So even though it is acknowledged that she is productive and dutiful she is relegated to only helping with the flower garden as her husband work with the more manly duties of rounding up the horses and selling heads of cattle to buisness men. Elsie is at her strongest when in her garden even going so far as to recieve complements about her green thumb from her husband. “You’ve got a gift with things,” Henry observed. “Some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across." ( Steinbeck 2011, p 7) and yet in the same breath she is cut down by Henry telling her she wishes she could work in an area of the farm that she is not allowed to.
Miss Brill is portrayed as an elderly school teacher who lives alone and has no family or apparent friends. Despite her loneliness, she manages to get a measure of joy from the daily events of her life. Miss Brill overcomes her lonely existence by establishing a dependable routine, taking joy in simple pleasures, and creating a fantasy world in which she lives vicariously through the strangers in her park. Miss Brill finds satisfaction in the establishment of dependable routines in her daily life. For example, every Sunday afternoon she goes to a nearby park and observes the strangers around her.
The couple has no children, no pets, no near neighbors, and Henry is busy doing chores on the ranch throughout the day. Elisa fills her hours by vigorously cleaning the “hard-swept looking little house, with hard-polished windows,” and by tending her flower garden (204). She has “a gift” for growing things, especially her chrysanthemums, and she is proud of it (204). One day, when her husband Henry goes to work a traveling salesman stops by the house looking for some new work. There is a sense of slight flirtation at first, but that’s just because Elisa is so excited to have conversation with someone else other than her
Steinbeck has given a suitable title to the story, “The Chrysanthemums,” which relates to Elisa as chrysanthemums symbolize both Elisa and the limited scope of her life. Just like her, the flowers are unobjectionable and also unimportant; both are merely decorative and add little value to the world. Elisa is passionate and loving towards her chrysanthemums. She is smart, attractive and ambitious, but all these qualities go waste as she has limitations under which a married women lives. Henry Allen, her husband, clearly ignores her passion and care towards chrysanthemums.
“The Chrysanthemums” Major themes in this literary masterpiece include marriage, loneliness and self-expression (Biography). Steinbeck uses a young wife’s love for gardening and her care for her precious Chrysanthemums to symbolize her femininity as well as her broken marriage (Symbolism). Elisa Allen is introduced to the reader as a thirty-five year old wife and avid gardener. She is married to Henry Allen and together they live seemingly peaceful, quiet ranching lives in the valleys of California. Her physical appearance is described as hard working and somewhat rough.
This is further supported by the fact that despite her confidence in growing things, Elisa never gets a chance to help him in the orchard, nor do they ever bring this up again in future conversations within the narrative. This means that Henry is not serious about Elisa helping him grow apples or expanding her role. When Elisa says “It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things” (Steinbeck, 401) this demonstrates Elisa's internal conflict between staying at the farm and leaving and having her own life. By Elisa saying women in this quote she really meant herself.
Forsaken Flowers “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is about a woman named Elisa Allen who is tricked by a traveling tinker. In the beginning, Elisa is gardening while her husband Henry is speaking to a couple of men. She has a beautiful flower garden that is perfectly kept. Henry walks over and tells Elisa that he has just sold thirty steers and wants to take her out to dinner and a movie to celebrate. Elisa agrees and Henry jokingly asks her if she would want to go to a fight that evening.
Analysis of `The Flowers` by Alice Walker The Flowers by Alice Walker is about a 10 year old girl called Myop. Myop is just an innocent girl who collects flowers, and this day she decides to take it to another level. She walks into the woods to find new wonderful flowers. Things get more unpleasant as we continue to read the story. Myop decides to go back home where it’s safe and secure, but on her way back home she literally steps on a dead man.
Clarisse McClellan is a 17 year old girl who moved into a home near Guy Montag’s house. Clarisse is an outgoing, cheerful, unorthodox girl who is out casted by society for her “odd” ways. She liked to hike and smell the flowers, which was considered practically against the law. Clarisse and Montag really hit it off when they first met. She told Guy her thoughts on the world, such as, “I sometimes think drivers don't know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly.” Or, “Have you ever heard
“The Chrysanthemums” One of the most accomplished short story “The Chrysanthemums by Steinbeck’s johns.” This short story shows that there is no place for intelligent woman. Elisa is very smart, attractive, ambitious, and creative but all these qualities go wasted. Elise husband is not smart as her but he is the one who run the farm to support himself and his wife. In early 1900’s most of the married couple description was the husband goes outside to work and make money to support the family and wife would stay home and take care of the house and children. Since Hanry and Elisa do not have kids that why Elisa just take care of the house.