Symbolism in John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" In the short story, "The Chrysanthemums," Steinbeck effectively uses symbols to help the reader understand the story's plot and obtain insight into characters' thoughts and feelings, primarily Elisa. As the story's main character, Elisa is a lonely thirty-five-year-old woman, who serves as the channel in which most of these symbols are used. Elisa feels neglected by her husband, Henry, who is always working cattle on their foothill ranch. He shows…
Clothes & Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” tells the evolution of a character over the course of a story. Steinbeck accomplishes this by using specific point of view to carry out his vision, very similar to the way Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni uses distinct character development in her short story “Clothes” to entice and pull the reader in. These elements work together in both stories to create a theme that has the greatest impact on the reader. The point of view in Steinbeck’s “The…
“In a Mans World” #In John Steinbeck’s, Chrysanthemums, he generalizes the spirit of a woman and delivers to the audience her thoughts and underlying emotions of being a woman in a “man’s world.” The chrysanthemums reflects Elisa’s character and her dreams of being free to grow, make decisions, free to travel, make her own money and most of all the desire to be attractive. Elisa feels closed in and secluded from the rest of the world, just as Steinbeck describes the atmosphere at the introduction…
July 2, 2013 Analytical Essay on Short Fiction Women are very strong, powerful, and sensual and need to be recognized the way they truly feel like Elisa wants to be seen by Henry in John Steinbeck’s, “The Chrysanthemums” (Steinbeck, 1894). Elisa being a very strong, proud woman is very frustrated with her life on the farm. She seems to be held back by society’s perspective of the discrimination of the woman duties and the man duties on the farm. Elisa can do everything that henry can do on the…
A Woman’s Frustration in the Gender-Divided World --An Analysis of Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” In his 1933 letter to a friend, John Steinbeck talks about his newly composed short story “The Chrysanthemums”: “It is entirely different and is designed to strike without the reader’s knowledge” (qtd. in Segal 214). It has indeed achieved the effect: ever since its publication, critics and readers, who unanimously “feel that something profound has happened to him” (qtd. in Segal 214), try in each…
AP English Literature and Composition The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck The third person point of view helps set up Elisa's initial perception of the world, one that includes the submissive role of women and their dismal role in anything work related. The symbolism, when combined with the point of view, is what brings out the best of Elisa and makes her realize that the things she does in life are not for other people to look down upon, but instead for people to bask in their glory as they…
In John Steinbeck's short story, "The Chrysanthemums," he uses the flower to symbolize his main character's thoughts and ideas. There are many examples of such symbolism in this work. Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums. Since her husband is always working the cattle in their farm, she never has enough attention or any kind of affection. The result of this dispassionate marriage leads Steinbeck to describe his main character as follows, "Her face…
Essay of John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” When John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” was first published in the 1930’s, it was a time of great societal change. Women, who had always been seen as fragile and weak, were struggling for equality in a male dominated society. This story was Steinbeck’s attempt to draw attention to this subject, and bring these issues to light. This story is centered on the main character Elisa Allen. Elisa is unhappy and frustrated with her position in life, and…
have always been quite the mystery. There are no laws or regulations deciding whether or not individuals will, or will not, become friends. In John Steinbecks novella, published in 1937, an insight in a relationship development between two characters with extremely different personalities is presented, showing his audience that friendship has no boundaries.…
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, is about a smart and independent woman who is held back from her marriage. This story has a solid connection to John Steinbeck’s, “The Chrysanthemums”. These stories share a female main character who struggle with being content with their lives as a wife. Both of the authors from these short stories centralize their theme around how society depreciates woman in the early 1900’s. Women during this time had fewer rights and were treated differently than how women…