The Chrysanthemums
“The Chrysanthemums”
In the story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck. The main character Elisa allen is visited by a stranger who apparently changes her outlook on life. According to the story she seems to be a stay at home wife who loves to garden and is fascinated by chrysanthemums. While she is gardening one afternoon while her husband was in town, a man stops at her house. He offers to fix any pots or tools she has. While they are conversing he strikes up a conversation about the chrysanthemums which gets her going. She seemed to have taken a liking to him after a few words and offerd him work. After he was done he leaves with his money and a pot with chrysanthemums seeds in them. When her husband returns he notices a difference in her and she tried to ignore it. On their way into town together she sees the wagon that the man came in and is aroused again, which her husband notices and questions her about. She suddenly questions her husband about the prize fights and whether or not women attend. He answers her questions and her mood changes; she relaxes, turns her face and begins to cry. The story is unpredictable the entire time; even at the end I was still confused. Elisa never says why she became upset and began to cry, or why she suddenly asked questions about the prize fights. When the man who she describes as big, approaches her she isn’t inviting, flirtatious or interested. She speaks to him formally, keeps her personal space and is polite. But somehow the man’s few minutes with her had changed her mood and attitude that turned on a switch in her mind after he left. Some reader might assume that she became troubled at the end of the story on her own merits but I don't agree. For example, when the man complained about not having dinner and not having a comfortable place to sleep, Elisa did not offer him food or a place to lay his head. She kept the conversion short and denied him of work saying she did not have any pots for him to fix.
In the story “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck. The main character Elisa allen is visited by a stranger who apparently changes her outlook on life. According to the story she seems to be a stay at home wife who loves to garden and is fascinated by chrysanthemums. While she is gardening one afternoon while her husband was in town, a man stops at her house. He offers to fix any pots or tools she has. While they are conversing he strikes up a conversation about the chrysanthemums which gets her going. She seemed to have taken a liking to him after a few words and offerd him work. After he was done he leaves with his money and a pot with chrysanthemums seeds in them. When her husband returns he notices a difference in her and she tried to ignore it. On their way into town together she sees the wagon that the man came in and is aroused again, which her husband notices and questions her about. She suddenly questions her husband about the prize fights and whether or not women attend. He answers her questions and her mood changes; she relaxes, turns her face and begins to cry. The story is unpredictable the entire time; even at the end I was still confused. Elisa never says why she became upset and began to cry, or why she suddenly asked questions about the prize fights. When the man who she describes as big, approaches her she isn’t inviting, flirtatious or interested. She speaks to him formally, keeps her personal space and is polite. But somehow the man’s few minutes with her had changed her mood and attitude that turned on a switch in her mind after he left. Some reader might assume that she became troubled at the end of the story on her own merits but I don't agree. For example, when the man complained about not having dinner and not having a comfortable place to sleep, Elisa did not offer him food or a place to lay his head. She kept the conversion short and denied him of work saying she did not have any pots for him to fix.