Gender Inequality in The Chrysanthemums - Book Report/Review Example

Yer Thao Turner English 1B 10/01 Gender inequality in “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck John Steinbeck story “The Chrysanthemums” is one of the best short stories authored by this writer. “The Chrysanthemums” story focuses mainly of a married woman; the woman is intelligent and coerced into existence on a ranch owned by her husband. There are different literary elements and themes that have been used by the author to advance his themes. This essay discusses the theme of gender inequality in the book “The Chrysanthemums”. The setting of the story in “The Chrysanthemums” and the characters involved do not appreciate the intelligence of women in the society. The “Chrysanthemums” is a woman full of energy and youth as the author states, “her face was lean and strong and her eyes were clear as water…her face was eager and mature and handsome” (1). One of the major characters in this story is Elisa; Elisa has an intelligent, ambitious, energetic and smart character. However, she cannot fully exploit all these attributes in her daily life due to the character of men around her. The two men in the story are less talented and interesting as Elisa is, yet their lives are more interesting and fulfilling than Elisa’s. This is because the men behave in a manner that best satisfies their egos yet deny Elisa the chance of using her knowledge and skills in the management of the ranch. It is expected that because Elisa is more intelligent than her husband, she should be the person involved in the running and operations of the ranch. However, this is not the case as she has to watch from afar as her husband strikes all the deals concerned with the management of the ranch. Elisa’s husband’s trait can be considered betrayal as she only considers satisfying his ego yet does not give Elisa the chance of realizing her potential in the management of the ranch. The only information that Elisa has about the management of the ranch is only obtained indirectly from Henry her husband; he only speaks vaguely. In this case Henry does not treat his wife Elisa as an equal partner in the marriage life. The tinker looks cleverer than Henry; however, she does not have the passion and intelligence that is attributed to Elisa. Elisa believes that the tinker may not even match her skill as a tinker. However, it is the tinker who gets the opportunity to ride in the country, living an adventurous life. The tinker believes that this form of life is reserved only for men and that women are not supposed to have this form of life. The author John Steinbeck uses the tinker and Henry as a representation of paternalism in the society. This is to mean that just as the tinker and Henry ignore the role and potential of women, so does the society. Elisa’s conversation with the tinker reveals further inequality of gender in this society.  “I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do” (119).  John Steinbeck uses symbolism to further advance inequality of women in this society. For example, Elisa grows chrysanthemums. This chrysanthemum represents the deficiency that Elisa has as a woman in this society. “Just like the flowers she grows in this chrysanthemum, Elisa is very pretty, healthy and strong” (212). The writer describes Elisa’s face to be lean and strong and her eyes to be as clear as water. This flower bed is very well maintained by Elisa as a woman. In this case, we realize a lot of irony in this book. This is because while Elisa does everything within her means to care for the flowers, she does not receive all the love and care from her husband. Her marriage is riddled with frustration. The way in which she takes care of the flowers shows that she does not have much responsibility. This means that the society does not value women and therefore does not offer women responsibilities. The marriage between Elisa and Henry also shows considerable disregard for women in this society. This is because while they are married, they do not have the passion and zeal that is required of marriage life. This makes them not to engage in sex life. The denial of sex by Henry makes Elisa to behave in a manner that is not expected of her in the society. The end result of this is that she is not accorded all the respect she deserves in this society. The non-sexual nature of their relationship with Henry is confirmed by the fact that they do not have any children between them yet they are married. Elisa is betrayed and frustrated in her marriage since it does not fulfill her needs and desires yet as a women she has to cling to this relationship. This is how betraying and chauvinistic the society has been. Everything that Elisa controls is in perfect form, yet she is not given a chance to take care of the ranch. The Salinas Valley in this story signifies the emotional life that Elisa has. The beginning of the story describes the valley. Steinbeck considers this valley to be a pot topped with a lid of fog. This symbolism implies that Elisa is conquered inside a vacuum. A careful reading of this story reveals that though there is sunshine nearby, there is no light penetrating the valley. This means that as a woman, Elisa is not happy with the environment and the people she is living with. In many societies and nations, light is always associated with happiness. However, the society in this story does not care to accord Elisa the happiness she deserves. Inequality is exhibited when Henry is able to be happy while Elisa does not receive sunlight. The following illustrates the setting of the Salinas Valley, “The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and the rest of the world” (115). This is an illustration of the main theme in this narrative. However, the reader later on gets to realize the deficiency that Elisa has because she does not get her self-identity. “The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world…the yellow stubble fields seemed to be bathed in pale cold sunshine, but there was no sunshine in the valley” ( 1). In conclusion, the society represented in the book “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is very chauvinistic and does not recognize the role of women in society; the story has shown the inequalities of men and women in this society despite the position that a woman may have in this society. Elisa is very intelligent and ambitious yet due to inequalities she is not able to fully exploit her potential for her benefit and for the benefit of the people around her. Steinbeck observes that the society “is a man’s world, a world that frustrates even minor league women’s liberationists.” (214). This has changed however in the recent past since currently the role of women is more appreciated in the society. Women nowadays are given leading roles in the management of the affairs of the society. The world currently has experienced increased participation of women in politics, academia and business circles. Another factor that has changed is that nowadays women are not required to remain in relationships even if the relationship does not work out for them. This is exhibited in the numerous abortion cases that are being experienced in many parts of the world. Works Cited Kelly, Joseph, The Seagull Reader;Stories/The Chrysanthemums, second edition. New York: W.W. Norton&Company Inc.,2008. Read More