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 and when does The Chrysanthemums most likely take place?
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.
Where is John Steinbeck story The Chrysanthemums set?
John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” is set in
the Salinas Valley in California
. The story begins by describing this place in…
Where do Elisa and Henry live?
The protagonist. A robust thirty-five-year-old woman, Elisa lives with her husband, Henry,
on a ranch in the Salinas Valley
.
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
.
Why does Elisa cry at the end of the story?
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 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 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…
What is the conflict in the chrysanthemums?
The prominent conflict in this story is
man vs self
. Elisa deals with an internal conflict where she is not entirely satisfied with her life. She is not thoroughly happy with the way she feels or is being treated in her marriage.
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 happens to Elisa and Henry on their ride into town?
As they head for town,
she sees the chrysanthemum sprouts she had given the man lying by the side of the road
. Soon after, Elisa and Henry’s car passes the wagon and the man. After discussing their evening out a bit more, Elisa turns away from Henry and cries.
Why does Elisa claim so good with plants?
She
knows a great deal about plants
, most likely because as a woman, gardening is the only thing she has to think about. … Her brief flashes of brilliance in the tinker’s presence show us how much she is always thinking and feeling and how rarely she gets to express herself.
Why are Elisa Allen’s chrysanthemums so important to the story?
First, the chrysanthemums
symbolize Elisa’s children
. She tends her garden and handles the chrysanthemums with love and care, just as she would handle her own children. … In the second part of the story, the chrysanthemums come to symbolize Elisa’s femininity and sexuality.
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.
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.
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.
