Repression In The Chrysanthemums

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Recommended: Gender roles in Literature

Jaritsa Sierra
Professor Fitzpatrick
English 102
27 October 2014

The Chrysanthemums

Female repression is something women have had to live with for years, in the recent years female have had to deal with it less. Men believed that they were superior to women, they believed that women had one role and one role only and that was the feminine role. The only duties women had were feminine ones like; being a stay at home mom,cooking,gardening, ect. In the story “ The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck the reader takes a look into the character Elisas life. A glimpse into the life of a female years ago. The reader sees how the female role deals with repression. The reader begins to get the idea of repression the moment the story …show more content…

Very similar to how women were expected to stay at home and do a “woman's” job. As Elisa continued working a man riding a wagon with the words “ Pots, Pans, Knives, scisors, lawn mores, Fixed.” Elisa and the man quickly spoke about him being of his usual route and trying to find his way. As she spoke to the man about his lifestyle she felt comfortable enough to take off her gloves, something she doesn’t usually do while he husband is around and she is working. Then the man tried doing business: “Maybe you noticed the writing on my wagon. I mend pots and sharpen knives and scissors. You got any of them things to do?” The man was trying to get money out of Elisa but she quickly turned him down saying she didn’t need any work done. The man gave the reader the impression of a great salesman because he quickly began persuading. “His face fell in exaggerated sadness. His voice took on a whinning undertone.’I ain’t had a thing to do today. Maybe I won’t have no supper tonight.You see i'm off my regular road. I know Folks on the highway clear …show more content…

“She tried not to look as they passed it, but her eyes would not obey.” Here is when she realizes that she was taken advantage of, the man had gotten rid of the chrysanthemums. “He might have thrown them of the road.That wouldn’t have been much trouble, not very much. But he kept the pot, He had to keep the pot. That’s why he couldn’t get them off the road.” Also “She said loudly, to be heard over the motor.’It will be good, tonight, a good dinner.’”(pg 1253) This gives the reader the realization that the man needed the pot to sell it and that in fact their inference about Elisa getting taken advantage of was correct. When Elisa comes to the realization she becomes emotional. “She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly like an old woman.”(pg1253) She was emotional because now she knew that her life will always be what it is now. There will be nothing more to her life but her chrysanthemums, just like the chrysanthemums had nothing else but Elisa. She is stuck. In this story the chrysanthemums symbolize the life of Elisa and many other

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