Elisa Confused Essay - 925 Words

Elisa Confused Like many short stories, John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† deceives most readers by appearing to be a simple short story. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† which only occupies about eight pages in textbooks, captures the emotional pain of a woman trying to live in the 1930’s. As critic Stanley Renner wrote, â€Å"’The Chrysanthemums’† shows â€Å"a strong capable woman kept from personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a woman’s role in a world dominated by men† (Renner 306). Elisa Allen, the only female in â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† displays her sexual frustrations throughout the short story by slipping in and out of masculine and feminine characteristics. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† begins by describing Elisa’s†¦show more content†¦Elisa then speaks about how she would be good at working in the orchards. Henry apparently feels Elisa has spoken too much about masculine subjects because he resorts back to calling the chrysanthemums simply â€Å"flowers† (221). This first scene between husband and wife sets the tone of the entire story. Elisa’s gestures and actions change as different words and topics are mentioned to her. She feel’s unimportant and inferior as a woman and strong enough to be a man. Soon after Henry leaves to finish he work, the tinker is introduced into the story. Here is where Elisa’s sexuality is tested. Elisa’s first reaction to the tinker is similar to that of a man’s, â€Å"for she resists giving him work† (Marcus 56). She show strong qualities as she tells the tinker she as no work for him. The tinker begins to weaken Elisa, though, and eventually breaks her strong stance by using her pride and joy - her chrysanthemums. The tinker captures the beauty of the chrysanthemums in a poetic, feminine nature. He describes them as a â€Å"quick puff of colored smoke,† which appeals to Elisa’s feminine side. Suddenly, Elisa begins to unveil her womanliness. She tears off her hat and shakes out her â€Å"dark pretty hair† (Steinbeck 224). By being interested in Elisa’s feminine flowers, the tinker makes Elisa comfortable with her sexuality. Allowing her feminine nature to appear, Elisa becomes emotional v ulnerable during the â€Å"business† transaction involving her chrysanthemums. This isShow MoreRelatedThe Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck1559 Words   |  7 Pagesall the way until the bitter end. As well as characters, the lack of one particular â€Å"character† in this story seems to be the most important metaphor of all. No one character is more important than the other. They all eventually show us how unhappy Elisa is in her current situation, motherless and essentially alone. 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