The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck has been labeled as a feminist story for its commentary on patriarchy and feminine self expression in the time of the story. This story highlights a strong woman’s attempt to break out of the shackles she has lived in for all of her life. The story comments on and symbolizes gender roles‚ female sexuality and character development. The Chrysanthemums is shaped by the common gender roles that is present in society. When the main character‚ Elisa‚ is first introduced
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There is a quote that I think is fitting for the challenge that Benedict was given in writing The Chrysanthemum and the Sword‚ which is “There are two kinds of opportunities: one which we chance upon‚ the other which we create. In time of great difficulty‚ one must not fail to create his opportunity”‚ (Takamori Saigo‚ 1989: 28). When Benedict was given the opportunity to do an ethnography‚ she was made to do so during a time of great difficulty. She was unable to go on a field trip to Japan to observe
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In the folktale‚ The Chrysanthemum Vow‚ the characteristics of friendships are tested‚ and the folktale makes the audience realize they should choose their friends wisely. If a person just randomly picks someone without getting to know the true person‚ the person could have invited someone in their lives‚ who do not value loyalty or respect. Everyone is not a perfect fit in someone’s lives because of timing‚ but sometimes‚ a person can hide the wicked ways very well. The author Ueda Akinari ended
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be finished by lunch time. There would be a black wooden box that had papers inside of it to be drawn for one person to be killed for no apparent reason. No one could figure out why the town did this‚ it was a routine they did every year. The Chrysanthemums is about a young woman who maintains her time to her house and garden and nothing else. It takes place in Salinas Valley by her house and garden which she is not able to socialize with anyone outside of her home unless they visit her or her husband
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allowed to live accordingly as they wish; However‚ in The Chrysanthemums‚ Elisa struggled trying to express herself in society. She is an intelligent‚ interesting and passionate woman who yearns for adventure; but during the time period of the story‚ women weren’t allowed to venture beyond the societal expectations: a house-wife. Therefore‚ she finds a way to express herself through caring for her house and tending her garden filled with chrysanthemums. Elisa is often stopped or ignored at every turn. Her
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Elisa’s Characterization in “The Chrysanthemums” In Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums in the valley of Salinas‚ California. But‚ with all the beauty of the beautiful valley she feels isolated from the world. “The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salina Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot
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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
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John Steinbeck’s "The Chrysanthemums" is a story that is full of symbolism. After the first read‚ it might seem like an innocent tale about a woman and her garden. However‚ upon further examination‚ the reader learns it is actually a story about a woman’s desires and frustrations in her life. Steinbeck uses many examples‚ such as the flowers to symbolize the thoughts and ideas of the main character‚ Elisa‚ in this story. Elisa Allen is a lonesome woman who gets pleasure from growing
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characters‚ in the three stories: This Blessed House by Jhumpa Lahiri‚ The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck‚ and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The defining moment can change the view of the situation‚ problem‚ themselves‚ or about life in general of a character or characters. I show that the defining moments of This blessed House and Death of a Salesman are quite similar‚ but the defining moment in The Chrysanthemums is a different one to the other two stories. In both‚ This Blessed House
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Steinbeck wrote The Chrysanthemums‚ but in the end it had nothing to do about a flower. It was about a women Elisa who felt trapped in another marriage‚ and how she was mistreated by her husband. The central idea of the text is how women could not
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