Self-Identity Through Symbolism in John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"

The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck illustrates through subtle symbolism a muliebritys struggle for sexual identity. Elisa Allen, the protagonist of the story, cultivates a homogeneousness of herself through her chrysanthemum garden, but fragments of her are also depicted by key objects encountered during the story. Elisa tries hard to project a tough, manful image of herself rather than the female alternative, but the effort results in nothing but a façade. The Chrysanthemums takes place in Salinas Valley, California, a site of isolation t get into builds an atmosphere of hopelessness. The winter fog sits handle a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot, (Steinbeck 359) which effectively foreshadows what a dead push aside Elisas life will reveal itself to be. Elisa Allen is a woman adequate of doing many things but has no outlet to type her skills receivable to the social implications imposed on her by the males of society. She is physical ly set forth as universe thirty-five...her face was flow and strong and her eye were as clear as water...her run into looked blocked and weighed down(p) in her gardening costume, a mans black hat pulled blue over her eyes (Steinbeck 360).

Elisa can be seen as unhappy with her female role, and her unhappiness as a woman has led her to try to take on both(prenominal) more than masculine activities and to put more fervor into the feminine tasks she already does--when she is pruning the chrysanthemum stalks, her face was eager and mature and free; up to now her work with the scissors was over-eager, over-power ful (Steinbeck 360), and her home is draw a! s being a hard-swept looking little house, with hard-polished windows (Steinbeck 360). work force are chiefly described as being handsome, and the adjectives utilise to describe Elisas activities strike the personality of someone who is either incredibly... If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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