Elisa’s Garden
In the past three weeks I have had the opportunity to read a number of short stories that all had symbolism. One story that stuck out to me was John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums, which was written in 1937 during the great depression. In this short story the title, The Chrysanthemums was a very clear symbol throughout the story.
Elisa Allen is the main character in The Chrysanthemums. Elisa reminds me of the type of women who takes care of a majority of the household chores- including the garden. She is a simple woman but early on I could tell she wanted to break from the daily routine and wanted to know what else was out there. Almost right off the bat we learn about the chrysanthemum and that it was Elisa’s favorite flower to grow. Even her husband Henry, knew she “had a gift with things” (Steinbeck 439) referring to the chrysanthemums.
John Steinbeck used the chrysanthemums plant as a literary symbol. My interpretation of a literary symbol is an object that could mean one thing to someone and nothing to the other.For example a literal symbol for me would be the time 11:11. For as long as I can remember everytime I saw the time 11:11 I would make a wish. It was something my mom and I did together so it is special to, however somebody else might see that as just the time. Joseph Kelly described a literary symbol as a object with symbolic meaning limited to a very narrow context of a particular work of literature (Kelly xxv). Elisa takes special care of the plant making sure the chrysanthemums are handled with love and kindness. She is protective of the plant because its something she grew from once being a seed to now having rows of them. These plants are her pride and joy. Watching them grow just means that she cared enough to take care of them and make them something more than she ever imagined.
During the story she meets a man in a caravan trying to find work by fixing pots and pans. She tries to ignore the man, until he takes notice of her Chrysanthemums. He advises her he knows any other lady that loves to garden but has no chrysanthemums and wants to take one of Elisa’s to her. Once he says that to Elisa she went from ignoring him to being at attention. As Steinbeck described her as “alert and eager” (Steinbeck 443).She was so excited to have the opportunity to give someone the plant, and I believe she thought be doing this it would bring the say joy and happiness to this other woman as it has for her.
Elisa gives me the impression that she is a simple person, who because of the time lives