The Chrysanthemums Feminist Analysis
The Chrysanthemums
Feminist Lens
The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck shows the world in the perception of women during a period of time where they held little power, were contained and weren’t as valuable as men. The protagonist Elisa is contained within her house and her garden. This is shown when the author says “like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot.”(112) also the fence in Elisa garden represents a barrier between her and the outside world. Elisa is shown as powerless and not appreciated by her husband. The author shows this through imagery when the tinker is standing over the fence showing more power while Elisa is on her knees needed to look up to him. Furthermore Elisa owns no property as the farm belongs …show more content…
Elisa believes that she can do anything a man can do and doesn’t limit herself to what the public sphere believes. We can see this in her enthusiasm when henry sarcastically says “I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big.”(114) this is also shown when Elisa says “I wish women could do such things.”(118) when asking how the tinker lives. At the age of 35 Elisa life is very repetitive and will go on continuously with very little change. I assume this through the fact that Elisa has no children and her work is limited to the house and garden. Elisa’s priority is her chrysanthemums the author shows us this “She turned up her collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly- like an old woman” (121). Elisa daily routine is to repetitive to show that drastic change will happen much in her life as she is already 35 years old. The joys Elisa has in this world are her chrysanthemums and the chance to be able to escape her containment and join the public sphere. The chrysanthemums in this case represent Elisa’s desire to nurture, grow and love and is the only thing that gives her joy. Thoughts of going beyond the fence and maybe working in the orchard further excite Elisa . In some viewpoints Elisa is responsible for where she is as she has free choice to be with henry and nobody is
Feminist Lens
The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck shows the world in the perception of women during a period of time where they held little power, were contained and weren’t as valuable as men. The protagonist Elisa is contained within her house and her garden. This is shown when the author says “like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot.”(112) also the fence in Elisa garden represents a barrier between her and the outside world. Elisa is shown as powerless and not appreciated by her husband. The author shows this through imagery when the tinker is standing over the fence showing more power while Elisa is on her knees needed to look up to him. Furthermore Elisa owns no property as the farm belongs …show more content…
Elisa believes that she can do anything a man can do and doesn’t limit herself to what the public sphere believes. We can see this in her enthusiasm when henry sarcastically says “I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big.”(114) this is also shown when Elisa says “I wish women could do such things.”(118) when asking how the tinker lives. At the age of 35 Elisa life is very repetitive and will go on continuously with very little change. I assume this through the fact that Elisa has no children and her work is limited to the house and garden. Elisa’s priority is her chrysanthemums the author shows us this “She turned up her collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly- like an old woman” (121). Elisa daily routine is to repetitive to show that drastic change will happen much in her life as she is already 35 years old. The joys Elisa has in this world are her chrysanthemums and the chance to be able to escape her containment and join the public sphere. The chrysanthemums in this case represent Elisa’s desire to nurture, grow and love and is the only thing that gives her joy. Thoughts of going beyond the fence and maybe working in the orchard further excite Elisa . In some viewpoints Elisa is responsible for where she is as she has free choice to be with henry and nobody is