The Chrysanthemums

Though it was published in 1937, “The Chrysanthemums” is full of modern sentiments. At the time, the United States was recovering from the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt had been re-elected as president, and the very first female cabinet member had been appointed. Women were fighting for equality in a male-dominated society, and many of those women lost their fights. The character of protagonist Elisa Allen demonstrates the frustration of being a capable and energetic woman in a world where women’s abilities and needs were generally disregarded and repressed. The story is told from the third-person limited perspective, with an unnamed narrator following Elisa’s actions.

When the reader is first introduced to Elisa, she is working in her flower garden. Steinbeck’s description of Elisa shows the kind of woman she is. She is wearing a man’s hat, large shoes, heavy leather gloves, and an apron full of sharp tools. This description highlights her masculine attributes and intentionally plays down her femininity. The narrator says, “her figure looked blocked and heavy” (1). She is also observant (she watches her husband converse with two businessmen), organized, and efficient. Yet Elisa is not fully satisfied by her work in the flower garden. The narrator notes that she is “over eager, over powerful,” and the flowers seem “too small and easy for her energy” (1).

Elisa’s feminine and masculine attributes are put at odds with one another in the world she inhabits. She expresses interest in entering a man’s world, beginning with the first conversation she has with her husband. When he comments that her green thumb would be beneficial in the orchards, she leaps at the opportunity, saying, “Maybe I could do it, too. I’ve a gift with things, all right” (2). However, Henry dismisses her interests and limits her workplace to the garden, replying, “It sure works with flowers” (2). He then reminds her of her femininity, joking about bringing her to watch the prize fights in town, but then saying that they’ll go to dinner and see a movie instead.

Up to this point, the story moves slowly. After Henry leaves Elisa, however, Elisa notices the unnamed man’s wagon. The pace quickens and the tension builds. The reader sees a different side of Elisa. The man in the wagon, a tinker, jokes with her, and she replies with laughter and wit, flirting subtly. As the man climbs down from the wagon, Elisa takes a long look at him, noticing his physical size, “brooding” eyes, and calloused hands (4).

Although the narrator does not give direct access to Elisa’s thoughts, the reader can see that she is interested in the man. As he speaks, she removes the heavy gloves and the man’s hat and she fixes her hair. This is a traditionally feminine gesture, at odds with her masculine interest in adventure and travel. She says that the man’s travels from Seattle to San Diego and back “sounds like a nice way to live” (4). He doesn’t engage with her interests and instead tries to sell his services. She immediately says no.

When the man changes the subject to Elisa’s garden, the reader can see that he knows to manipulate Elisa to reach his goal. He has found a soft spot with Elisa, and she invites him into the garden. Gardens often represent sacred and personal spaces of peace, happiness, and growth. By inviting the man into her garden, Elisa symbolically invites him into a personal place. Steinbeck further develops this theme in the way Elisa opens up to him about her chrysanthemums.

Flowers are a symbol of youth and beauty. By inviting the Tinker into her garden and offering him chrysanthemum stems, Elisa metaphorically offers the Tinker her youth and beauty. It seems Elisa has been craving the opportunity to share her inner world with someone who cares. During the era of this story, many people assumed women were satisfied as long as they had a comfortable home and a kind husband. Elisa has both of those things, yet she seems far from satisfied.

When talking about her chrysanthemums with the man, Elisa loses herself in passion. The tension increases as does the pace of the writing. While Elisa tries to describe how she picks away the chrysanthemum buds she no longer wants, she relies on physical, almost sensual, details to communicate how she feels. She describes the sensation as a needle being driven into her body, saying that it is “Hot and sharp and—lovely” (7). In the middle of her description, Elisa reaches out as if to touch the Tinker’s pant leg, a daring move for a woman in her situation. In the middle of the action, she remembers where she is and what she’s doing and pulls her hand back, crouching “like a fawning dog” (7).

To Elisa, the Tinker represents a life of adventure and freedom, a life reserved for men. She resents this as seen in her comment, “I wish women could do such things.” Later, after the Tinker tells her it isn’t the right kind of life for a woman, she replies, “How do you know? How can you tell?” and argues, “I can beat the dents out of little pots. I could show you what a woman might do” (7-8). The Tinker responds that his is a lonely and scary life and changes the subject. Like Henry, the Tinker ignores Elisa’s desire. He then packs his wagon to leave.

Before he drives away, Elisa reminds him to keep the sand damp around the chrysanthemum stems. He has already forgotten the flowers, replying, “Sand? Oh, sure. You mean around the chrysanthemums. Sure I will” (8). This reply gives the reader reason to believe that the Tinker wasn’t interested in Elisa or her flowers but in getting business from her. He leaves Elisa standing in the garden.

As she watches the Tinker drive away, Elisa stands very straight and whispers to herself, “That’s a bright direction. There’s a glowing there” (8). This line demonstrates that Elisa’s attraction to the Tinker was not purely physical but connected to her deeper desire for freedom and adventure. The “bright direction” suggests a path away from the life she knows, the life of a housewife. Watching the Tinker drive away is like watching her link to a free and exciting life leave her behind. Elisa’s own voice startles her, and she looks around to make sure no one heard her, showing the reader that she is unaccustomed to expressing her desires. She hurries into the house as if to get away from her feelings.

Inside the house, she bathes, scrubbing herself until she is red. Steinbeck mentions Elisa scrubbing her legs, thighs, loins, chest, and arms. He focuses on each part of Elisa’s body, drawing attention to her physicality. He describes the way she looks at her body in the mirror, even thrusting her chest forward and tightening her stomach. This passage contrasts directly with the earlier descriptions of Elisa. Instead of her figure appearing “blocked and heavy,” she looks at her naked body and emphasizes its femininity (8).

The reader sees the contrast even more starkly as Elisa prepares for her date with Henry. She puts on her newest undergarments and nicest stockings, and she spends time on her hair and makeup. This is unusual for Elisa, which the reader can see from Henry’s reaction. When he sees her sitting on the porch, he stops in his tracks and says, "Why—why, Elisa. You look so nice!” (9).

It’s difficult to tell how Elisa feels about his reaction. Maintaining the third-person limited point of view, Steinbeck doesn’t describe her expression or body language. He only details the exchange between Henry and Elisa, prompting readers to feel as confused as Henry about Elisa’s shifts in mood. She questions what Henry means by “nice” and appears happy that Henry calls her strong. However, in the same sentence, she chastises him for saying so (9). It’s difficult to tell what Elisa is thinking and feeling; perhaps she doesn’t know. She is just as confused by her conflicting feelings and surprised by her actions toward the Tinker. The man had challenged Elisa’s comfortable life, and now she seems unsure of how to think and feel.

Henry and Elisa’s drive into Salinas is the denouement of the story, where the remaining strands come together. Soon after Henry and Elisa pull away from their house, Elisa sees a “dark speck” in the middle of the road. Even from far away, she knows the dark speck is the chrysanthemum stems she gave to the Tinker. This is the only time in the story where Steinbeck does not name the flowers. The reader sees how Elisa’s perception of the flowers, and her beauty and youth, has changed. The Tinker threw away Elisa’s symbol of herself, and they are now a “dark speck” in the middle of the road.

Elisa’s interaction with the Tinker may have seemed positive, as he gave her attention and intrigue and showed interest in her work, but it is now clear to Elisa that the Tinker was just after her business and didn’t care about her or her chrysanthemums. He dumped the flowers while he drove but kept the flower pot she gave him.

Elisa turns away from the window when the car catches up with the Tinker’s wagon. It’s difficult to tell if this reaction comes from embarrassment, anger, sadness, or a combination of emotions. She does not look at the Tinker and instead starts speaking loudly to her husband about their dinner. Henry notices something in Elisa’s demeanor shifted, complaining that she’s changed again. He pats her knee as if consoling a child and says he should take her out to dinner more often (10).

This reaction highlights Henry’s simple and good nature, but it shows how unaware of Elisa he is. He doesn’t seem to see or care that there is a rich and complex character sitting beside him in the car. His behavior helps explain Elisa’s dissatisfaction with her life and why she was so excited to share her inner world with the Tinker.

The last lines of dialogue in the story highlight Elisa’s internal conflict between her traditionally masculine interests and her feminine role. The couple decides to have wine at dinner, and Elisa asks about the prize fights Henry mentioned earlier in the story. Here, Elisa reveals her interest in the fights by telling Henry that she had read about the violence and asking if women ever attend. She is attracted by the excitement of the fights, just like she was attracted to the adventure and mystery of the Tinker, but she doesn’t seem able to admit that even to herself. When Henry offers to bring her, she refuses and says having a glass of wine with dinner will be enough (10-11).

Satisfaction, or the lack thereof, is a recurring theme in the story. At the end of the story, Elisa says she will be satisfied if they can have a glass of wine at dinner, but in the same paragraph, she turns up her collar and begins to cry weakly “like an old woman” (11). Steinbeck mirrors the symbolism in the discarded flowers. The Tinker discarded Elisa’s youth and beauty, leaving her feeling old, unknown, and undesirable.

Elisa tearfully realizes her fate as a woman in a male-dominated society: Her passion and energy will remain undervalued like her chrysanthemum buds. Any chance for a fulfilling life full of adventure and excitement has passed her by, like the Tinker’s wagon. She must be content with her simple husband, a glass of wine at dinner, and her unfulfilling life.