The Chrysanthemums Literary Criticism

The most appropriate literary critical theory for John Steinbeck’s, The Chrysanthemums, is the psychological approach because Elisa’s conscious and unconscious imbalance, usage of defense mechanisms, and unsatisfiable lifestyle wholly possess psychoanalytical features. To begin, Elisa’s id and unconscious mind scarcely override her conscience, which presents the depths of her motives. This is apparent when Elise, “... touched the under edge of her man's hat, searching for fugitive hairs...Kneeling there, her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers. Her hesitant fingers almost touched the cloth” (Steinbeck 5). Her acts of flirtation are extremely passive as her superego represses her sexual urges because she is a married woman. Furthermore, nothing physical seemingly occurs as no valid act of disobedience such as cheating

Onward, Elisa’s structured relationship with Henry depicts the complexities of humanity’s need for fulfillment. More specifically, Henry’s composition as a successful, caring, and amiable husband is shown, “I sold those thirty head of three-year-old steers. Got nearly my own price...We'll go in town about five and have dinner at the Cominos Hotel. Like that?” (Steinbeck 2) Elisa and Henry’s marriage is surely pleasant as everything is lovely in theory and on paper seeing that he takes care of her and even escorts her to a date. Unfortunately, their relationship is simply frivolous, it is just a treasured social rite of passage that appears well on paper and nothing else; the couple is missing depth, which explains Elisa’s unconscious and substandard conduct of rebellion. She yearns something greater, but refuses to physically defy social rules. Much like humanity, humans require self fulfillment and actualization and this virtue is larger than any superficial label.