Essay about The Chrysanthemums

Submitted By Redjakk1

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In the short story, "The Chrysanthemums", author John Steinbeck uses a number of different elements in his story to improve it overall and to strike an emotional chord with the readers. Through an analysis of the characters, setting and symbolism in "The Chrysanthemums", it will become evident how Steinbeck developed these elements in his story and how they strengthen it as a whole.

In "The Chrysanthemums", the development of Steinbeck's characters play a large role in his story. For the most part, the protagonist Elisa faces a series of changes throughout the story. She is a woman with a very fragmented identity, making it hard for her to fulfill her true self. She is accustomed to wearing "manly" clothing and she lives with a husband who she cannot identify with. For example, when Elisa hears her husband's voice, she "straightened her back and pulled on the gardening gloves again" (pg. 2). This shows how her husband's presence changes her to become more masculine. The masculinity she tries to personify can be a sign of Elisa's strength. Additionally, when she talks to her husband, her words seem to carry a smugness, almost as if she were putting her husband down. "'Good,' she said, "Good for you'" (pg. 2). It is evident in the beginning of the story that Elisa may be trying to emulate the behavior of a man to prove herself to her husband. She is even described as "handsome" (pg. 1). Despite this, she is quite comfortable with her physicality and her actions however unsatisfied with her life. Elisa has an undying longing to truly live free but she is reluctant to pursue this life and represses herself when she feels her urges. Her only consolation is her garden of flowers, which she protects as if they were her children. As the story progresses, Elisa becomes more open and shares a connection with a peddler she meets. She is very kind to the man and shares her chrysanthemums with him "I can put some in damp sand, and you can carry them right along with you" (pg.

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