The Chrysanthemums Literary Analysis

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.

The chrysanthemum is cut every year before it blooms. Elisa said that helping them bloom is the hardest part. This is also a way the flower is like Elisa. Even though she is cut down, she tries to grow right back so to speak. In this way she is strong like the flower, but also very delicate in the fact that it only takes one man to humiliate her and cut her right back down to size. Elisa is a very strong woman, and the word strong is language that is used quite often in this story. Like the strong, resilient chrysanthemum so is Elisa. On page 285 Henry Allen tells his wife that she has "a strong new crop coming." With an arrogance she says "Yes. They'll be strong this coming year." The word 'strong' itself is a way the language in the story has a little something extra on it. Healing is the longest, hardest part about anyone being put down and humiliated. Eventually she will "bloom" again and it is like she was never hurt. When Henry says she has a strong crop, Steinbeck is referring to Elisa's state of mind. At the time of the statement, Elisa was

John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”, is a story about a woman struggling with strong inner feelings of loneliness and isolation. Elisa Allen is initially portrayed as a woman who overcompensates and whose tasks are far exceeded by her abilities. She appears content with her life and adores tending to her garden. However, a tinker briefly enters her life and through his power of persuasion and manipulation provides Elisa with hopes of change and excitement. He gives her the much needed attention she is so desperately looking for. As the story continues we learn that these hopes are crushed as we unravel the betrayal the tinker has bestowed upon Elisa. He exploits her and takes advantage of her hunger for company, aspirations, and

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

This helps to symbolize patience, reassurance, and when your plants finally grow – satisfaction.” It it basically like taking care of a child, but in a shorter period of time. In the second part of the story, the Chrysanthemums come to symbolize Elisa's femininity and sexuality as a women. It goes into her husband Henry and how she feels like Henry doesn't appreciate her femininity, and this feeling causes her to be self observed towards him. Elisa becomes discontented with Henry after states that, "I wish you'd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big.”

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

In John Steinbeck‘s short story “The Chrysanthemums ” Elisa Gives off the impression that she is not satisfied with her life. She can’t put a finger on her source of discomfort, but knows that she is not quite satisfied with how her life is continuing. Elisa’s husband doesn’t give her the proper attention she is craving, so elisa turns to her only sense of compassion; her garden. Elisa uses her beloved chrysanthemums to express her inner feelings about what it’s like to truly care for something. Elisa’s garden brings her joy and passion, hence the reasoning she is always spending her time there. Elisa realizes that in order to be happy with your life, you have to deal with the pain along the way. Throughout the story, Elisa struggles to

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.

On the road to dinner Elisa’s mood is reversed as she sees the Chrysanthemums sprouts lying in the road. She discovers that the handyman not only lied about his interest in her Chrysanthemums but also kept the pot and only threw away the flowers. He didn’t even have the decency to throw them to the side of the road where they might have a chance at life. Elisa feels discarded like these Chrysanthemums at that moment and the readers can feel it in this quote from 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

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.

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