“The Chrysanthemums” is a short story by John Steinbeck, focusing on the protagonist Elisa Allen, a 35-year-old farmer’s wife living in California’s Salinas Valley during the 1930s. Elisa is initially depicted as a strong and capable woman, but her day-to-day life is unfulfilled. She is a ‘late bloomer’, a woman in her mid-thirties who has led a sexually repressed life as a dutiful wife.
Throughout the story, the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s life, as she is a strong and capable woman. The long, strong, and tough stems of the chrysanthemums represent Elisa’s strength and determination. Her husband, Henry Allen, is a diligent and prosperous small-scale rancher who has just sold thirty steers and wishes to celebrate with them.
Elisa is associated with fertility and sexuality, but the couple does not have children. Despite her strong and fertile body, Elisa is thwarted or ignored at every turn, and her interest in the business side of the business is not an option for her.
The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s children, which are seen periodically throughout the story. The story may be about her son He, but it is primarily her thoughts and words about him.
Femininity is linked with sexuality, and Elisa is a beautiful and young woman who lives alone with her farmer husband, has no children, and has transplanted her energies into creating substitutes for her lack of children. The story is primarily about Elisa’s thoughts and words about her son, He, and the challenges she faces in her life as a woman.
📹 Symbolism in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”
Symbol dominates “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck. This video offers a useful “second reading” of this short story.
What happens at the end of The Chrysanthemums that makes Elisa sad?
Elisa expressed regret that her flowers were discarded on the roadside rather than in a ditch or off the road. She believed that disposing of the flowers in a different location would have been a less distressing alternative.
How and why does Elisa change at the end?
The story revolves around Elisa, a woman who transforms from a muted, masculine persona to a more feminine one after a visit from a tinker. Initially, Elisa wears an androgynous gardening outfit, complete with heavy shoes, thick gloves, a man’s hat, and an apron filled with sharp implements. However, after speaking with the tinker, she feels intellectually and physically stimulated, revealing her lovely hair and removing her gloves. After the tinker leaves, Elisa undergoes a ritualistic transformation, stripping, bathing herself, and dressing in fancy undergarments, a pretty dress, and makeup.
These feminine items contrast with her bulky gardening clothes, reflecting her newly energized and sexualized state. At the end, Elisa pulls up her coat collar to hide her tears, suggesting a return to her repressed state.
Why does Elisa begin to trust the stranger?
Elisa, an individual with a profound affinity for chrysanthemums, begins to repose trust in a stranger and permits him access to her garden. Her husband, who holds her expertise in horticulture in high regard, encourages her to consider cultivating more utilitarian flora, such as apple trees.
Why does Elisa cry at the end?
Eliza’s story is finally being told, as she realizes her own part in the story is being told. She spent half a century telling others’ stories, which laid the groundwork for the show to exist. Now she has a legacy of her own, as valuable as her husband’s in its own right. Phillipa Soo and Lin-Manuel Miranda have different opinions on the matter, with Soo believing there isn’t one answer to the fan theories.
What is the dark speck that Elisa saw in the distance?
Elisa takes a hot bath, scrubs her entire body until it turns red, then applies makeup and chooses her most beautiful dress. Henry compliments her appearance, stating she looks strong and happy. As they head to Salinas for their date, Elisa sees a dark speck in the distance, causing her to cry weakly, like an old woman, as she realizes the tinker has thrown her chrysanthemum sprouts out onto the road.
What does the ending of The Chrysanthemums mean?
In “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa’s tears are precipitated by the tinker’s act of discarding the chrysanthemums, which symbolizes a rejection of her femininity and sexuality. This rejection leaves her feeling empty, just as the flowerpot is empty.
Why did Eliza burn the letters?
“Burn” follows Eliza, who discovers her husband’s extramarital affair in a public pamphlet, hoping to salvage his professional legacy. Feeling betrayed and shattered, she burns the letters she wrote to Hamilton to control the story. Critics have pointed out meta-references in some of the song’s lyrics, and Eliza erases herself from the narrative, leaving future historians to wonder how she reacted when Hamilton broke her heart.
How many wells does Elisa have?
The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a method used to detect and quantify specific proteins in complex mixtures. Originally developed by Engvall and Perlmann in 1971, ELISAs are performed on 96-well or 384-well polystyrene plates, which passively bind antibodies and proteins. This makes ELISAs easy to design and perform, as it allows for easy separation of bound and non-bound material. ELISAs can be used to measure specific analytes within a crude preparation.
Variations of ELISA include coating/capture, plate blocking, probing/detection, and signal measurement. These methods depend on the basic elements of immobilization, plate blocking, probing/detection, and signal measurement. The ability to use high-affinity antibodies and wash away non-specific bound materials makes ELISA a powerful tool for measuring specific analytes within crude preparations.
What is the deeper meaning of The Chrysanthemums?
The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s role as a woman, representing her children, femininity, and sexuality. Elisa is frustrated with her marriage with Henry, as she feels that her children and romance are missing. Her husband fails to appreciate her womanly qualities and emotional needs. The encounter with a tinker reawakens her sexuality and brings hope for a more exciting and romantic marriage. However, Elisa realizes that her life will not change when she sees the flowers thrown on the road, devastating her to settle for such an unfulfilling life.
Does Elisa have children in The Chrysanthemums?
“The Chrysanthemums” is a short story by John Steinbeck about a woman named Elisa Allen who feels frustrated with her current life due to not having a child and her husband’s failure to admire her romantically. Elisa’s flower garden, where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums, serves as a symbol of her inner-self and her children.
The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s children, who she cares for with love and care, just as she would handle her own children. She removes pests before they can harm the flowers, demonstrating her pride in her ability to nurture them. However, the chrysanthemums also symbolize Elisa’s femininity and sexuality. Her masculine image is evident in her hard-swept and hard-polished home, which leads to resentment towards her husband, Henry.
Elisa’s discontent with Henry stems from his inability to understand her needs, leaving her vulnerable in an encounter with a tinker. The tinker romantically describes the chrysanthemums as a “quick puff of colored smoke”, and by admiring them, he admires her. The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s sexuality, and she tears off her battered hat and shakes out her dark pretty hair.
The tinker’s words change Elisa’s masculine image, replacing it with a feminine one. By giving him the red flower pot with the chrysanthemums, she gives him the symbol of her inner-self, giving her hope for herself and her marriage. As the tinker leaves, Elisa sees a bright direction and a new beginning for her marriage, giving her hope and preparing her for a more fulfilling life.
Did Eliza attend Alexander’s funeral?
She did not attend the funeral and promptly departed with her children to her father’s residence in Albany.
📹 The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck (Summary and Review) – Minute Book Report
This is a quick summary and analysis of The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck. This channel discusses and reviews books, …
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