Blog-#7

Efimia Niotis

English 102-Professor Vasileiou

April 28, 2010

My very Interesting perspective of

Symbolism of the Chrysanthemums

Throughout literature, many authors have used their life experiences, views on the environment and government to illustrate their ideas and creative literature skills. In the story, "the chrysanthemums", Elisa, Henry and the stranger help illustrate symbolism. In this story, symbolism is also used to express a perspective of gender criticism. Through gender criticism we see how the role of gender is viewed in ways that we commonly conceive it to be. For example, the woman is to be in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, while the man should be working and supporting his family. Elisa's character is presented as strong, masculine and not really in a female form of attraction. Steinback used a lot of symbolism to extract his thoughts on the female role, and through these symbols, we can see the true under layer of the depiction of a woman at the time of the story taking place.

This story, "The chrysanthemums" by John Steinback depicts multiple ideas that embody the reader with symbols or ideas that give us an aspect of the setting and how it reflects onto the characters. The setting also refers to the feeling and thoughts of our main character and the way she morphs into something else through her interactions. Steinback chose the setting of the story to take place in the Salina's Valley, being the same place that he was born. The main characters in the story were Elisa Allen, Henry Allen and the Traveling salesman. Even at the very beginning of the story, symbolism is represented through the location of the story taking place. "The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salina's Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world...of the great valley a closed pot." (Literature, chapter 7, pg. 226). Right away, the reader is able to interpret the setting as closed off and lonely to the other parts of society, so the main focus is on Elisa and Allen who lived in that setting. Elisa is the main character of the story being told, along with her prized flowers; the Chrysanthemums. Steinbeck introduced Elisa to the reader as a thirty-five year old woman who possessed a face that was "lean and strong", "her figure looked blocked and heavy...” (pg. 226). Our first introduction to Elisa is a harsh one, being that she seems so crude and unattractive. While tending to her garden, she gets some dirt on herself and doesn’t take notice of it, nor does it bother her. Through those simple factors, Elisa can be depicted as manly and not concerned with much except for her garden. Allen seems to be a good husband since after making a sale to two business men, he wanted to take Elisa out to dinner and even take her to see a movie instead of a fight that he would enjoy much more. Even so, there is a feeling that their marriage is more of a strong friendship than a traditional deeply in love, forever in adornment and the constant sexual need of one another. Allen compliments her handy work in the garden and Elisa took great pride in the "gardening hand" comment. From that, the reader can also take that Elisa is probably self conscious about herself and can be easily manipulated with compliments or tender feelings towards her.
Coming up to the climax of the story, Elisa is introduced to a scruffy salesman that comes rolling onto her property. Steinback didn’t give this traveling salesman a name and left him as "the man". That, in itself can represent something unknowing, possibly in regards to Elisa? That this "unknowing" perspective of Elisa can easily sway her moods and change how she presents herself. This is a part of her transformation; an introduction to something Elisa is not used to, and creates a change in her mind set. At the beginning of the conversation between Elisa and the man, she removes her gardening gloves, which were stated earlier in the story, as protection for hands from getting hurt. "Elisa took off her gloves and stuffed them in the apron...” (pg. 229). Her gloves being removed can be depicted as her vulnerability and open arms to the stranger. The man attempts to make his living for the day through Elisa by offering his fixing capabilities. But being that Elisa had no need for his services she continued her gardening, as well as allowing the man to continue conversing with her. Having been shut down on his services, the man then tries to manipulate the situation to his favor by implying positive aspects to Elisa's garden that she seem so doted on. After making up a story about how a previous encounter with a 'lady' who wanted chrysanthemums badly, the man bestowed an opening and longing for Elisa. She became very interested in explaining the way to care for the plants, but can be depicted as how she wants to be treated and thought about.

Having the tender care of the plants, to help them grow and become beautiful is how Elisa wants to be as well. She quickly gave the man a job to do with his capabilities due to the guilty manipulation he portrayed to Elisa, and made his income for the day. The bitter smell of the chrysanthemums that the man mentioned can also be depicted as Elisa's loins, and the smell of her essences. After the man commented on the smell being negative, Elisa hurriedly became defensive about loving the smell, which followed by the man's change of perspective on the smell and actually ‘liking it’. Elisa's description of plucking the buds is sexual as well and how the task of plucking is automatic and sensual; how the feeling of the duty travels through her body and sends messages of pleasure to her brain. The man being simple minded, compared that feeling to his masturbating in his truck in order to relate to Elisa, but didn’t straight out and say it. "Sometimes in the night in the wagon there-" (pg. 230). Through the story, Elisa mentions how she doesn’t live like the man and wondered how it would be TO live like him. That gives the reader an idea on how Elisa feels stuck and is interested in exploring other aspects of her life and probably even other things sexually. After the man left, Elisa quickly went back into her house to get rid of her soiled dress and apron (could also mean to get rid of the dirty feeling she had after the interaction with the man), and to shower for her date that night with her husband. She fiercely scrubbed at her skin to the point of redness to thoroughly rid of her soiled feeling. While getting ready to go out with her husband, Elisa was very particular with how she dressed, did her hair and how she finally looked. Her concern was that of vanity, to make sure she looked feminine and appealing, which in fact did appeal to her husband when he saw her. Viewing the chrysanthemums seeds thrown on the side of the road allowed her to feel used and unattractive which made her cry. Simple as that. Reading the story allowed me to think Steinback wanted to depict inner self consciousness, being a loner, a lot of sexual meaning and the want to be cared for and loved in the right manner.

Henry compliments her flower garden but not his wife. The stranger that came to the ranch when Henry was gone was able to easily infiltrate Elisa's invisible guard and trick her into getting work through her by appealing to the female side of Elisa. Elisa probably rarely feels feminine about herself so the stranger had it easy to trick her. After being used she was upset but realized that in the outside world all men are the same. Overall, Steinback placed Elisa in the position of a once thought strong and masculine individual but was portrayed as a simple minded woman with self esteem issues. Elisa was easily manipulated to believe in leaving with the stranger (something that she thought of), and expressing emotions towards him, and lastly being able to reside somewhere new. If the reader was thinking that Elisa was a main character and a heroine when deciphering this story, is mistaken. She is neither a victim nor a heroine, just a mere pawn in the world of men.

Work Citied:

Steinback, John. “The Chrysanthemums.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 11th Compact ed. New York: Longman, 2009. 224-233. Print.