The Chrysanthemums

The Chrysanthemums

John Steinbeck 's 1938 short story The Chrysanthemums centers on Elisa an emotionally and sexually deprived housewife who transfers her emotions to planting chrysanthemums . She maintains a spotless home and seems gifted at tending and nurturing her flowers . Unfortunately her husband , though kind and supportive , remains clueless to her emotions When a haggard tinker stops by and comments on her flowers , Elisa is suddenly awaken from her loneliness as if he is paying attention to her The tinker tells her that a woman nearby is in need of chrysanthemums

She feels elated to be needed and gives him a pot of sprouts while projecting more about her loneliness to the stranger . Later on the way to town with her husband , she notices her flowers lying on the road . She becomes emotionally overwhelmed , only this time , saddened and deeply hurt . She realized the truth of what had happened

In the story , Elisa reaches an epiphany when she sees her flowers strewn to the ground . Earlier that day she had given the tinker shoots of chrysanthemums in a big red pot ' that symbolized far more than the tinker realized . Seeing her flowers on the ground made Elisa realize she was fooled into thinking he was sincere and caring . It was not so much of seeing the flowers abandoned , but her feelings discarded like they had meant nothing

We know for certain that Elisa had experienced an epiphany based on her dramatic changed reaction . After the tinker had left , Elisa feels sexually and physically recognized : she scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice , legs and thighs , loins and chest and arms . she stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom and looked at her body (6 . She then dresses up well for the evening that her husband is marveled , Why - why , Elisa . You look so nice (6 . But after she sees her flowers on the road , her mood changes . She becomes silent , asks her husband about prize fights and if they break their noses , and blood runs down their chests (7 ) and later turns up her coat collar and cries

Steinbeck prepares the reader for this moment of epiphany by contrasting Elisa 's way of dressing and mannerism . At the beginning of the story Elisa dresses like a man that made her look blocked and heavy . She wore a man 's black hat pulled low down over her eyes . a bug corduroy apron and four big pockets . and heavy gloves (1 . She felt a need to protect herself similar to the way she was sheltering her feelings from being exposed . Everything about her inner feminism was being passed down through her hands and onto her flowers . She also puts up a proud toughened exterior to her husband through her mannerism when he comments her ability to grow flowers , Yes , they 'll be strong this coming year (1 . In her tone and on her face there was a little smugness ' After her encounter with the tinker , she sheds her...