Commentary on The Chrysanthemums Essay

In the well-respected short story called The Chrysanthemums written by John Steinbeck, he writes about a woman by the name of Elisa Allen. Elisa is described as a thirty-five-year old woman, who is a lean and strong woman who wears shapeless, functional clothing-And lives on a ranch called Salinas Valley in California in California with her husband. It was clearly mentioned in the story that Elisa has gift for growing things-which she is proud of.

For a first time reader for me-on the kitchen reading with great intrigue, with this main character who instantly grabbed my attention. It must have taken me about an hour to read this story and take side notes to wright this reader response-I wanted to catch every detail. Elisa was a great character, she was interesting and remarkable-She had a gift for growing Chrysanthumss and she was passionate about it. When someone shows great interest in her gardening you can tell she was passionate about because she would tell you everything she knows about gardening. Overall it was a very smooth reading; it had points in the story where you can see Elisa at her good and points.

John Steinbecks style in the story was very balanced and well written- it was very descriptive with great imagery. The way he describes the weather in Salinas Valley was remarkable on page 192 he describes it by saying The air was cold and tender. A light wind blew up from the southwest so that the farmers were mildly hopeful of a good rain before long; but fog and rain do not go together. The story was written very light hearted John Steinbeck didnt wright the story to be funny or sarcastic- but with a meaning. Example of a sense of seriousness on page 198 where he says she tried not to look as they passed it, she whispered to herself sadly. He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldnt be much trouble, not very much. But her kept the pot, she explained. He had to keep the pot. Thats why he couldnt get them off the road. She was betrayed and played as a fool, where someone who has spoken to her with interest about her gardening but at the end they throw it out the window in the middle of the road.

In the very first paragraph on 192 John Steinbeck describes the scenery immediately of Salinas Valley, instantly I got an image in my head with every word. The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off Salinas Valley- from the sky and from the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and of the great valley a closed pot. I loved how he compared the weather to the art of gardening.

Elisa Allen comes off a soft hearted woman, with a delicate personality. Elisa seems to be a lonely woman, with no kids nor animals. I feel as if Elisa is misunderstood and stuck in a boring, dull marriage where she is unhappy- where she has to garden and for entertainment. The flowers she plants are a huge symbol in the story because she wants her plants to grow strong and beautiful. The author makes a connection between the Elisa and the flowers because in one of the scenes where Elisa and Henry her husband have a minor argument- where she wants to be compared to her Chrysanthemums. Beautiful.