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Analysis Of John Steinbeck's 'The Chrysanthemums'

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Analysis Of John Steinbeck's 'The Chrysanthemums'
Week 4 Assignment 1

Professor Barnett
Eng1002
July 2, 2013
Analytical Essay on Short Fiction Women are very strong, powerful, and sensual and need to be recognized the way they truly feel like Elisa wants to be seen by Henry in John Steinbeck’s, “The Chrysanthemums” (Steinbeck, 1894).
Elisa being a very strong, proud woman is very frustrated with her life on the farm. She seems to be held back by society’s perspective of the discrimination of the woman duties and the man duties on the farm. Elisa can do everything that henry can do on the farm and still doesn’t get his full romantic admiration that she desires from him. Her only outlet from everything is the garden surrounded by the chicken fence to keep all the pests and animals …show more content…
With a few flattering words and signs of interest and admiration of the Chrysanthemums she “tears off the battered hat and shakes out her dark pretty hair” (Steinbeck, 2010). The stranger has Elisa giving him her Chrysanthemums, which are a symbol of her inner self at this moment. The tinker leaves and Elisa starts to get ready for her dinner with her husband out in Salinas, getting ready she starts to doll up already feeling better and having more hope for herself as a new beginning for her marriage is starting. Bathing and admiring herself in the mirror with confidence, sign of sexuality and femininity being back and stronger she hopes henry will recognize her needs and give her what she wants for excitement. Henry ruins the moment though and any shred of hope as the only thing he has to say is “You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon”(Steinbeck,2010). This remark didn’t work for her confidence, or would and woman’s. As this was transpiring on the drive to Salinas she spotted what would be the worst, her flowers on the side of the road. This makes her feel like the one thing that made her feel incredibly happy and a strong individual now was duped by a salesperson and she is devastated as the realization is her marriage is less-than romantic
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