StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck - Book Report/Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper “Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck” the author focuses on the story, which captures the sense of the constrained woman and her sense of isolation in his short story "Chrysanthemums." Elisa Allen, the main protagonist, is a very lonely and depressed woman…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.8% of users find it useful
Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck"

Pure in Need John Steinbeck captures the sense of the constrained woman and her sense of isolation in the short story "Chrysanthemums." Elisa Allen, the main protagonist, is a very lonely and depressed woman. She is isolated from the world, she feels frustrated with her marriage and she wants nothing more than a sense of connection to the world outside her garden gate, illustrating the general sentiment of women everywhere who were frustrated in their attempts to connect with the greater world.

Every element of the story highlights this deeper meaning, only ending as Elisa is “crying weakly – like an old woman.” Filled with pure intentions but a need to play a part in life, Elisa’s actions as she tends her chrysanthemums, talks with the tinker, and in her relationship with Henry all emphasize her overpowering sense of isolation and desperate need for a larger world. In every way, Elisa is enclosed throughout the story. This is seen physically as she works in her garden space which is symbolically placed away from everyone else around.

Although dedicated to her garden, Elisa constantly wonders what the men with her husband are talking about not far away. The affection she gives to her flowers demonstrates how much she has to give to others while the tension in her hands as she snaps off flower heads shows her frustration at being excluded and set apart. Steinbeck says, “The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy,” but her flowers are the nicest flowers around. Even the weather confines her: “The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the [valley] from the sky and all the rest of the world.

 On every side, it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot.” Like other women of her time, women were expected to make themselves happy only within the home space, but Elisa continues to show that the home is not enough. Elisa's unimportance to the world is seen with the arrival of the tinker and the inclusion of her husband. Through her relationships with these men, Steinbeck reveals that the social expectations for the woman gave her no room for human passion.

The tinker makes it clear that he has only stopped at the Allen ranch because he lost his way, but Elisa clings to him. She gives the tinker some of her precious chrysanthemum shoots dreaming about how they will go out and brighten up the world the same way she dreams she would one day send out children. When her husband, Henry, shows up, she hurries to put on “the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness. She worked carefully on her hair, penciled her eyebrows, and rouged her lips,” betraying her willingness.

But the relationship she has with her husband is also politely distant. As they drive to town, Henry praises her for her skill in the garden but keeps her confined thereby rejecting her offer to help in the orchard. This further confines Elisa, this time within strict boundaries of gender work division. Realizing the limitations of her marital relationship reinforced by social expectations and their remote ranch, Elisa finally breaks down into the tears of a woman old before her time when she sees that not even her flowers have been able to make a difference in the world.

Steinbeck’s story paints a very moving image of how the positions women find themselves in are sometimes due to the lack of choice available to them or the dictates of a conservative society that feels the woman's place is in the home. Steinbeck’s characterization of Elisa expresses the loneliness and frustration of women living in confinement. She is confined within the strict bounds of a masculine perception of her gender roles. Even the weather conspires to keep her thoughts on the ground.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Pure in Need: John Steinbeck's short story Chrysanthemums Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1423206-pure-in-need-john-steinbecks-short-story-chrysanthemums
(Pure in Need: John Steinbeck'S Short Story Chrysanthemums Essay)
https://studentshare.org/literature/1423206-pure-in-need-john-steinbecks-short-story-chrysanthemums.
“Pure in Need: John Steinbeck'S Short Story Chrysanthemums Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1423206-pure-in-need-john-steinbecks-short-story-chrysanthemums.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

The Chrysanthemums

Also there is ample information related to the "The chrysanthemums", there is appreciable detailing of the richness and the air of excitement that this flower brings in the person planting them.... She is personally attached to "The chrysanthemums" and has an inherent (she calls it planting hands) skill and inclination toward gardening and holds a philosophy towards her work.... She is very particular about her self cleanliness as well as of her farmhouse and ""The chrysanthemums"....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The function of context in literary studies

"The Chrysanthemums" by john steinbeck shows a distinct snapshot of the first half century American society.... So, reading "The chrysanthemums" a reader can better understand historical context of the novel, and knowing the historical context it becomes easier to follow the characters' behaviour....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Gender Inequality in The Chrysanthemums

In the paper “Gender Inequality in The Chrysanthemums,” the author focuses on steinbeck's story which is one of the best short stories authored by this writer.... “The chrysanthemums” focuses mainly on a married woman; the woman is intelligent and coerced into existence on a ranch owned by her husband.... This essay discusses the theme of gender inequality in the book “The chrysanthemums”.... The setting of the story in “The chrysanthemums” and the characters involved do not appreciate the intelligence of women in society....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review

Response to questions posted in other instractions.Questions to a The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

How does this story depict women and… In John Steinbeck's story The Chrysanthemums: the how, where, and why will be discussed as to how Steinbeck uses description to convey the story's theme; the chrysanthemums are symbolizations; and Elisa is part of the construction A Response to “The Chrysanthemums A Story by john steinbeck Word Count: 505 (2 pgs Response to "The Chrysanthemums" by john steinbeck.... In john steinbeck's story The Chrysanthemums: the how, where, and why will be discussed as to how Steinbeck uses description to convey the story's theme; the chrysanthemums are symbolizations; and Elisa is part of the construction of womanhood, depicting women in a certain way, while it will be discussed why Elisa cries at the end....
2 Pages (500 words) Book Report/Review

Feminine Status In The Chrysanthemums And No Ones A Mystery

The paper "Feminine Status In The Chrysanthemums And No One's A Mystery" discusses the relationship between male and female characters, particularly the pitiful status held by females in the short stories by john steinbeck.... However, the tinker dumps the flower: “rejecting her gesture toward a larger life, and she remains a pitiable victim of male domination and female disadvantage” In “The Chrysanthemums,” steinbeck sets the story on the beautiful west coast in Salinas Valley, California....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Chrysanthemums by john Steinbeck

Elisa does not allow any stranger to come “into the yard” unless she totally trusts the person (steinbeck, 1938, p.... iles/The%20Chysanthemums-steinbeck.... She only leaves her garden when she The chrysanthemums 2.... The chrysanthemums....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

The Chrysanthemums by (John Steinbeck)

His style The Chrysanthemums In the short story The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck, the diversifies in his nature of literature.... Work citedSteinbeck, john.... In an overall perceptive, the author uses chrysanthemums symbolically to indicate the struggles of women in society.... The title chrysanthemums is a metaphor and the writer uses it to represent hope and comfort to those women oppressed in society.... "The chrysanthemums....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

The author of this essay "The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck" states that while the writer manages to address or highlight some of the weight themes affecting his nation, he does not offer any viable solution.... he Chrysanthemums is a short story by john steinbeck that revolves around the lives of his two protagonists namely Elisa Allen and Henry.... he plot development is another interesting aspect that echoes in steinbeck's story with its linear format of narration....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us