The story takes place in
the Salinas Valley in December at Henry Allen’s ranch in the foothills
. Immediately, we’re placed in a rural setting, where women are isolated and men are manly. One thing we might note here is the contrast between Elisa’s closed-off Salinas Valley and the world of the tinker.
Why is the setting important in The Chrysanthemums?
Her intense, almost uncontrollable desire to reach out and touch his foot comes as a result of being trapped in her life with no form of understanding, empathy or outlet for who she is. Setting in this story is thus vitally important in how
it builds up our understanding of character
.
Who are the main characters in The Chrysanthemums?
- Elisa Allen. The protagonist. A robust thirty-five-year-old woman, Elisa lives with her husband, Henry, on a ranch in the Salinas Valley. …
- The Tinker. A tall, bearded man who makes his living repairing pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils. …
- Henry Allen. Elisa’s husband.
During what season is The Chrysanthemums set?
Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” does not contain any specific reference to the year in which the events of the story take place, but the story’s publication took place in
1937
, two years before the end of the Great Depression.
Where is the short story The Chrysanthemums set?
John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” is set in
the Salinas Valley in California
.
What is the main conflict in the chrysanthemums?
The most important conflict in the story is
the limitation of Elisa’s life as a woman isolated on a small farm in the Salinas Valley in the years after the Depression
.
Why does Elisa cry in the chrysanthemums?
Elisa “cries like an old woman”
because she is absolutely crushed because she realizes that she has been duped by the tinker and that he was not interested in her chrysanthemums
at all. He had only pretended to be interested in Elisa talking about them in order to get some business from her (some pots to mend).
What is the theme of the chrysanthemums?
Perhaps the most prevalent theme in ‘The Chrysanthemums’ is
one of feminine sexual repression
. When the tinker takes interest in the mum starters and tells Elisa that he has another customer who’s been looking for some for her own garden, she can’t help but get a little carried away.
What point of view is the chrysanthemums?
Steinbeck displays an extraordinary ability to delve into the complexities of a woman’s consciousness. “The Chrysanthemums” is told in
the third person
, but the narration is presented almost entirely from Elisa’s point of view.
How does the chrysanthemums begin?
As the story begins,
she is cutting down the previous year’s chrysanthemum stalks
. Steinbeck portrays Elisa as an accomplished gardener. As Elisa works, she watches Henry interact with two men in business suits. … The story begins in the Salinas Valley, which is pretty common in several of Steinbeck’s stories.
What does chrysanthemums mean in English?
1 :
any of various composite plants
(genus Chrysanthemum) including weeds, ornamentals grown for their brightly colored often double flower heads, and others important as sources of medicinals and insecticides. 2 : a flower head of an ornamental chrysanthemum.
Why did the chrysanthemums symbolize in this story?
First, the chrysanthemums symbolize
Elisa’s children
. … Elisa’s pride in her ability to grow such beautiful flowers reinforces the fact that the flowers are a replacement for her children. In the second part of the story, the chrysanthemums come to symbolize Elisa’s femininity and sexuality.
What kind of story is the chrysanthemums?
| Author John Steinbeck | Genre Fiction | Published 1937 | Publisher Harper’s Magazine | Media type Print |
|---|
Why is Elisa considered a complex character?
Elisa is perhaps considered a complex character because
she seems sometimes passionate and lively and at other times melancholy and restless
. She is passionate and lively when she is working with her hands, planting and caring for the chrysanthemums, but she seems melancholy and restless because she does not have…
How can the reader tell that Elisa has decided to trust the stranger?
In the story “Chrysanthememus” by John Steinbeck, we can see that Elisa trusts the stranger
because she invites him into her garden
. She is charmed by him when he tells her he simply “follows good weather” and then is even more enchanted when he starts asking about her beloved Chrysanthemums.
How are Elisa and the chrysanthemums similar?
The chrysanthemums symbolize both Elisa and the limited scope of her life. Like Elisa, the chrysanthemums are lovely, strong, and thriving. …
She offers the chrysanthemums to him at
the same time she offers herself, both of which he ignores and tosses aside.
