Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Symbolism in John Steinbeckââ¬â¢s ââ¬ÅThe Chrysanthemumsââ¬Â - Literature Essay Samples
In John Steinbeckââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Chrysanthemums,â⬠nature represents Elisa Allenââ¬â¢s confinement, the chrysanthemums symbolizes Elisa herself, and the tinker embodies Elisaââ¬â¢s wants. The narrator compares the Salinas Valley to ââ¬Å"a closed potâ⬠because ââ¬Å"[a] high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the [valley] from the sky and from all the rest of the worldâ⬠¦ [and] it sat like a lid on the mountainsâ⬠(350). This imagery mirrors Elisa because she feels trapped and deprived as seen with her husband and the tinker. The narrator also mentions that ââ¬Å"the foothill ranches across the Salinas Riverâ⬠¦ bathed inâ⬠¦ sunshine,â⬠however ââ¬Å"there was no sunshine in the valleyâ⬠(350). The symbolism here suggests that happiness is within Elisaââ¬â¢s reach, but not in her presence. This essay discusses the many events in the story that are symbolic, including the weather and setting, the chrysanthemums and the tinker.Th e narrator states that the ââ¬Å"farmers were mildly hopeful of a good rainâ⬠¦ but rain and fog do not go togetherâ⬠(350). Rain is a universal symbol that represents rebirth or sadness. This is seen when Elisa ââ¬Å"[cried] weakly ââ¬â like an old womanâ⬠(356). Elisa and Henry Allen also represent the rain and fog in that they do not belong together. He minimizes her although he recognizes that her talent is raising flowers. The fog (Henry) covers the mountain and is the lid to the pot (350), the same way Henry contains his wife. When Henry tells Elisa that he has sold thirty steers for ââ¬Å"nearly [his] own price,â⬠Elisa responds with, ââ¬Å"Good. Good for youâ⬠(351). This suggests that they both have nothing in common; he is more interested in business and money and she is interested in the life and growth of her flowers.The chrysanthemums symbolically represent Elisa, or part of her. They are seen as Elisaââ¬â¢s non-existent children becaus e of the way she nurtures them. When she inspects the flowers for ââ¬Å"aphidsâ⬠¦ sowbugsâ⬠¦ snails [and] cutworms [,] her terrier fingers [would destroy] such pests before they could [start]â⬠(351). This is a motherly attribute that symbolizes the protection a mother provides to her young. On the other hand, the flowers take nine months to grow, similar to the development of a human child in the womb of his, or her, mother. The chrysanthemums are also described as ââ¬Å"strongâ⬠and beautiful (351-353). The beauty and strength of the flowers are parallel to Elisaââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"lean and strong [face]â⬠(350) as well as ââ¬Å"the dress [she wore to dinner] which was the symbol of her prettinessâ⬠(355).As the tinker pulls up in his ââ¬Å"old springwagonâ⬠with painted words that are misspelled as ââ¬Å"pots, pans, knives, sisors, lawn mores,â⬠it leads us to believe that the tinker is not wise (351) although his greying hair and beard sug gests otherwise and that he has experience (352), and he symbolically represents Elisaââ¬â¢s wishes. In the dialogue between them, the tinker brags about his freedom: ââ¬Å"I go from Seattle to San Diego and back every year,â⬠(352) and then he tells Elisa, who dreams of women doing such things, that his way of living ââ¬Å"ainââ¬â¢t the right kind of life for a womanâ⬠(354). Steinbeck also reveals Elisaââ¬â¢s longing for sexual fulfillment when ââ¬Å"her breast swelled passionatelyâ⬠(353) in front of the Tinker.Additional events in the story are symbolic as well. For example, Elisa took off her gardening gloves when she was talking to the Tinker (352) and subjected herself to disappointment. The gloves symbolize protection, especially in boxing, and without them she became vulnerable. When she spots ââ¬Å"a dark speckâ⬠in the middle of the road (355), she knew what it was and feels part of her die inside as the flower is a part of her. The gloves and other symbolic elements described here enrich and strengthen the story. ââ¬Æ'Work CitedSteinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 5th Compact ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 350-356. Print.
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