Symbolism 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.

In John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums, the reader is introduced to the seemingly timid and shy Elisa Allen. Elisa is routinely planting her yearly sets of Chrysanthemums, which appear to be the sole receptor of her caring and gentle touch, but all the while it is evident that “the chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy.” Her hidden eagerness seems not only out of place, but out of touch with her dry and wilted surroundings, of which her husband, Henry, abruptly interrupts her steady pace. Inquiring of dinner plans, he is quickly shuttered out, so that Elisa can continue her work in the fenced in flower bed. This seems to be the only place on the ranch that belongs to her, and thus devoting the entirety of her

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 Chrysanthemums” is one of John Steinbeck’s popular short stories. “The Chrysanthemums” represents inequality of gender, limitations, and feminism. The story is about a married woman living in the early 1900s who longs for a more exciting, meaningful existence. Elisa Allen is intelligent, accomplished, attractive, and ambitious. Yet she feels confined in her life and marriage.

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

In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” we are introduced to Elisa, an intelligent, talented woman living on a ranch in the Salinas Valley with her husband. She is thirty-five years old with no children and no real human interaction with anyone other than her husband, who is mostly dismissive of her in all matters other than her gardening. The ranch is located in a remote area of the Salinas Valley with no real neighbors to speak of. The story mostly consists of Elisa’s encounter with a traveling tinker man in search of work repairing kitchen utensils and blades of all sorts. The encounter with the tinker man brings out a side of Elisa that contradicts her everyday androgynous appearance and brings her desire to be noticed as a woman to the

Steinbeck who masterfully uses the chrysanthemums as a direct correlation to Elisa, sweet, soft, and attractive. Elisa is sexual besides having above average smarts. Yet, she doesn’t give the impression that she would get involved in extra marital activity that makes her faithful and more captivating to the readers. The similarities to her flowers who often get attention for their size and boldness is a stark contrast to what we see from Elisa as she seems more reserved and off to the side. Elisa becomes very trusting of the tinkerer as she starts asking questions and wondering if she can do this type of work. To be outgoing and spontaneous is what she dreams of being in her rather mundane life.

In “The Chrysanthemums”, Steinbeck shows a remarkable ability to search into the complexities of a woman’s awareness. This Story is told completely from Elisa’s point of view, but also told in third person. This allows him to inspect her mind and demonstrate the world through her eyes. Steinbeck puts us in a situation that we experience her disappointments and sentiments.

"The Chrysanthemums," written by John Steinbeck, captures one day in the life of a woman who yearns for a more fulfilling life. Elisa is first portrayed as a woman whose tasks are exceeded by her abilities. As the day continues, a stranger briefly enters her life and, through manipulative words, fills her heart with hopes of change and excitement. We learn that these newly-found hopes are crushed when Elisa eventually realizes that she has been used. A stranger manages to break Elisa's heart, not because of who Elisa appears to be, but because of who Elisa really is. To understand "The Chrysanthemums," we must first know the "real" Elisa.

The story “chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is about a lady named Elisa, who lives on a ranch with her spouse. Her husband makes a business deal with some men and sells the cattle. In order to celebrate, he decides to take Elisa out for dinner. As her husband leaves to deliver the cattle, a stranger drives up the road and distinguishes himself as a repairman of sorts. While Elisa is working on her small garden, he asks her if she needs anything to be fixed and she says no. She tries to get rid of him but he starts talking about his travels and the lifestyle. He then asks her about her garden. She gets excited that he is interested in her flowers so she gives him some chrysanthemums to grow. She makes a connection with him due to the lack of passion in the marriage. Eventually he leaves and her husband returns. She gets dressed up and as they head down the road to go to town, she begins crying when she sees the Chrysanthemums that she

Then she dug ten parallel trenches to receive the sets. Back at the chrysanthemum bed she pulled out the little crisp shoots, trimmed off the leaves of each one with her scissors and laid it on a small orderly pile "(john Steinbeck)" Even though Elisa and her husband Henry had no children and no child care experience, the above quote can be interpreted differently to give Elisa another character. Elisa's preparation procedure for the transplant of the chrysanthemums is very meticulous just like it will be done when caring for a child. The way she nurtures her flowers also portrays how her children will be handled. The way she turns the soil over and over, smoothing, patting it firm and digging up trenches to receive the flowers is similar to preparing a room and a crib for the arrival of a baby making sure that the environment is comfortable and conducive for proper and normal growth.

The setting in The Chrysanthemums supports Elisa's character development. While Elisa is gardening it is “December” (The Chrysanthemums, 313), a seemingly bad season to be gardening in. Her dedication to her flowers and plants is unmatched. She is indifferent and cold toward her husband, like winter is a very chilly, uncaring, season. The appearance of “pale cold sunshine” (313) represents her feelings toward her husband, because sunshine is an archetype for happiness, and using both pale and cold switches the meaning around, she is unhappy and unsatisfied with her marriage. However, after the man visits her in her garden where they discuss her chrysanthemums, there is a “thin band of sunshine” (323) in the sky, representing her hopes for

Elisa Allen the main character from the short story “The Chrysanthemums” the author John Steinbeck describes Elisa as an unfulfilled woman. Elisa seems to have an uncomplicated life but is soon revealed that she is restricted from things she wishes she could do because she is a woman in the late 1900s. Since Elisa is restricted from her wishes, she is constantly doing the same routine every day and wants change. Throughout the story, Elisa slowly unwinds most of her problems showing the reader how she feels is unfinished in many ways at the age 35.