Symbolism In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck
The Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck, is a fictional story about a woman who lives with her husband in a small country area. The couple does not experience many visitors and is usually occupied with their everyday routines. In the story the reader is shown Elsa’s thoughts and personal struggles. The men in the story are continually viewing Elisa in a different light than she tries to view herself in. Stereotypical roles, symbolism, and patriarchy all prove that Elisa portrays a strong soul, while dealing with the frustration and struggle of her inner feminine desires in a patriarchal society. It can be assumed that the stereotypical role depicted by Elisa was influenced by the time period that the story was written in, which was in 1938.
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Points of symbolism are in Elisa’s relationship with Henry, the chrysanthemum flowers, and Elisa’s interaction with the tinker. At the beginning of the story Steinbeck describes the setting as well as the fog and the rain. “The fog and rain can be seen as equivalents to Henry and Elisa” (Palmerino 1), because they do not go together. Henry and Elisa never encounter a pure fight or altercation. Because of their withheld emotions and thoughts, their relationship is unable to progress. “Elisa and Henry equally suffer from conflict avoidance and appear to habitually withdraw from each other spiritually, intellectually and presumably, physically” (Palmerino 2). The second, and major point of symbolism is the chrysanthemums. “Elisa already leads a lonely life, in terms of her connections with other human beings. Her only passion is for her garden, and when she is alone in the garden she is her truest self” (Bily 2). The flowers are a representation of Elisa’s feminine desires, and can be seen similar to children. Elisa longing for more interaction in her life results in her putting her all into the chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums, in a way, are Elisa. While working in her garden, the story describes Elisa as “eager, strong, powerful, and mature” (Steinbeck 629). As the story progresses the reader can quickly see Elisa turning into a weaker submissive figure. The final point of symbolism is Elisa’s quick but impacting interaction with the tinker. The tinker is a patriarchal symbol by making Elisa feel inspired and respected, all to just throw out her pride, leaving her to feel as if she’s nothing more to him than a source of
Points of symbolism are in Elisa’s relationship with Henry, the chrysanthemum flowers, and Elisa’s interaction with the tinker. At the beginning of the story Steinbeck describes the setting as well as the fog and the rain. “The fog and rain can be seen as equivalents to Henry and Elisa” (Palmerino 1), because they do not go together. Henry and Elisa never encounter a pure fight or altercation. Because of their withheld emotions and thoughts, their relationship is unable to progress. “Elisa and Henry equally suffer from conflict avoidance and appear to habitually withdraw from each other spiritually, intellectually and presumably, physically” (Palmerino 2). The second, and major point of symbolism is the chrysanthemums. “Elisa already leads a lonely life, in terms of her connections with other human beings. Her only passion is for her garden, and when she is alone in the garden she is her truest self” (Bily 2). The flowers are a representation of Elisa’s feminine desires, and can be seen similar to children. Elisa longing for more interaction in her life results in her putting her all into the chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums, in a way, are Elisa. While working in her garden, the story describes Elisa as “eager, strong, powerful, and mature” (Steinbeck 629). As the story progresses the reader can quickly see Elisa turning into a weaker submissive figure. The final point of symbolism is Elisa’s quick but impacting interaction with the tinker. The tinker is a patriarchal symbol by making Elisa feel inspired and respected, all to just throw out her pride, leaving her to feel as if she’s nothing more to him than a source of