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The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck summary
The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck summary
The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck summary
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Sexuality in Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums
Reading over this excellent story once more, I am again filled with
the same emotion (if it can be called that) that I experienced when first
reading it. Steinbeck planned for that. In a letter to George Albee in
1933, Steinbeck comments on this story and his interest in Albee's opinion
of it. "...It is entirely different and is designed to strike without the
reader's knowledge. I mean he reads it casually and after it is finished
feels that something profound has happened to him although he does not know
what nor how." I knew after reading this, that Steinbeck is truly a marvel.
It is one thing to have enough luck to leave your reader's with this sense
after they've read something of yours, but to have it happen to them when
you've actually planned it! This is incredible.
I was not the only person feel what Steinbeck had planned. And in
that group, I was not the only one to want to pick apart this story to find
out why I felt this way, what he intended me to feel, and what his story
meant taking all things into consideration. when looking at various
criticisms, I found a division line that could be made between the sexes.
Most women agreed with me and felt the sexual tension apparent in the story.
This sexual tension was quiet and sensual. The only men that picked up on
this picked out some overtly sexual innuendoes and chose to ignore the
subtleties as Eliza's mood changes and tone of voice. The other men
attributed any sexual tension to Eliza's need for children, which is a
valid point, but it ignores too many other things in the story to fit it
well.
...
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...e predominantly male or predominantly female side, nor can they be pushed
into little cubby holes that define the different stereo-types of a woman.
Her androgyny uses such stereo-types to define her, and to go over that and
then use even more to define the end product of the story would be a
mistake.
Works Cited
Steinbeck, John. "The Chrysanthemums" 1937. Literature. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs eds. London: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Mitchell, Marylin L. "'Steinbeck's Strong Women': Feminine Identity in the Short Stories," Southwest Review, Vol. 61, No. 3, Summer, 1976, pp. 304-15.
McMahah, Elizabeth E. "'The Chrysanthemums': Study of a Woman's Sexuality," Modern Fiction Studies, Vol. XIV, No 4. Winter, 1968-69, pp. 453-58.
Hughes, R. S. John Steinbeck: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1989.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men. New York: Heinemann/Octopus, 1979. pp.475 - 896.
... the American economy for trade rather than their own country. The shift to a national highway in Canada supported trade and the economy in giving motorists the ability to travel through Canada without having to leave like which had to be done in previous years.
The statistics indicate that Canada has primarily been an investor abroad, with substantial amounts of cash flows leaving the country. Again, both of these accounts grew almost every year. Between 1992 and 1997, funds received dropped only once in 1993. Likewise, funds invested abroad dropped only once within this time interval in 1996.
Hayashi, Tetsumaro. A New Study Guide to Steinbeck's Major Works, with Critical Explications. Scarecrow Press, Jan 1, 1993
The Government of Canada is very active in fostering relations with the United States, and has expanded its U.S. consular presence to help enlarge and secure the trade relationship.
Is Canada going to be swallowed up by the United States? A political cartoon based on Pierre Trudeau's famous quote, 'Living next to you (the United States) is like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even tempered is the beast, one is affected by every twist and grunt.'; was made. This means when something occurs in the United States, we too are affected. If the United States goes to war, because we belong to N.A.T.O., Canada would support their position. If McDonalds, an American based company, were to close down, then many Canadian workers would lose their jobs since McDonalds is well established in Canada. Many Canadian businesses are American owned, such as Ford, Burger King, Chevrolet, Wendy's, and Walmart to name a few. Also, many more sports teams are owned in America than in Canada. For example, only 5 hockey teams exist in Canada, while the United States has at least 5 times more teams. Our players must be payed in American funds, and one American dollar is worth $1.50 in Canada. Those are some ways Canada is being swallowed by the United States.
In conclusion, Canada was influenced throughout the 1920's by America, that by 1929 Canada became very similar to America in social trends, economics and produce. But has this stopped in modern day era? Canada continues to be heavily influenced by the amount of American products and media outpouring into Canada. Canada has made attempts throughout time to impede the onslaught of American invasion but American invasion is seen on a huge global scale. Hit movies, tv shows, products among others are generally based on American culture, views, or based within American domain. It is a reign yet to be stopped.
In the last 20 years the penetration of the Canadian market by American cultural industries is still extremely strong. The United States is still the main source of culture products. American products represent 81% of all culture commodity imports. Canadians watch American TV shows, listen to American music, love American sports teams, drive American cars and buy American goods at American stores like Walmart. They eat American food, drink American beer (sometimes).
Today Canada and the United States are major trading partners, allies, and two neighboring countries with a long history of cooperation with each other. But is it possible for Canada to protect its independence and culture living next door to the country so powerful and rich as the United States. Since the Canadian confederation, Canada started developing relations with the U.S. As the years passed by, Canada began to relay on the United States in the national defense. Many Canadians think that the military, political and economical dependence would not make a difference to their daily life. But today more then even Canadian culture is affected by the American influence. Media, American artists, economic dependence, American propaganda and political pressure from the United States is making Canada too Americanized. All of these factors reflect on the social life of ordinary Canadians threatening the heritage and the traditions that define Canada as independent country.
The culture of Canada refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that are a representative of Canada and Canadians throughout Canada's history, its culture has been influenced by American culture because of a shared language, proximity, television and migration between the two countries. Overtime, Canadian-American relations have helped develop Canada’s identity during the years 1945-1982; thus introducing changing social norms , media and entertainment. In support of this, due to the United States being approximately 9.25 times larger in population and having the dominant cultural and economic influence it played a vital role in establishing Canada’s identity. With Canada being its neighbour, naturally, the United States would influence their way of life upon Canada. In other words,
Mckinney, Joseph. "US-Canadian Economic Relations, Twenty Years after the USA-Canada Free Trade Agreement." British Journal of Canadian Studies 23 (2010): 233-246.
Of Mice and Men was a book written by John Steinbeck. The book took place in the Great Depression era. The people were poor and jobless it was hard for the people to make money during this time. The Depression had everyone looking out for themselves and their family. In the book Of Mice and Men in analyzes the friendship, dreams, and the conflict.
To begin with, the cultural friction between Canada and the United States of American has left Canadian cultures in ruins. Media content on television and the radio has been criticised as not being Canadian enough, but thanks to CRTC content has been regulated more often.
Feminism in John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums. At first glance, John Steinbeck’s "The Chrysanthemums" seems to be a story about a woman whose niche is in the garden. Upon deeper inspection, the story has strong notes of feminism in the central character, Elisa Allen. Elisa’s actions and feelings reflect her struggle as a woman trying and failing to emasculate herself in a male-dominated society.
The Indestructible Women in Faulker, Hemingway, and more. Steinbeck. Eds. A. Walton Litz, Thomas C. Moser, and Linda Wagner. Studies In Modern Literature, No. 78.