Imagery is a powerful tool used in literature to allow the reader to analyze a narrative in more depth. Imagery generates a vivid image by playing on the senses. The main concept of imagery is to paint a picture with words. In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” imagery is used in an abstract cognition to reflect the theme of confinement through the actions and words of the characters. From the very beginning of the short story, imagery is introduced and backs up the theme of confinement. Steinbeck uses phrases such as “…fog of wind closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world,” “…closed pot,” and “lid” to represent the confinement of the characters to the rest of the world. We then meet Elisa who is working
