the astonishing point that this symbolizes that "her partner in coition wanted only her body symbolized by the pot; thus the product of their 'love' is merely cast aside" (Thomas). Steinbeck uses the plot to show gender ideologies by demonstrating what was considered socially acceptable for a female. Steinbeck's unadorned sentences are crammed with meaning, demonstrating what was appropriate for Elisa, as a woman.  A woman didn't work with her hands and live like the tinker. It