John Steinbeck’s novella “The chrysanthemums” (1938) is a short story which encompasses the literary technique of realism (described by Harmon and Holman as focusing “on the immediate, the here and now”) and metaphors in order to “convey” Steinbeck’s criticism on economic and social conditions caused by “The wall street crash” (1929) – an economic crash which led to a period referred to as “The great depression”.
Steinbeck uses metaphors “in order to express [his] particular idea[s]” about the oppressive nature of society not just towards women but also towards the working class in a “more interesting creative way” that forces the reader to “unpack” the meaning and thus form their own point of view, about the superstructure of society in that …show more content…
The fact that Steinbeck reinforces the stereotype that gardening is a nurturing role that is usually reserved for the female gender can be argued to show rigid gender stereotypes. At first Elisa seems happy in her role gardening (with metaphorical descriptions such as “terrier fingers” used to illuminate the energy within her) but the fact that the narrator mentions that she “watched” her husband and some men conducting business and smoking symbolises the dissatisfaction she feels in her life and the fact that she is intrigued in playing other roles. The passion Elisa shows for her gardening suggests that it is the only thing she has to apply her energy towards, proved by the vibrancy and excitement she displays when talking about the plants to the stranger who arrives with her breast swelling “passionately” and her voice growing “husky. From a feminist point of view the Chrysanthemums can be interpreted as symbolising beauty as well as the potential strength and possibility that beauty can have if properly taken care. It can also be argued the “flowers take the place of a child”, with Mordecai Marcus arguing that Elisa “finds a substitute in her
Steinbeck uses metaphors “in order to express [his] particular idea[s]” about the oppressive nature of society not just towards women but also towards the working class in a “more interesting creative way” that forces the reader to “unpack” the meaning and thus form their own point of view, about the superstructure of society in that …show more content…
The fact that Steinbeck reinforces the stereotype that gardening is a nurturing role that is usually reserved for the female gender can be argued to show rigid gender stereotypes. At first Elisa seems happy in her role gardening (with metaphorical descriptions such as “terrier fingers” used to illuminate the energy within her) but the fact that the narrator mentions that she “watched” her husband and some men conducting business and smoking symbolises the dissatisfaction she feels in her life and the fact that she is intrigued in playing other roles. The passion Elisa shows for her gardening suggests that it is the only thing she has to apply her energy towards, proved by the vibrancy and excitement she displays when talking about the plants to the stranger who arrives with her breast swelling “passionately” and her voice growing “husky. From a feminist point of view the Chrysanthemums can be interpreted as symbolising beauty as well as the potential strength and possibility that beauty can have if properly taken care. It can also be argued the “flowers take the place of a child”, with Mordecai Marcus arguing that Elisa “finds a substitute in her