Commentary on The Chrysanthemums Essay

Throughout the short story The Chrysanthemums author John Steinbeck paints a vivid picture of a woman struggling to find her way in the transient era prior to the major feminist movement of the 1960s. The central character of the story, Elisa Allen, draws strength from a sense of being strong. This sense represents everything that was at that time period working against women. She was proud almost to the point of arrogance, physically as well off as the toughest steed and mentally acute beyond expectations. Women were, according to society, to reflect none of these qualities. And yet, time and again Elisa demonstrated that she was more than a helpless subservient individual. By indulging in these taboo qualities, Elisa was able to rise above stereotypes and show, if only for a moment, that woman were worth more than the value society had placed on them.

There is to be no avoiding the sheer amount of pride that Elisa displays throughout the story. Her sense of pride, which at times bordered on arrogance, is revealed throughout the story in her works in her garden. The garden is her own personal sanctuary from which she gains strength from. In a world dominated by the works and actions of men, she is able to become the master of her own trade in the garden. Her work therein is many times seen as over-eager, better over-powerful. As hard as she worked, it all seemed too small and easy for her energy. All her work paid off; she was proud of the product she put out. Every year she would raise the chrysanthemums, and every year they would be bigger than those of anybody around. Holding that title and being able to make that claim empowered her, and emboldened her with a sense of pride. No longer was she the common housewife who lived in the shadow of her husbands accomplishments. By being the master of her garden and creating something that no one else could replicate, she made a name for herself. Society may have placed no real value in her, but she created in herself value that society was forced to recognize.

Steinbeck paints a picture with words in describing Elisa. Her feministic qualities quickly melt away, and at a glance she seems manlier than anything else. Qualifiers are added to descriptors to solidify an image of testosteronal origin she wears a mans black hat, her figure is blocked and heavy and her face handsome. Each successive reference to her character is in an air of masculinity. This idea of masculinity is reinforced by her down and dirty attitude as she works in the garden. Unlike women of the time, she was unconcerned about her physical appearance as she methodically plodded away in the dirt. Dirt smeared across her face, her hair became tangled in her eyes and she did not bat an eye. She was unflinching. She worked as hard as a man, and in doing so got as dirty as a man. The physical descriptions given of her, coupled with her physical actions, provide the reader with a true sense of her physical wellbeing. She is taken above the stereotypical women of the time, and painted as an almost athletic individual in good physical standing.

Elisa does not stop at simply being a physical woman, but proceeds to show her mental prowess on multiple occasions. She seemingly becomes the stereotypical meek wife when talking with her husband, when in reality she is toying with him. She concedes and agrees to what he has to say, but strikes back with cool smugness and a verbal tone unbecoming of a housewife. Through her word choice and perceived tone, her husband is brought to be more under her control than the other way around. This is contrary to popular thought of the time; the woman was to be obedient and subservient to the man. Elisa struggled with the bondage of this arrangement, and became an actor and politician in one. She was able to act the part of subservience, while at the same time taking command of the situation. In dealing with the peddler, she takes command from the earliest verbal exchange. She puts him in his place by revealing to him the irony of his statements first regarding the fight in his dog, and then later the willpower of his pulling team. Each engagement mildly singes the ego of a man who society believes to be the smarter individual. Her mental prowess is also demonstrated as her and the husband are preparing to leave for a night on the town. He pulls the car around for her while she waits inside getting her jacket on. She purposefully stalls in leaving the house until after he has stopped idling the car. Through the use of her intellect, she is able to effectively mold him to bend to her wishes. The little hints as to the purpose of her actions and the subtle undertones of smugness in her conversation put her on a level that society had deemed unsuited for women. Being the edge pusher that she is, she elevated herself to a level that society did not place her on.

Due in part to her qualities and personality, Elisa was able to transform herself into the vision of a woman that was not to be seen for many decades to come. She rose up against the constraints society had placed on women, and in her own way shook loose the shackles of servitude. Creating in herself a value unknown to most women, she effectively showed that women were more than just toys and objects of men. While working on the chrysanthemums in her garden, she transformed herself into a woman with purpose, a woman with value. Society was unable to contain and keep her down. Like her chrysanthemums, she blossomed and became more than anyone around.