John Steinbeck’s seminal short story, The Chrysanthemums, leaves a lasting mark in the core of the minds of the avid readers with its intricacies of expression and quintessence of literary technique. It needs to be noted that the very title of this story works as a symbol of the journey of life of the female protagonist of this story. A close scrutiny of the narrative would enable one to have a better idea of how the flower represents the emotions, nature and life of Elisa. Through the symbolic representation and association of the chrysanthemums with Elisa, the author endeavors to shed light on the gender inequality and subjugation meted out to the women folks of the society.
It needs to be noted that there are a lot of common attributes between Elisa and the flowers. Just as the flowers, Elisa too is beautiful, strong and thriving. The symbolic representation of flower portrays the state of women in subordination due to the influence of the patriarchal parameters of the society. The flowerbed of the chrysanthemums is very much like the house of Elisa that is tidy and orderly. Elisa herself identifies with the flowers. The flowers thus echo the central thematic content of this literary work. (Plath 64) Elisa goes on to opine that she truly feels unified with the flowers while tending them. The author points to the gender discrimination inherent in the society through the symbol of the flowers. When the tinker notices the plants, Elisa is understandably very happy as she feels that she has herself been noticed. So, she even offers this man the flowers while offering herself to him. (Pugh 70) But, this person ignores both Elisa and the flowers only to signify the rejection faced by the females in the patriarchal society. Thus, the flowers symbolize the perennial struggle of the women and the perspective of the male dominated world toward the female folks as the other gender in the society. (Timmerman 32) At one point of time in the course of the narrative, the readers understand how both the flowers and Elisa are unimportant in the larger picture.
Thus, the story provides an explication of the social ills of patriarchy and focuses on the perils of the male dominated parameters and norms through the symbolic use of the flowers that stand for the struggle of women. (Tebbetts 56) Chrysanthemums and the female protagonist are synonymous to one another in this short story by Steinbeck.
Works Cited
Plath, James. “Deflowered: Walking Students through A Harsher Reading of John
Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums."” Eureka Studies In Teaching Short Fiction 2.1 (2001): 61-75.
Pugh, Scott. “Horrifying Conclusions: Making Sense Of Endings In Steinbeck's Fiction.”
The Steinbeck Review 3.1 (2006): 69-83.
Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums. London, Modern Classics, 2014. Print.
Tebbetts, Terrell. “Out of the Fence and into the Ring: Steinbeck's Engagement with
Public Issues in “The Chrysanthemums”.” The Steinbeck Review 11.1 (2014): 55-65.
Timmerman, John H. “Organizational and Gendered Imagery in John Steinbeck's "The
Chrysanthemums".” The Steinbeck Review 9.1 (2012): 29-37.
