The Chrysanthemums Essay

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Vince Alviz Professor Quan English 210 19 October 2011 An Analysis of John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” revolves around the idea of women’s role in society. Male dominance and female boundaries in society is the theme that is integrated throughout the story. Elisa Allen experiences realization of her own true identity through her encounter with the “repair man.” Before Elisa’s encounter with the “repair man”, the author describes her with manly characteristics. “Her face was lean and strong … Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron … Her face was eager and mature and handsome; even her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-powerful” (Steinbeck 254). This description symbolizes her strengths when working on her plants. Because gardening is what makes Elisa strong, the Chrysanthemums represent her inner-self. Elisa knows her own strengths, “‘Yes. They’ll be strong this coming year.’ In her tone and on her face there was a little smugness” when she replies to her husband’s remark, “You’ve got a strong new crop coming” (Steinbeck 255); and prides herself with it. The fence that surrounds and protects her garden “from cattle and dogs and chickens” (Steinbeck 55) also describes her strength because it symbolizes a guard which Elisa puts up to protect her from a man bringing her down. The garden, her Chrysanthemums, her attire, and the fence all symbolize her strength. The “repair man” is a dirty, poor, and uneducated man as it clearly shows from his “crazy, loose-jointed wagon” with “clumsy crooked letters” saying “‘Pots, pans, knives, sisors, lawn mores, Fixed’” (Steinbeck 256). Although this man is unattractive, Elisa takes interest

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