Women's Role In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

605 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of women within society

The Chrysanthemums The role of women in this society was always undefined in the past. The continuous efforts by governments and other bodies are played a vital role that there is gender equality among people at the workplace and the society. John Steinbeck, the author of “The Chrysanthemums” uses Elisa as the main character to show how women were limited into doing different activities in the society. The role of housewife was the only significant job for them. The story highlights how Elisa always wanted more from her life then living I her husband’s shadow. The story goes around Elisa who wants to explore the world but she is unable due to the culture of the society. She tries helping her husband at the ranch but her efforts are unappreciated.

Show More
Related

  • The Dynamic Character Elisa in Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums

    610 Words  | 2 Pages

    This essay of literary criticism is going to be on the Chrysanthemums written by John Steinbeck. This short story is considered to be one of the greatest short stories of all time. The author uses characterization to describe Elisa, she is a dynamic character. He shows us that she is a very lonely strong woman in the begging who wants to be loved. Who later changes because of this mysterious man. In this paper, I will prove that the author wanted to show Elisa as a dynamic character and how she changes through the story, from being strong and lonely in the begging, in the middle she because friendly talking to this man, and finally she gets all nice and dressed to go out

    Read More

  • Seneca Falls And The Origins Of The Women 's Right Movement

    1593 Words  | 4 Pages

    The book became a great source of information for me, which explained the difficulties faced by women of the mentioned period. The author succeeded to convince me that today it is important to remember the ones who managed to change the course of history. Contemporary women should be thankful to the processes, which took place starting from the nineteenth century. Personally, I am the one believing that society should live in terms of equality. It is not fair and inhuman to create barriers to any of the social members.

    Read More

  • Fragrant Conflict: Steinbeck "Chysanthemums"

    461 Words  | 1 Pages

    Within Steinbeck's story, "Chrysanthemums," the main character, Elisa Allen, is confronted with many instances of conflict. Steinbeck uses chrysanthemums to symbolize this conflict and Elisa's self-worth. By examining these points of conflict and the symbolism presented by the chrysanthemums, the meaning of the story can be better determined.

    Read More

  • Living Inside The Fence You Create

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    Elisa life in the “closed pot” of the Salinas Valley is not one that she wants, but it is one that she cannot escape. Without the encouragement of a man, she cannot find the strength to look beyond her life of gardening and household chores. Until she does, she will remain trapped in role as a house-wife.

    Read More

  • Feminist Lens In John Steinbeck's Novel 'Of Mice And Men'

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Curley’s wife is a complex, main character in John Steinbeck’s novella, “Of Mice and Men”. She is introduced as an insignificant secondary character, but evidently posses the importance of causing the end of the novella. Despite the weight of her role, her value is hindered because of the culture towards women in the 1930s. Steinbeck uses imagery, foreshadowing, and metaphors to show loneliness analyzed through a Feminist Lens.

    Read More

  • Exploring John Steinbeck's Short Story, The Chrysanthemums: Is the Grass Really Greener on the Other Side?

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Steinbeck used his short story, The Chrysanthemums, as a visual illustration to answer the adage, “Is the grass “really” greener on the other side?“ During The Great Depression, the American dream had become a nightmare. What was once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. What was once the land of hope and optimism had become the land of despair. The American people were questioning all the maxims on which they had based their lives - democracy, capitalism, individualism. By the beginning of the next decade the United States had gone from a laissez-faire economy that oversaw its own conduct to an economy regulated by the federal government.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Chrysanthemums

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    "The Chrysanthemums" is a good depiction of most marriages in the early 1900's, the husband is the chief breadwinner and the wife is considered nothing more than a housewife. "The simple story outlines are enriched by irony and imagery which contrast the rich land and the sterile marriage, the fertile plants and Elisa's inner emptiness" (McCarthy 26). The story begins by introducing the setting: "The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and the rest of the world" (Steinbeck 115). This vivid illustration unconsciously gives the reader a look into the dominating theme. However, it is not until the climax of the story that the reader begins to notice Elisa's true pain and need for her own self-identity. The main protagonist i...

    Read More

  • The Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck

    961 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the short story “The Chrysanthemums” John Steinbeck uses symbolism to reflect the characteristics of his main character Elisa Allen. Elisa, a married woman uncovers her deeply smothered femininity in an inconspicuous sense. Her life in the valley had become limited to housewife duties and the only sustenance that seemed to exist could merely be found in her chrysanthemum garden. Not until she becomes encountered with a remote tinker-man out and about seeking for work, does she begin to reach many of the internal emotions that had long inhibited her femininity. The tinker subtlety engages an interest in Elisa’s chrysanthemum garden that encourages Elisa to react radically. When Elisa realizes that there are other ways to live she attempts to lift the lid off of the Salinas Valley, but unfortunately the tinker’s insincere actions resort Elisa back to her old self and leaves Elisa without any optimism for her hollow breakthrough. Steinbeck’s somber details of the setting, strong description of the chrysanthemums and meaningful illustration of the red flower-pot reveal the distant, natural, ambitions Elisa Allen desired to attain.

    Read More

  • “The Chrysanthemums”: An Early Depiction of Gender’s Role

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    The traditional role of women in the American society has transformed as society has trended towards sexual equality. In the past women were expected to be submissive to the man and were looked upon as homemakers rather then providers. Modern day women enjoy the freedom of individuality and are considered as capable as men in many regards. John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums,” portrays a woman’s struggle with accepting her life and role as a female (459). Through the protagonist-female character, Elisa Allen, and the symbolism of chrysanthemums, Steinbeck displays the gender roles that define past generations of women’s lives in the United States.

    Read More

  • Essay on A Woman Bound by Society in Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    When John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums" first appeared in the October 1937 edition of Harper's Magazine (Osborne 479), Franklin D. Roosevelt had just been reelected president. The country was recovering from the Great Depression, unions were developing, and child labor in manufacturing was terminated (Jones 805-6). The first female cabinet member in American history, Frances Perkins, was appointed the Secretary of Labor (Jones 802). She was one of the few women in her time to gain equality in a male-dominated society. For most women, liberation was a bitter fight usually ending in defeat. In "The Chrysanthemums," this struggle for equality is portrayed through Steinbeck's character Elisa Allen. According to Stanley Renner, "The Chrysanthemums" shows "a strong, capable woman kept from personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a woman's role in a world dominated by men" (306). Elisa's appearance, actions, and speech depict the frustration women felt in Steinbeck's masculine world of the 1930's. "Steinbeck's world," observes Charles A. Sweet, Jr., "is a man's world, a world that frustrates even minor league women's liberationists" (214).

    Read More

  • Feminism in John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Feminism in John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums. At first glance, John Steinbeck’s "The Chrysanthemums" seems to be a story about a woman whose niche is in the garden. Upon deeper inspection, the story has strong notes of feminism in the central character, Elisa Allen. Elisa’s actions and feelings reflect her struggle as a woman trying and failing to emasculate herself in a male-dominated society.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    "A symbol is an act, person, thing, or spectacle that stands for something else, by association a usually broader idea in addition to its own literal meaning" (Cassill & Bausch, 1728). John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" may seem as a story describing a simple day with the Allen couple. It begins with Elisa Allen working in her garden and her husband, Henry Allen, negotiating with two suited business men that want to purchase steers. They seem to engage in conversations and go about their day as they normally would do. By the time the story ends, they are on their way to dinner and a movie. At first glance, this story may seem as nothing special, just a day in the life of fairly happy couple attempting to enjoy their marriage. However, there is much more under the surface of what is written. The story has a relative amount of symbols which gives light on other details of the story. It is not until after looking at deeper meanings of some of the symbols that there can be a more comprehensive reading of the tale. If one takes a good look, one can notice that Henry is an uncommunicative husband, and Elisa craves for more from the relationship, and her life. The lack of passion between Elisa and her husband leads her to use her flowers, the chrysanthemums, and other household tasks as an outlet for the attention that she longs for. Elisa, like many other women, is limited by society's view on women's position in the home.

    Read More

  • Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls and John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    The difference between men and women is a very controversial issue, while there are obviously physical differences; the problem is how the genders are treated. It is stereotypically thought that the men do the labor work and make all the money, while the women stay in the house, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. While this stereotype does not exist as much in the 21st century, it was very prevalent in the 1900s. By using many different literary tools such as character development, symbolism, and setting, Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls and John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums challenge this controversial topic of the treatment of women versus men in the 1900s.

    Read More

  • The Chrysanthemums Allegory Analysis Essay

    619 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are some suggestive elements that portray her marriage with parallel qualities of her repressive life. As she dresses for a dinner out to town, she is transformed into a beautiful and confident woman, leaving behind the manly clothing and handsome face. However, her husband does not acknowledge her femininity and desire to receive a compliment or gesture of love. Palmerino’s analysis on the story adds that “ she is mired in a mismatched marriage…. and ultimately any possibility for progression.” (166) The condition of the marriage between Elisa and Henry, reflect the same emotions that Elisa feels about being confined to the duties conventional for a woman. Henry and Elisa’s marriage lacks the sexual, emotional and spiritual fulfillment that Elisa needs. In this story, Steinbeck allows the audience to interpret the characterization that he gives to settings, development of the plot and the characters, in such a way that the portrayal can be subjective to each reader. In Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums, use of literary techniques and the male-dominated condition that society was at that time, create the perfect combination for a plethora of

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In The Pearl By John Steinbeck

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is the true cost of fortune and success to one’s future? John Steinbeck assesses this idea through a novel, The Pearl, that focuses on the dominant and submissive roles of men and women. Throughout The Pearl, Steinbeck tells a tale of a poor man, Kino, who desires to provide a better life for his wife and child by selling a tremendously valuable pearl. However, in this quest to sell the pearl, the family encounters various life-threatening situations, transforming this newfound possibility of wealth to a burden in the family’s future. The role of men in this piece of literature outweighs the role of women by far since there are only two female characters in the entire story. They, as well as the other women in their environment, are expected to be subservient to men socially and economically. In John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, the role of women is oppressed throughout the entire culture they inhibit, yet this stigma is defeated in facing death.

    Read More

More about Women's Role In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

Open Document