John Steinbeck The Chrysanthemums - Research Paper Example

John Steinbeck "The Chrysanthemums" Steinbeck’s "The Chrysanthemums" was written at a time when the society was increasingly becoming aware of the plight of the working class, the downtrodden and oppressed members of society. Steinbeck’s short story, therefore, sought to prove that he, as well as other members of the society had an understanding of the difficulties encountered by such individuals, especially women whose plight had long been disregarded in favor of their male counterparts. In "The Chrysanthemums" Steinbeck seeks to show how women became appreciative of their individuality, thus began seeking emancipation in every aspects of their lives, particularly in their marriages (Price 2). Steinbeck’s short story encompasses realistic dialogues, sympathetic assessments of characters and nerve-racking dramas that follow the story of Elisa and her struggles to assert her individuality in a society that required women to conform to their husbands’ desires (Higdon 59). In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” Elisa shows a glimpse of her inner self that reveals her desire to live a fulfilled life. Throughout Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums” Elisa Allen is portrayed as a lonely woman who finds enjoyment in looking after her chrysanthemum in Salinas, California. However, in spite of the beauty that surrounds her in the beautiful valley, Elisa still feels cut off from the rest of the world. Elisa’s isolation from the world is further heightened by her frustration with her marriage to Henry. This pushes her closer to her garden in which she finds solace by connecting with her flowers (Higdon 59). Both Elisa and her husband suffer from conflict avoidance and continually withdraw with one another on various levels, including intellectually and spiritually, perhaps even physically. While Elisa withdraws to her hard-swept house and immaculate flower garden and Henry to his tractor shed and his shaggy-coated steer. Elisa grapples with difficulties asserting her true self and it is only in her garden that she feels she is her truest self; she considers herself one with nature and constantly desires to be outside, particularly at night (Skredsvig 60). Steinbeck uses the fights and Elisa’s flowers as symbols that demonstrate her inner battle with her need to prove herself on one hand and the instilled repression prevalent in her life from both herself and the society, on the other hand. These symbols are essential to the plot since they portray Elisa both as a fighter and as a wilting flower; however, the chrysanthemums are more dominant symbol; thus indicating Elisa’s overall strength to assert herself as a confident individual (Palmerino 164). The flowers delineate Elisa’s inner longings as she feels the unconscious desire to demonstrate her usefulness in more meaningful ways than the undemanding farming life she leads can allow. The inadequate outlets through which Elisa can demonstrate her womanly and humanly affections are evident in her daily chores and interactions with other people in the story. These inadequacies typify Elisa’s needs for self-expression and fulfillment in a life, which she considers as inadequate. Steinbeck skillful brings to light the universal dilemma of women in Elisa’s society through the depiction of a markedly simple life or existence (Price 1). The climax of the story takes place when the need for self-recognition and assuredness becomes evident in Elisa’s reaction to a peddler, a traveling salesman looking for business. The peddler’s search led to Elisa’s farm, and when he inquires about her flowers, the takes advantage of the opportunity to typify her area of expertise (Palmerino 164). She explains to the peddler the nature of delicate care required in the care of the flowers, and it is only when the peddler demonstrates his appreciation for Elisa’s art that she reciprocates by showing some degree of fascination in his craft. Elisa’s fascination in the peddler’s lifestyle soon turns into jealousy. The fact that the peddler’s way of life becomes extremely thrilling to Elisa is indicative of she considers her life as unworthy of her unique abilities and potential (Higdon 60). Elisa demonstrates how her life is dissatisfying; especially since her daily toil as Henry’s wife offers her no chances to demonstrate the depths of her strength, affection and life. Before the peddler continues his journey, Elisa gives him some chrysanthemum to give to one of his customers (Palmerino 165). Elisa includes, in this gift, a part of herself, and she considers this as an act of heroism. This typifies Elisa’s desire to find things and experiences that help her express her true self and her innate beauty. Every individual strives to be better, accomplish greatness and lead a fulfilled life. Elisa is no different; she desires more out of her life than she has at present. For instance, she desires greater responsibilities and constantly attempts to prove herself to Henry, for example, by arguing that she can do what others do at the orchard as well. Elisa demonstrates her inner self allowing the reader to glimpse her growing desire to find more passionate love than she finds with Henry. This is seen primarily through Elisa’s sexual advances towards the peddler as she explains the night sky with sexual undertones (Skredsvig 59). At some point during her conversation with the peddler, Elisa explains that it is possible for a woman to do more than men think she can accomplish; thus demonstrating her inner desire to surpass the prejudicial societal expectations that seek to curtail women’s achievements. For Elisa, fulfillment in life also comes through the receipt of love and affection from those around her. For instance, she nearly nags her husband for a polite compliment by inquiring several times what her husband means by “nice”. Throughout Steinbeck’s "The Chrysanthemums", conflicts demonstrate the desires of characters to express their inner abilities and thoughts. For instance, the conflict between reality and appearance helps to typify the essence of Elisa as an individual whose abilities surmount gender stereotypes (Higdon 61). For instance, Elisa appears as too weak and womanly to execute worthwhile tasks. For instance, both Henry and the peddler disregard Elisa’s abilities based on her appearance (and gender), for example, the peddler considers Elisa as incapable of sharpening scissors or fixing pots while Henry disregards her requests to help out in the orchard (Bruccoli and Baugman 12). In reality, Elisa is quite eager to work and is highly capable of executing diverse tasks on her own. Elisa undertakes to care and nurture her chrysanthemums in order to reveal, not only to herself, but to her husband and the entire society, her inner ability and strength (Ditsky 16). Elisa reveals her anxiety to prove her abilities by informing the peddler that he would be surprised at her competitive abilities. All male characters in the story treat Elisa as a child and an incompetent individual. This is the foremost reason behind Elisa’s constant urge to prove her inner strength and ability and demonstrate that she too can be authoritative (Bruccoli and Baugman 13). In the story, Elisa’s physical abilities and strength are adequate and evident. Steinbeck refers to her as lean and heavy and quite mature and handsome, nearly endowing Elisa with a masculine image in the mind of the reader. However, while Steinbeck regards Elisa as a strong and self-assertive woman, the society in which Elisa lives considers women as weak and meek beings in need of guidance from strong and authoritative males (Skredsvig 59). Elisa shows that she does not need to be pushed or persuaded to seek more for her life than she has at present. She desires greater control for her life, and she asserts this by hinting at things she desires to do or achieve, for instance, working at the orchard, passionate romance and the peddler’s lifestyle. Despite being portrayed as a strong woman, Elisa is constantly considered as weak due to her gender; therefore, she pushes herself to complete tasks such as nurturing her flowers thereby giving the audience a glimpse into her true self (Ditsky 15). Works Cited Bruccoli, M. J., and Baugman, J. S. "Elisa Allen." Bloom's Literature. Facts on File, Incorporated. Web. 22 July. 2013. Ditsky, J. “Your Own Mind Coming Out in the Garden: Steinbeck’s Elusive Woman.” John Steinbeck: The Years of Greatness, 1936-1939. Ed. T. Hayashi. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, (1993) 3-19. Print. Higdon, D. L. "Dionysian Madness in Steinbeck's 'The Chrysanthemums'." Classical and Modern Literature Quarterly 11.1 (Fall 1990): 59-65. Print. Palmerino, G. "Steinbeck's, The Chrysanthemums." Explicator 62.3 (2004): 164-167. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 July. 2013. Price, V. "The Chrysanthemums." Masterplots. 4th ed. 2010. 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 July. 2013. Skredsvig, K. M. “Women's Place: Topoanalysis in Steinbeck's 'The Chrysanthemums.' Revista de Filologia y Linguistica de la Universidad de Costa Rica 26.1 (January-June 2000): 59-67. Print. Read More