Climax. The story’s climax occurs when Elisa sees the dark speck on the road and realizes that the tinker has discarded her chrysanthemums ; and thus realizes that their interaction was not the empowering outlet that she thought it was.
What is the rising action of the chrysanthemums?
The initial incident is when Elisa’s husband compliments her chrysanthemums and then jokes about her working in the orchard, which unknown to him, she would like to do. The rising action is when the pot fixing salesman comes and asks her to spare him some pots and pans and pay him so that he can have dinner.
What is the conflict in chrysanthemum?
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.
What is the tone of the story the chrysanthemums?
The tone of the story is neutral, if not detached . Because the reader does not have access to Elisa’s private thoughts, the story lacks the intense emotion of her inner frustrations. Instead, it has a distant, plaintive, somewhat melancholy tone.
What is the plot of the chrysanthemums?
John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums” is about a proud, strong woman named Elisa Allen who feels frustrated with her present life . Her frustration stems from not having a child and from her husband’s failure to admire her romantically as a woman. ... First, the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s children.
What is the moral 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.
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 literary devices are used in the chrysanthemums?
It also gives a really good impact on the story because it makes the story much more interesting and the author can make the reader “feel” what he wants them to feel. Some literary devices used by authors are: setting, mood, imagery, conflict and personification .
What is the setting in the chrysanthemums?
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.
Is Chrysanthemum a narrative?
“The Chrysanthemums” is narrated in a restrained , almost removed way that can make interpreting the story difficult. Although the narrator’s refusal to provide one interpretation may make reading more difficult for us, it is also a useful way of capturing the multifaceted, rich emotions Elisa feels. ...
How does the physical environment of the story relate to Elisa’s perspective?
1. How does the physical environment of the story relate to Elisa’s perspective? Answer: The ranch environment plays a huge role in Elisa’s perspective as Henry takes care of the ranch and provides income, she mainly takes care of her Chrysanthemums and their home, she is quite lonely .
Who is the antagonist in Chrysanthemums?
The Tinker
When he enters the action, he immediately shakes up Elisa’s world. And at the end of the story, he wields an immense amount of power over her by destroying the chrysanthemums she worked so painstakingly to cultivate. The jerk.
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 attracted to the Tinker?
She is attracted to the tinker because, as Stanley Renner points out, he represents a world of adventure and freedom that only men enjoy (306). ... Elisa realizes her hopes for equality are nothing but a dream because she has been betrayed by her basic nature and by men.
What point of view is used in the story 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.
Why does Elisa want to see a fight at the end of the story?
Why does Elisa ask about the fights? She’s desperate to get those feelings back , and that’s when she asks to have wine with dinner and if women go to the fights. At this period of time, women didn’t go to fights, so she’s trying to feel strong again by doing something that’s off-limits to women.
