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When John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” first appeared in the October 1937 edition of Harper’s Magazine, Franklin D. Roosevelt had just been re-elected president of the United State of America. During the history of mankind, women have been often regarded as inferior to men. Consequently, many women have audaciously strived to liberate themselves from this long-standing prejudice, and highlighted the female ideal of independence. John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums” reflects the struggles of a stereotyped woman of the time, Elisa Allen to find her own identity in the oppressive world of men.
John Steinbeck’s short story, Chrysanthemums, through the protagonist, Elisa Allen illustrates women’s efforts to explore the life beyond the traditional standards. Elisa is desperately searching for appreciation, and goes to great lengths to achieve her aspirations. Regrettably, her desires for equality are not granted due to the discrimination based on her sex. The time has not come yet; and she has to let go of her dreams for liberation. (Hayashi, 1991) At first glance, this is a simple story with an ordinary plotline. But the deeper we understand it, we start to discover that life have its limits and restrictions especially for women which are usually indefinable. Throughout the story, Elisa suffers a failure from the masculine role she sees as equality to the feminine role she sees as passive. Her frustration with the male-dominated society causes her to let go of her dreams for liberation and to become what society expects her to be a passive woman.
Her chrysanthemums meant a lot to her. She is very proud of them. When Elisa’s husband Henry comes over and compliments her garden and ability to grow things Elisa is smug with him and very proud of her skill with the flowers. Her “green thumb” makes her an equal in her own eyes. It is safe to say that they were almost like her children and she took care of them like a mother. We see this when she talks about them so passionately with the tinker. Nevertheless, she is depicted as a woman whose strengths are really too much for the tasks at hand. “She was cutting down the old year’s chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors.” This not only shows that she is physically strong but symbolize to the readers that she wants more from life than just being a gardener. She has too much energy for the job. (Shillinglaw, 1997)
The vibes from Elisa’s infatuation with these flowers are picked up by the old man and there is an unspoken friendship between these two perfect strangers as they have both chosen their own preoccupation in life, his being a passion of pots and hers a love of chrysanthemums. It is this camaraderie that ignites the realization that she longs to break free from the everyday routine she calls life. Elisa’s character undergoes a dramatic change. Her love for the natural beauty of the flowers–for her own feminine side–combines with her natural strength, and a whole woman begins to emerge. She talks about them with enthusiasm and starts to feel that at least someone understands her. Elisa’s feminine side begins to emerge as she takes off her masculine gloves and hat.
There are many symbolic references to Elisa Allen as a sexually repressed woman. The chrysanthemums represent Elisa’s passion and eagerness to experience life a content woman. While tending her chrysanthemums “she pulled out the crisp little roots and trimmed of the leaves of each one with her scissors”. This represents Elisa Allen closing off all opportunities to grow as a sexual woman; she has resigned herself to the monotonous life as a farmer’s wife. The figured print dress under the apron shows the readers that Elisa is aware of her sexuality. However, she has chosen to subdue this sexuality rather than act upon it. She keeps her sexuality and passions under control. (Maurice, 1965)
Steinbeck’s uses the flower to symbolize his main character’s thoughts and ideas in his novel. In a romantic or sexual context, a woman is often said to be as beautiful as a flower; in John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums”, Elisa Allen never receives this recognition. Elisa Allen is a lonely woman who enjoys growing and nourishing her chrysanthemums. Since her husband is always working in their farm, she never has enough attention or any kind of affection. Although, she discovers an outlet for her frustration in a flower garden where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums; she refuges herself in her chrysanthemum, which symbolize her spirit, in other word, herself. Steinbeck uses these elegant flowers as a symbol to represent the tender, inner-self of all women, including Elisa. (Beach, 1996) Because Elisa does not feel appreciated by her husband, she takes care of her chrysanthemums, symbols of how beautiful she really is and how she wants to be seen. Steinbeck uses little symbolic phrases in his story to let the reader know that the chrysanthemums are an extension of Elisa, with a lot of links. Therefore, she doesn’t want her husband come into her garden “He had come near quietly, and he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens.” (Steinbeck p.176) Because she considers her husband Henry like a predator, so she protects her garden/her inner-self from him; she is isolating herself because she doesn’t want to be affected by Henry.
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