1. The Chrysanthemums
On Henry Allen's ranch east of Salinas
Elisa plants yellow chrysanthemums as
Henry is selling thirty head of cattle to
agents of the Western Meat Company.
After he and Scotty go to round up the
cattle, a tinker shows up. He asks for
work which Elisa says she hasn't. He
asks for seeds for a lady on his route.
Elisa gives him seedlings with
instructions, and then she finds work for
him which he does professionally. To
celebrate the sale Henry drives her to
Salinas for dinner at the Cominos Hotel
and a movie; they drive past the tinker
on the road and she privately weeps.
2. The White Quail
Mary has her garden designed before
its lot is bought, before she's married.
She picks Harry because she thinks the
garden will like him. After the house is
built and the garden established Harry
finds her perfect though untouchable.
She doesn't care for his occupation
(making loans for cars); it's unfair. She
routinely locks him from her tiny
bedroom on the garden. He tries the
lock and leaves quietly. She refuses to
let him have a setter pup since it might
damage her garden. After a white quail
visits the cement pond she fears a cat
will come and asks Harry to put out
poison fish. He refuses but will try to hit
such a cat with his new air rifle. Next
morning he shoots the white quail then
tells Mary it was the cat he buried.
3. Flight
Mama Torres makes Emilo and Rosy
fish when they can. Pepé, who is
beautiful but lazy, is sent to Monterey
for medicine and salt. At Mrs.
Rodriguez's he kills a man with his
father's black switchblade knife. He
returns before dawn, then rides into the
high hills as his family bids him, now a
man, adios. After a day's riding he
sleeps and is awakened by a horse
down the trail. He rides another day
before his horse is shot out from under
him. He exchanges shots and receives a
granite splinter wound in his right hand.
He runs on for several days and is
finally shot dead.
4. The Snake
Young marine biologist Dr. Phillips
brings a sack of starfish from the tide
pool to his laboratory on the cannery
street in Monterey. The lab:
rattlesnakes, rats, cats; killing a cat.
Arrival of a tall, lean woman just as he
begins timed work making a starfish
embryo series. While she waits he
begins embalming the cat. She wants to
buy the male rattlesnake which she
wants to keep in the lab. Her snakish
behavior during the feeding annoys
Phillips. The starfish series is ruined.
She never comes back.
5. Breakfast
A cold pre-dawn, by a country road, I
see a tent with a lit campstove.
Recently, I saw a movie about female tennis champion – Billie Jean King, and although I have never been into the feminism (neither can I say that I quite understand it), her character woke up some other kind of sensitivity in me. After this – to me significant change – I could not help myself not to notice different approaches of John Steinbeck and Kay Boyle to the similar thematic. They both deal with marital relationships and it was quite interesting to view lives of ordinary married couples through both “male” and “female eyes”. While Steinbeck opens his story describing the Salinas Valley in December metaphorically referring to the Elisa’s character, Boyle jumps directly to Mrs. Ames’s inner world. Although both writers give us pretty clear picture of their characters, Boyle does it with more emotions aiming our feelings immediately, unlike Steinbeck who leaves us more space to think about Elisa Allen.
If you reversed . . . the point of view from Rose Lee to Catherine Jane the
Amiable- to be friendly and noble. “A sculptor would have interpreted the features in terms of character, but Homer Smith’s mother had once said of him that he was two parts amiable and one part plain devil.”Antagonism- to be angry; hostile.“Homer felt antagonism stir in him, but it was a fine day and he was carrying the day in his spirit.”
John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" shows the true feelings of the main character, Elisa Allen, through the use of setting and her interactions with other characters in the story. By way of vivid descriptions, Elisa's feelings of dissatisfaction over the lack of excitement in her life are portrayed. Her role as a mere housewife and then the subsequent change to feelings of a self-assured woman are clearly seen. These inner feelings are most apparent with the portrayal of Elisa working in the garden with the chrysanthemums, the conversation she has with the man passing through, and finally, when she and her husband are going out to dinner.
Initially, John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums” illustrates the internal conflict a sorrowful housewife faces. The day-to-day life of character, Elisa, seems like a boring one and Steinbeck attempts to remind the reader to not give into temptation and cherish loved ones. During the dialogue, Elisa’s husband, Henry, offers an idea to go out to dinner and the less than enthusiastic response of, “I’ll have plenty of time to transplant some of these sets” (Steinbeck 435) proves that Elisa cares more about her garden than spending time with her husband. Rather than make an effort to bond with her spouse, she appears to be reluctant when asked to go out and enjoy a simple night on the town. Additionally, the failure of a connection between the couple gives the Tinker an opening to make an impact on Elisa’s mental state. Once the Tinker gives her the least bit of attention, Elisa’s entire demeanor starts to change. When Elisa is first described to us, she is unwomanly: “her figure looked blocked and heavy, and she wore a “man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes” (Steinbeck 438). Although, she is not portrayed as a strong symbol of femininity, the Tinker has spiked an interest in her taboo ways. In the web article “Symbolism in ‘The Chrysanthemums’,” Elizabeth Kassim classifies the tinker as the “catalyst in Elisa’s life”(http://www.lonestar.edu). The admiration of the flowers leads the tinker to admire Elisa. Her sexuality is defined by the chrysanthemums and she “tears off the battered hat and shakes out her dark pretty hair” (Steinbeck 441). With a few kind and well-placed remarks by the Tinker, Elisa thinks there could be a new beginning all aspects of her life. Elisa’s marriage and the way she feels about herself ...
In John Steinbeck's short story," The Chrysanthemums," there is a strong underlining of betrayal. We can see betrayal in three forms throughout the story. First we see Elisa being betrayed by the salesman who plays on her emotions by giving her a sales pitch only to get some work out of her. Then, in result to confiding in the salesman Elisa betrays her husband by opening herself up, and confiding to a complete stranger things which she couldn't reveal to her own husband. Finally, we see Elisa betraying herself by not allowing herself to fully express her true emotions, and by being too afraid to step out of societies norms for woman during this time.
In the short story “The Chrysanthemums” John Steinbeck uses symbolism to reflect the characteristics of his main character Elisa Allen. Elisa, a married woman uncovers her deeply smothered femininity in an inconspicuous sense. Her life in the valley had become limited to housewife duties and the only sustenance that seemed to exist could merely be found in her chrysanthemum garden. Not until she becomes encountered with a remote tinker-man out and about seeking for work, does she begin to reach many of the internal emotions that had long inhibited her femininity. The tinker subtlety engages an interest in Elisa’s chrysanthemum garden that encourages Elisa to react radically. When Elisa realizes that there are other ways to live she attempts to lift the lid off of the Salinas Valley, but unfortunately the tinker’s insincere actions resort Elisa back to her old self and leaves Elisa without any optimism for her hollow breakthrough. Steinbeck’s somber details of the setting, strong description of the chrysanthemums and meaningful illustration of the red flower-pot reveal the distant, natural, ambitions Elisa Allen desired to attain.
The story written by John Steinbeck called “The Chrysanthemums” could be named “The Story of an Afternoon” because of the time range it took the tragedy to occur is around the time of a few hours. John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” is similar to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” in the sense of tragic, irony, happening to women in a small amount of time. In both stories women are bamboozled by men, they become misguided and gain a desire. Aiming to achieve the desire causes them to see a false reality and in ruination.
The short story "The Chrysanthemums" gives insight into the life of its author. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. The locale of the story is of key resemblance to the Salinas in which Steinbeck was born and bread. "Salinas was a typical American small town, [differing] only in location and a few distinctive features" (McCarthy 3). The protagonist of this story, Elisa Allen, also resembles Steinbeck's first wife. "Steinbeck probably based the character of Elisa Allen on his own first wife, Carol Henning Steinbeck. Like Elisa, Carol was a woman of considerable talent and energy who wore 'masculine clothes' and was 'strong, large-boned' and 'handsome rather than pretty'" (Hughes 23). Similar to the time frame in which Steinbeck lived, the theme of the story comes across as being male dominant and the rustic setting allows us to visualize this.
Butterfly Kisses is the first book in The Orange Blossom series, the latest in heartwarming Women's Fiction from National Readers' Choice Award winner, Leigh Duncan.
Homer Smith is a traveling handyman who stops at a yard to get water for his car. There he sees several women working on a fence, very awkwardly. The women, who speak very little English, introduce themselves as German nuns. He gets the water for the car but the mother, the leader of the nuns, persuades him to fix the roof. He stays over night, thinking that he will be paid in the morning and be on his way. Mother Maria is very stern and like things done her way. The nuns have basically no money and survive by living off the land, on vegetables, milk, and eggs. Smith agrees to stay another day to help with small jobs, having high hopes that he will be paid for his work. Mother Maria notice how good Smith was working and came to believe that he was sent by God to build them a chapel (or “shaple” as Mother Maria called it) for them to have mass. When Sunday comes, Mother Maria informs Smith that he will be driving them to Mass in his car. Smith was invited to attend the Mass, but because he is a Baptist. Smith came to realize that he was not going to get paid, but stays longer to clear...
Francie’s father, Johnny Nolan, is a loving man who always supports and entertains his only daughter. However, Johnny Nolan is a useless dreamer, he continuously tells tall tales about a better life, but instead of turning his dreams into reality, he resorts to drinking to escape his stress. Although Francie hates her father’s constant drinking, his loving charm wins her heart over. Francie enjoys listening to Johnny’s exciting rambling late at night after a hard day’s work. Many nights he confides in Francie and makes promises he cannot keep such as, “I’m going to take you on a trip just you and me. We will go down south where the cotton blossoms grow" (24). Although Francie knows that Johnny will not be able to keep these promises, she admires her father for trying to bring happiness into her life. In Francie’s mind Johnny is the only family member that truly understands her as a person. Johnny knows Francie has the determination and the intelligence to make something of herself in life. Because of his great faith in Francie, he allows Francie to attend an elementary ...
The traditional role of women in the American society has transformed as society has trended towards sexual equality. In the past women were expected to be submissive to the man and were looked upon as homemakers rather then providers. Modern day women enjoy the freedom of individuality and are considered as capable as men in many regards. John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums,” portrays a woman’s struggle with accepting her life and role as a female (459). Through the protagonist-female character, Elisa Allen, and the symbolism of chrysanthemums, Steinbeck displays the gender roles that define past generations of women’s lives in the United States.
I think that in Virginia C Andrews’ book “Flowers in the Attic” published in 1979, an important aspect of the book in the setting. Flowers in the attic is mainly set at Foxworth Hall where the main character and narrator, Cathy Dollanganger’s grandparents, Malcolm and Olivia Foxworth reside in an exalted mansion in Virginia. Cathy and her three siblings, Carrie, Cory & Christopher are all detained in a vacant room which consist of two big double beds, several items of furniture, curtains that are never to be unfastened and a number of paintings on the bedroom walls that represent hell to show that God is always watching. There is a closet which has a concealed stair case that heads towards to attic. The attic is narrated to be extremely large
“At the end of the rainbow waited the pot of gold. But rainbows were made of faint and fragile gossamer-and gold weighed a ton-and since the world began, gold was the reason to do most anything.”- V.C Andrews. The book that is being evaluated is Flowers in the Attic by V.C Andrews. It is about a family who goes to live at their grandparent’s house after the death of their father. They do this because their mother must win her inheritance back after she does a disgraceful thing. While there, the children must live in one room and the attic as to not be seen by their grandfather. The mother hides them because her father does not know she has children and if he finds out he will remove her from his will. In the attic they suffer from lack of sunlight, education, and malnutrition and soon are forgotten by their mother. The mindsets that will be evaluated are of the two older children, Cathy and Chris. They start with a general growth mindset in which they have a general positive outlook on life and always hope for their father’s return.