Pathos In Women

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

John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums” features many themes: themes of gender suppression, love, passion, and betrayal. This short story revolves around the character Elisa Allen who has a strong love and a great passion for her flowers, for her beloved chrysanthemums. However, when a mysterious man arrives towards the end of the text Elisa’s love and passion for the chrysanthemums weakens and she feels betrayed by one of the things she loves most. Steinbeck uses the unlikely encounter between the Tinker and Elisa, as well as, the encounter between Elisa and her husband as a way to express the theme of love and betrayal.

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

The traveller looked around for something to fix at Elisa farm, but found nothing until “they roamed around to the chrysanthemum bed where she had been working. ”(Steinbeck 418) “The irritation and resistance melted from Elisa’s face”(418) after the traveller asked about her chrysanthemum’s. After this part in the story the reader can speculate that Elisa enjoys talking about her chrysanthemums. The traveller “ changed his tone quickly” after assessing that Elisa liked the recognition of her flowers.

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

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

In “The Chrysanthemums” John Steinbeck uses symbolism and irony to show how loneliness affects Elisa Allen. Steinbeck uses symbolism to show how lonely Elisa is. The chrysanthemums are what Steinbeck uses to show that Elisa is so lonely she will hang on to any connection. She doesn't feel alone when she is with the flowers. Her working in the garden while watching men work in the field makes her feel worthless, the garden is where she goes to escape that feeling of loneliness.

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.

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.

In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," Elisa Allen's chrysanthemums are important to her and define her femininity. Elisa mothers the chrysanthemums, which are her figurative children. Her attachment to the flowers is visible by Elisa guarding them with a "wire fence that protect[s] her flower garden from" animals (Steinbeck 2). A mother never wishes harm upon her children; likewise, the fence prevents strong animals from nearing Elisa's flowers. With all the care she possesses, Elisa "look[s] down among the close-growing stems.

However, one can also realize how strong Elisa is as well when the Valley’s weather is described as cold, but there are signs of fall coming. The most major symbol in the whole story is the chrysanthemums. These beautiful flowers represent Elisa as a person. Elisa has a “face [that] was lean and strong and her eyes [are] as clear as water,” so of course, she is beautiful, just like her flowers, but as a woman in the time the story was written, Elisa could not do tasks that would make her independent, such as driving, and she relies on her husband. Just like Elisa, the chrysanthemums rely on someone to take care of them (1238).

Steinbeck uses Elisa together with her life to elicit symbolism in his book. Elisa is compared to Chrysanthemums which is thriving strong and lovely just like Elisa who compares herself and derives her identity from flowers and claims to be part of the plants. First of all, the chrysanthemums symbolize her desire to be appreciated and held in high esteem and as she so tenderly and diligently do to the flowers. She tends to the flowers with care and affection as one would to her children. She is protective of them, as depicted by the wire around them to make sure that no ‘aphids, no sow bugs or snails or cutworms’ are there.

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.