Her name is Elisa Allen, and she feels frustrated with her present life. Her husband does not admire her as a woman romantically, and she is not able to have kids. The author, John Steinbeck used symbolism to develop his theme. The order of development of the symbolism directing into the theme is, the chrysanthemums, which they symbolize Elisa’s children. The fence that symbolizes the protection of the chrysanthemums. Also, the Salinas Valley symbolizes her unstable emotional life. The author uses these
Over the course of many generations and within many different cultures, women have faced oppression and have struggled to gain equality in society to men. Both Elisa Allen in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” and Sumita in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s “Clothes” desire to achieve equality in societies that limit them because of their gender. Both stories rely heavily on the use of symbolism and the authors use the most prominent symbol in each story as its title. These stories have similar conflicts
“The Chrysanthemums”- A Short Summary "The Chrysanthemums", a short story by John Steinbeck vividly portrays the hardships women back in the 1930's battled with themselves when compared to their significant other; in other words-"An Inequality of Gender". Elisa, the protagonist battled each day with the struggle of equality; thinking and knowing that despite any effort taken on her part-she would never be of equal status in her husband's nor societies' eyes. Needing a way to express herself, Elisa
In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” Elisa Allen resides in the valley with her husband Henry Allen. It’s an ordinary mundane day in the Salina’s Valley for the Allen’s when Henry is making a business deal while wife Elisa tends to her garden with ease. Henry approaches Elisa to let her know the business deal has gone well, and they plan to have diner in the city. A While after this she hears a scraggly wagon approaching and she sees a man emerging from the wagon who appears to be a tinker. The
Stockings” by Kate Chopin and “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck deal with the journey to one’s identity, but they do so in different ways. In 1896 Kate Chopin wrote the story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings”, it takes place in an unnamed city large enough to have a department store, a fashionable restaurant, a theatre, a cable car and most likely depicts what it was like
meticulous works on every day. Elisa does not have a meaningful relationship with her husband and shows great interest in a stranger. Elisa’ character the protagonist, uses gardening as a release from her marriage and unhappy life. Elisa struggles with every day differences between men and women and showing her feminine side. The story title “The Chrysanthemums” is very fitting of Elisa’s character as the flower has many different colors. Just as the chrysanthemum flower needs full sunshine, Elisa’s
The short story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck centers on Elisa Allen, a discontented wife living on a ranch with her husband Henry. Elisa is strong, smart, and a great gardener. But Elisa is unhappy because she is bound by the traditional gender role. Her unhappiness is also fueled by her insecurity, vulnerability, and lack of intimacy in her mundane life. The story begins with the description of the weather “grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from