Character Analysis of Elisa Allen At first glance, Elisa Allen looks to be just a typical gardener. She has loving husband and beautiful garden in which she 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 character needs support and love from her husband which is truly lacking.
Unhappy Marriage…show more content… Elisa is first described as “ blocked and heavy in her gardening uniform” (629). Elisa shows great knowledge about her flowers and tells Henry “I’ve a gift with things, all right. My Mother had it.” (630). When Henry tells her she is going to have a strong crop this year Elisa pulls her gardening gloves back on and says “ Yes they’ll be strong this coming year” In her tone and on her face there was a little smugness” (630). Not only has this skill of gardening been handed down from her Mother but, she has cared for this garden in the past. Because she does not have a job and does not work in the orchard for her husband she spends the majority of the time in the garden. Henry does show an appreciation for how big her flowers are but at the same time gives a comparison that simple gardening is no way comparable to his work on the orchard. Elisa devotes all of her time and energy maintaining her house and garden. The stranger that finds his way to Elisa’s garden shows interest in Elisa and her garden and she definitely takes notice of this. This interest is completely different from her interaction with the husband in the