How Does John Steinbeck Create Tension In The Chrysanthemums

The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

Often times, we go through life feeling confused, lost, and sad. Living life through various facades grows weary over time. Eventually, we are led to the inevitable search to strive for the discovery of who we really are. Self-identity is an important focal point in our individual triumphs and tribulations we experience in our journey of life. During times of conflict, we frequently struggle with only ourselves. "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, written in the mid 1900's, is a downhearted story about a woman experiencing the pain of hiding who she really is. The story takes place in Salinas Valley, California. The atmosphere of Salinas is described as "the fog of winter...sat like a lid on the
mountains and made of the great valley a great closed pot" with "pale cold sunshine". We get an imagery of a very dark, damp, isolated place. A gloomy disposition is instantly created through the use of the author's somber tone as well. This place seems to be one of hopelessness and sorrow. This is foreshadowing of the main character, Elisa Allen's, denouement. We can see the distance between Elisa and her husband Henry. While she is working on her gardening, he is far away. As he suddenly arrives by her side, she is taken aback as she "started at the sound of her husband's voice. He had come near quietly." We can infer that they have a lack of communication and pleasantness in their marriage. This preface creates the foundation for Elisa's struggles we are led to discover further in the story. Elisa Allen is first presented as a very domesticated woman. Living in a time where women do not have much of liberation, she is placed to perfectly fulfill her duties of being a good housewife. She is working on her garden when we are first met with her. In fact, she is not discussing matters with the two businessmen as her husband is. Despite this, we are told that she is a young thirty-five year old woman whom is "lean, and strong and her eyes were as clear as water." Furthermore, she is then described solely focusing on her strength as "Her face was eager and mature and handsome; ...even her work... was overeager, over powerful. The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy." The choice of words used, such as handsome shows her as not being typically "ladylike". She is exemplified as that of a man's traits. Elisa is proud of her prized chrysanthemums. She focuses all of her pride and labor into her gardening work. As her husband is negotiating business, she is pretending to be deeply involved in such matters that are only to be for women. She must keep herself out of men's concerns. There is a wire fence encircling her flowers. This is symbolic to the real life boundaries she is not allowed to cross. She must maintain her position of being a woman and all the standards associated with. The chrysanthemums begin to represent Elisa herself. Every year they grow, and are predictable, just as herself. She tends to them as she tends to only herself. She is closed off in a boundary within herself just as the flowers are closed off in the fence. Nobody is allowed to enter her heart, as the fence's purpose to keep unwanted inhabitants out. So she continues to nurture her chrysanthemums, the only thing she knows how. Amidst the care take of her flowers, a repairman arrives. He has entered "confidentially over the fence" into her garden. This symbolizes that he has entered her heart. Even her husband had not crossed the fence, rather leaned on it when approaching her. This repairman is one of the few that has been able to enter a side of her very few people are able to obtain. He begins to ask Elisa if she has anything that needs to be repaired. This in fact is quite ironic, as a matter-of-fact, it is her heart that needs to be repaired. She is battling with herself inside. Instead she declines, still holding up a boundary. He then begins to discuss her lovely chrysanthemums. This instantly wins her attention as "the irritation and resistance melted from Elisa's face". He asks "You say they're nice ones?" referring to her flowers. She responds "Beautiful." Representing herself as she answered. She takes off her men's hat to bare her "dark pretty hair." Here she takes off her masculinity to reveal her femininity. Once he sees this vulnerability, he tries to take advantage of her. He tries to make her feel pity on him for his hunger. She falls for this and lets him repair a few old pots she had. Upon further conversation, she learns from him that another woman up the road would surely love her tall flowers. She takes a few of her prized possessions and plants them in a pot for the traveler to deliver to another woman up the street who would be interested in the chrysanthemums as well. She tells the man to pass the word to the woman on how to take care of the flowers. She is explicit with her directions, as if they are sure directions on how to take care of her heart- with lots of nurture, and attention. Elisa is now filled with happiness and more positivity.
She enters the house to freshen up before going out to dinner with Henry. She puts on her finest outfit, "which was the symbol of her prettiness". This also, is a symbol of her femininity. Henry sees her and is stunned by her beauty and femininity. He says, "You look so nice!" She tenses up and asks for what he means by it, his definition of nice. He goes on to say, "I don't know. I mean you look different, strong and happy." She is eyes widely interested in this and asks "What do you mean 'strong'?". He is taken aback by her response. Henry was just trying to compliment her and she still would not allow him to enter her heart, almost as if he has offended her with his praise. As they continue their way to dinner, Elisa discovers something quite tragic to her. She sees her treasured chrysanthemums discarded on the side of the road as if a pile of unimportant garbage. She is distraught at the sight of them lying there mercilessly. She is brought to tears as she realizes that they surely mean nothing- symbolic to her self-worth. The repairman had only saved the pot, which was of far more value to him. The poor flowers are left to wilt and die, unable to survive on the side of the road. Sadly, that is such the case of her identity. She pulls up her coat collar to hide her tears, in which she cries; handling the situation with the weakness of a woman, rather than the strength of a male. Her strength has no match now. She will always be a female at the root no matter how strong it appears
otherwise. Despite the constant battles between strength and weakness, which leave us only in heartache, hiding our identity is the most difficult. At our most vulnerable moments, we are at a loss of self control to refrain from exposing it all. This susceptible time is where our identity radiates the most. Acceptance of ourselves is the pivotal importance to having a garden filled with joy. Nurturing our own heart's garden is the only way to having flourished chrysanthemums. Too much of sunshine burns, and too much of water only drowns our heart.