Symbolism In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

Flowers are typically given to someone as an expression of love or friendship. However, depending on a person’s culture, it can also mean mourning and or death. For example, carnations and lilies represent mourning, but yellow roses represents friendship; yet red roses are seen as romantic. Often times flowers have shown symbolism in different literary pieces. In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” the protagonist Elisa’s loneliness and confinement are represented by imagery of the fenced in garden and growth of her chrysanthemums.
To begin “The Chrysanthemums” is about a woman named Elisa, who lives on a farm with her husband. Throughout the entire story, it is evident that she feels lonely and trapped. This is expressed through the symbolism

Elisa’s isolation seems to evaporate through the confidence gained by talking about her flowers and discussing them with someone who seems to be interested: ‘"What's them plants, ma'am?’ The irritation and resistance melted from Elisa's face. ‘Oh, those are chrysanthemums, giant whites and yellows. I raise them every year, bigger than anybody around here"’ (Steinbeck 4). Having someone take what she believes is a true interest in her flowers becomes new found strength and confidence: “Elisa's eyes grew alert and eager. "She couldn't have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from seed, but it's much easier to root the little sprouts you see there."’ (Steinbeck 4). She then gave him some seedlings in a big red pot to carry for the girl. She was extremely prideful in her work and happy that could share it with others, there is the theme that, this pride that stemmed from her flowers is similar to the strong stems of her chrysanthemums, as well as

On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot” (Steinbeck 1). This is the first sentence in the story, already setting up the tone for how closed in the main character feels. In other scenes, such as discussing her flowers with the traveler, she demonstrates strength and pride in her work, and this stirs a growing confidence which she demonstrates in getting ready for her husband and their dinner date. However, she later comes upon the seedlings and missing pot, realizing that they have been discarded: “Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark speck. She knew. She tried not to look as they passed it, but her eyes would not obey. She whispered to herself sadly, "He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldn't have been much trouble, not very much. But he kept the pot," she explained” (Steinbeck 1). Eliza is notably saddend and reminded that like the flowers of her tucked away garden, the women are as well, there is a subtle theme that feminity is tucked away and hidden, woman must behave, and dress a specific way, after all the are as fragile and delicate as