Isolation In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

In John Steinbeck’s story, “The Chrysanthemums,” isolation is a major theme portrayed, and Elisa, the wife who loves her chrysanthemums to no end, can be described in many different ways that reflect this. Elisa is confined to the roles of women that society holds as standard, and only finds release from her gardening, causing her to not be very open or outgoing around her husband, Henry Allen. The initial dialogue presented between Henry and Elisa sets the tone for their unrefined talk, and shows the couple's internal problems. In the beginning of the story, we learn that Elisa's skills as a gardener denies Henry the slightest opportunity for anger or protest. These actions in the short story lead the readers to believe that Elisa is very

closed off and possibly lonely, affecting her emotions and causing her to act in irrational ways.
The Chrysanthemums in the story represent Elisa in many ways, and the isolation taking place in her life.

The flowers are beautiful, strong, and healthy just like Elisa, but they are also restricted in how they live their life because they are plants. Elisa finds herself almost identifying with the flowers, even saying she becomes one with the plants while tending to them. The tinker, who makes notice of the chrysanthemums, causes Elisa to lighten her irritated mood, and believe that he was noticing her instead. As a woman in society, Elisa is rejected by her husband, the tinker, and the world, and you see this when the Tinker throws her chrysanthemums into the road. His rejection of the flowers mimics the rejection of women in society, isolating them from their superiors, which are men. Just like Elisa the flowers are seen as unimportant, they are there for decoration purposes

only.
The initial dialogue between Elisa and Henry in the short story, “The Chrysanthemums,” sets the tone for the couples disengagement.

The readers quickly learn that Elisa’s skillful hands in the house and garden leave no room for Henry to gripe. In the story, when Henry first approaches Elisa’s garden, he comments on her remarkable flowers, but still wishes she would use her “planter’s hands” on the orchards. In a sense, Elisa could do it, but she almost refuses because she realizes that even if she did, Henry would still want more from her in the end. Elisa sees that she is much smarter and more talented than her husband, Henry, however, all Elisa does is watch him from afar as he makes the deals and runs the ranch, leaving her only to her simple patch of flowers. Elisa feels as if she is not being treated as an equal partner in the relationship, and resents him for that. Not only is Elisa the condescending one, Henry is also not capable of stating his desires as well. Gregory Palmerino, in his article, he states that by avoiding their true thoughts and feelings, the couple's problem with conflict and their overall inability to engage each other without evasion continues:

Henry's response to his wife's indirect efforts to arouse a more authentic reaction from him fails miserably when he says, "You look so nice!” At this point husband and wife come closest to having an actual fight and clarifying their individual desires. Elisa wants to know what her husband means by "nice." But

Henry says he means "strong." Elisa uncharacteristically forces the issue and insists on knowing what he means by strong. (11)
Although, Elisa finally speaks up against her husband, when she witnesses the scattered flowers in the road, she becomes emotional, remembering her place in her life.
In the beginning of the story, Steinbeck uses the Salinas Valley as a strong metaphor for Elisa’s life as well, “The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot” ( Book 1). The metaphor suggests that Elisa’s life is a “closed pot,” and she is hopelessly trapped inside, while her life is reaching a boiling point. The atmosphere in the valley is chilly, smug and depressing, but not without hope, as there is sunshine nearby. That almost provokes the thought of happiness within reach of Elisa, but not attainable.
In conclusion, isolation plays a big part in this story's theme and character’s lives. Between the obvious gender inequality, the metaphor of the Salinas Valley as a “closed pot,” relationship problems, and the chrysanthemums, Elisa is discovering a part of her life that is never ending in relation to society today.