Introduction
Females from the world have faced social discrimination and isolation for ages and surprisingly in some other civilizations the condition is in existence. Any denial of opportunity, equality and bias on the basis of the social ascriptions that the society attaches to being male or female are gender discriminatory. The natural environment does not discriminate women or men. However, women worldwide have historically been victims of inequality. Women have been discriminated on political, social and educational grounds. The dominance of men has made it difficult for women to realize and understand their rights. In this paper we are going to look at what it takes to be a woman in this society where men dominate.
The biased division of gender roles is the most detrimental perpetrator of all the bias that has been in existence against women. This division of gender roles allocates women harder and heavier tasks than their counterpart men. It is evident from the text that while Elisa Allen is working in the field her husband Henry is busy talking to some other men in business suits. “He leaned confidently over the fence.” Elisa rests for some time and tirelessly goes back to the field but her husband still continues to make stories with fellow men (Steinbeck 686). This is so much uncouth and unbecoming because the situation that women were placed is so much wanting as it seems they had to not question all that their couples do. Henry surprisingly sells family property without the consent of Elisa. This means that women in this era work tirelessly for family assets but they make no decisions or have less to no control of such assets. This is evident in Elisa and Henry’s case whereby Henry seems to be the ultimate decision maker on the expenditure of the money made after the sale of thirty head of three year old steers. “Well, it sure works with flowers,” he said. “Henry who were those men you were talking to?” “Why, sure , that‘s what I came to tell you. They were from the Western Meat Company. I sold those thirty head of three-year old steers.” This is a bias against women under the grounds that they are not efficient and capable of taking managerial positions. Women thus have to make basic decisions on some household concerned decisions. This is supported by the fact that Elisa accepts all that her husband suggests without any questioning.
Women are not in a position to enjoy equal rights and status in the society like men and have minimum say and authority over their personal and family affairs. The jurisdictive grant of equal rights and opportunities seems to be not holding as the situation on the ground is far much different from the constitutionized. The constitutionilzation of equal rights for all irrespective genders does not bring change to the life and position of women (Steinbeck 689). Women at the situation of Elisa lack respect from their couples who take them as victims of their rules and regulations as they had to follow all that their husband directs them “I am taken by surprise I can’t go”. It is important that decisions concerning a family should be based on mutual agreement between two parties in the marriage. This is not put into practice as women are undermined to be poor decision makers and thus the critical and important decisions are made by men. For instance, when Elisa asks Henry to save time in good faith, Henry replies to Elisa as an indisputable king who has to be independent in decision making over his throne. This could be the condition that has kept Elisa silent and left with an option to watch her husband do and decided everything for the family including what to eat and buy “She brushed a cloud of hair out of her eyes with the back of her gloves”. Women are rarely considered in times of decision making (Steinbeck 690). This makes it is easy for a man to dominate a women because of their power to decide on behalf of their women.
Women role in the chrysanthemums is to stay indoors, do in-house related activities, look pretty and stay away from the excitement of the world outside. Women in chrysanthemums are passive characters, they are seen weak and they take no responsibility. They are control by the fear of what the society views them that make them afraid of breaking outside the society perspective of the role of a woman. Actually, this what Elisa undergoes. Elisa is defined as a smart woman who is energetic, ambitious and attractive but all this good characteristics go to waste because of her fear of the society “The Chrysanthemums”. being a woman in a man’s world makes women see their energy go to waste as they look equal men just like they are take position of running majority of the activities as they watch ((Steinbeck 691)). In the story, Elisa is defined as a smart lady more than Henry but all she can do is sit down and watch Henry as he control and manages the ranch ‘All Elisa can do is watch him from afar as he performs his job’. The author defines Henry as a man who uses vague language and makes no sense at time but because of the society setting, he is supposed to manage the ranch. He uses Henry in narrating the story of the society setting that gives women no chance of exploiting their potential in management affair.
Steinbeck argues that women in our society have been discriminated because in many instance the society setting suggest that woman in under the control of a man (husband). He claims that the society setting is a weapon used by sexist men to dominate women as per the gender role description in that certain society. In much of his writing, Steinbeck talks about what it takes to be a woman in the society “She was cutting down the old year’s chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors”. The gender role description should be based on the characteristic and ability of a person to bring development in the society ((Steinbeck 692)). In the case of Elisa and Henry, the ranch would have been developed better if Elisa was given the chance to run all the activities in the ranch. However, the society could not allow Elisa to manage the ranch just because she was a woman despite posses’ leadership characteristic.
In conclusion, women are forced to shut their dreams of achieving their goals in the society because social believes and natural laws that are past the time. In the world of today, men’s effort alone cannot bring development up to speed, women are also important in developing the society of today. Steinbeck idea is that gender should not be considered in any role for grab instead ability to be competence enough and be effective. In my own opinion, women are equal to men, the difference is brought by own effort in what we choose to do. Women should be allowed to work should be given the chance to exercise their career just like men. Women are free to do what they want and no woman should be under the authority of man or discriminated because of gender.
Works Cited
Steinbeck, John. John Steinbeck's the Chrysanthemums. Santa Monica, CA N.p., n.d. Print.
