Happiness In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

391 Words2 Pages
Chrysanthemums are beautiful flowers, which often symbolize happiness. In the story “The Chrysanthemums,” John Steinbeck describes the life of Elisa and Henry Allen, who live on a foothill ranch in Salinas Valley, California. Their life was much simpler compared to those who lived in urban areas during the 1930s. The Allens focused their daytimes around their ranch, and for Elisa that meant her chrysanthemums, maybe even her happiness. Elisa spends her days tending to her flowers with great delicacy. John Steinbeck is able to incorporate quizzical diction and repetition to characterize Elisa and to define happiness, to convey the message that it is more important to be happy than to try and please everybody else. The author, John Steinbeck,