Treatment Of Women In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck

In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” the audience is given a glimpse as to how

Steinbeck viewed women. Steinbeck was someone who portrayed different aspects of society through the stories he wrote. In “The Chrysanthemums,” he portrays how women are treated.

The story has given us things to think about in terms of the way how women are treated and how women should be treated.

John Steinbeck lived in a moderate environment that shaped his view of society in which he incorporated into his works. One line that displays this is the quote, “Steinbeck’s novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labor, but there is also a streak of worship of the soil in his books, which does not always agree with

Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” published in 1937, is about a woman named Elisa, who both doesn’t feel satisfied with how she portrays herself and is unhappy with how her husband sees her. This is shown in the line, “She realizes that her life is not going to change. Her femininity and sexuality are never going to be fully appreciated nor understood by Henry. She must learn to be content with an unexciting husband and her less-than-romantic marriage. Her devastation at this realization is complete and leaves her "crying weakly-like an old woman."”(Kassim 247) This line shows that she feels like she is unappreciated for her femininity and stature. Another line that shows this is the quote, “Elisa feels frustrated with her life

One quote that proves this is in the line, “Elisa Allen is described as good-looking, very strong woman. Her face was thin and strong and her eyes were clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's very dark hat pulled reduced down over her eyes, clodhopper footwear, a figured publish dress nearly absolutely covered by a large-scale corduroy apron…”

(Researchomatic 1) This line describes Elisa’s stature having man-like qualities, which is one aspect society views women as, not appreciating women for who they really are. Another line that shows this is the quote, “Everyone who lives there must have the feeling of isolation from the rest.”(Researchomatic 1) This quote shows that women in society are treated as outcasts and aren’t equal to men.

John Steinbeckhas had an influence on his audiences and has made the audience consider the way women are treated, especially in, “The Chrysanthemums.” The Chrysanthemums displays

Elisa who doesn’t feel satisfied with how she portrays herself. The influence Steinbeck has