day. Therefore‚ they do not have much interaction with the public. Hence‚ Henry and Elisa Allen spend the majority of their time tending to the farm. In the John Steinbeck story‚ The Chrysanthemums‚ he tells of a lonely‚ hardworking farm wife‚ who is seeking attention‚ and wonders what life could be like outside of the valley‚ but decides to settle for the country life she currently lives. To begin‚ Henry and Elisa live in Salinas Valley‚ a cold and dreary little town‚ which will make anyone‚ feel
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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 dealing with the frustration and struggle of her inner feminine desires in a patriarchal society. It can be assumed that the stereotypical role depicted by Elisa was influenced by the time period that the story was written in‚ which was in 1938.
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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
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Boundaries of Life Elisa Allen‚ the main character in John Steinbeck’s story The Chrysanthemums‚ is a lonely farmers wife who is stuck in her roll due to the views society has on women. She is an eager person who fiends for excitement and passion in her life. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond her control‚ she is virtually isolated from society trapped in the fenced of the country farm. Despite Elisa Allen’s physical appearance that is more masculine that feminine‚ she tries to have her
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and shy Elisa Allen. Elisa is routinely planting her yearly sets of Chrysanthemums‚ which appear to be the sole receptor of her caring and gentle touch‚ but all the while it is evident that "the chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy." Her hidden eagerness seems not only out of place‚ but out of touch with her dry and wilted surroundings‚ of which her husband‚ Henry‚ abruptly interrupts her steady pace. Inquiring of dinner plans‚ he is quickly shuttered out‚ so that Elisa can continue
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focuses on the main character Elisa. In the short story The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck‚ the author employs literary devices to depict the theme of frustration and limitation. Steinbeck uses the weather as well as the setting to showcase Elisa restricted options as a woman in her society. From the exposition of the short story it becomes evident that the protagonist Elisa Allen is living in an isolated world. The author employs nature as tool to depict Elisa isolated existence. “The high
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Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck‚ Elisa lives a hopeful life until is goes through a downward spiral as she faces the hard truth of the world around her. Elisa starts out by feeling the desire for something more in life but is constantly prevented from it. Elisa comments that “When the night is dark- why the stars are sharp-pointed‚ and there’s quiet. Why we rise up and up! Every pointed star gets driven into your body. It’s like that. Hot sharp and lovely” (233). Elisa states this after the traveling
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wife Henry and Elisa Allen as the main characters. Henry and Elisa live a peaceful stationary life on their farm in the Salinas Valley in California. Henry spends his days tending to his orchard and steers while Elisa is busy with housekeeping and cultivating her flower garden. Elisa is 35 years old and cultivates chrysanthemums in her garden with strong determination and passion. She is described as being full of energy and quite possibly too much unexpressed energy. Elisa is feeling stuck
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depicts the trials of a woman attempting to gain power in a man’s world. Elisa Allen tries to define the boundaries of her role as a woman in such a closed society. While her environment is portrayed as a tool for social repression‚ it is through nature in her garden where Elisa gains and shows off her power. As the story progresses‚ Elisa has trouble extending this power outside of the fence that surrounds her garden. In the end‚ Elisa learns but does not readily accept‚ that she possesses a feminine power
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Elisa’s invisibility in the world. With a “lid of fog” that hides her true talents‚ Elisa fails to be anything but ordinary in the eyes of her husband‚ Henry‚ as well as the rest of society (Steinbeck 2). Her husband appears to be everything a woman needs. He provides for her and treats her with a facade of respect. He gives her warm gestures of chivalry as well as compliments regarding her “gift with things”; but what Elisa really seeks from him is a deeper level of understanding and appreciation (Steinbeck
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