“The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck is a short story about a couple in their mid-thirties, and the work that they are both expected to do. It disputes the daily duties of women during the great depression. During this time, women were always expected to do less and mostly just cook, clean, and look pretty. In “The Chrysanthemums” the oppression of women is demonstrated through symbolism to show that women should be treated equally to men, and they have every right to be who they truly are on the inside.
The most palpable symbol is the chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums symbolize the jobs that are expected of women, while the scissors symbolize how powerful women are. When Eliza is in the garden, tending to her chrysanthemums, she is distracted …show more content…
After the man leaves, Elisa takes a bath, scrubbing herself "with a little block of pumice, legs and thighs, loins and chest and arms, until her skin was scratched and red"(456). Elisa sheds her old self by scrubbing her skin, and bringing a brand-new life. While she is preparing for her celebration with her husband, she dresses, looking in the mirror and admiring her body, her femininity. She puts on translucent stockings and a beautiful dress and carefully applies her make-up. She is looking forward to her date with her husband. She hopes Henry will see her needs as a woman and that he will pay her more attention. However, this hope is quickly squashed. Henry's compliment on her appearance after she is freshened up is: "You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon" (457). This unflattering statement on her appearance doesn't help Elisa's psyche as a woman. Her hope is finally obliterated when she sees the flowers thrown on the road. She feels devastated by the man's unmindful rejection of her hard work. He, like her husband, failed to appreciate the very aspects that make her special as a woman. This moment left her with no hope. She realizes that her life won’t change. Her femininity and sexuality are not in the least going to be fully appreciated or understood by Henry. Her devastation from this moment, is complete and leaves Elie "crying
The most palpable symbol is the chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums symbolize the jobs that are expected of women, while the scissors symbolize how powerful women are. When Eliza is in the garden, tending to her chrysanthemums, she is distracted …show more content…
After the man leaves, Elisa takes a bath, scrubbing herself "with a little block of pumice, legs and thighs, loins and chest and arms, until her skin was scratched and red"(456). Elisa sheds her old self by scrubbing her skin, and bringing a brand-new life. While she is preparing for her celebration with her husband, she dresses, looking in the mirror and admiring her body, her femininity. She puts on translucent stockings and a beautiful dress and carefully applies her make-up. She is looking forward to her date with her husband. She hopes Henry will see her needs as a woman and that he will pay her more attention. However, this hope is quickly squashed. Henry's compliment on her appearance after she is freshened up is: "You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon" (457). This unflattering statement on her appearance doesn't help Elisa's psyche as a woman. Her hope is finally obliterated when she sees the flowers thrown on the road. She feels devastated by the man's unmindful rejection of her hard work. He, like her husband, failed to appreciate the very aspects that make her special as a woman. This moment left her with no hope. She realizes that her life won’t change. Her femininity and sexuality are not in the least going to be fully appreciated or understood by Henry. Her devastation from this moment, is complete and leaves Elie "crying