Gender Roles In John Steinbeck's 'The Chrysanthemums'

Originally when the community found out Emily was interested in Homer, they were happy that she had found someone because she seemed hopeless. However, the happiness did not last long. The townspeople began to feel

Further supporting Henry’s expectations, the way Elisa dresses while she gardens, downplays her femininity. As Elisa is busy working in the fields, her hair gets in her way and she moves it to the side. In the process she “left a smudge of earth on her cheek” (1). Having dirt on her face did not concern her, and so she did not take time to remove it. In Elisa’s mind, tending her garden allows her to find inner happiness amongst her chrysanthemums.

Several times it is mentioned that he drove all her suitors away because no one was good enough for her in his mind. This showing of love from Emily's father has proven to be more harmful than it is helpful. After her father's death, Emily somewhat begins to panic. She no longer had that leader or figure of total control and dominance in her life. This leads us to Homer Barron which Emily hopes will fulfill her feeling of isolation.

When Steinbeck first gives an image of Elisa with her chrysanthemums as a mother it is clearly a feminine image, but the house gave a more masculine look with a “ hard-swept looking little house with hard-polished windows ” (Steinbeck 228 ). This statement represent the relationship between Elisa and Henry, her husband. Henry does not notice her femininity, because he is always working on the farm with the cattle, which makes Elisa feel hostile against him. Their poor harmony towards each other make them dissatisfied with each other. For example when Henry makes a comment towards her chrysanthemums he says that “ I wish you'd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big ” ( Steinbeck 228 ).

The townspeople overlooked her insanity because they believed she was only grieving. After this, she mostly hid in her house only coming out occasionally until Homer Barron and his crew of laborers came into town to build sidewalks. Homer and Emily began seeing each other even though people said she was too good for him

Elisa is not the most feminine woman, “[h]er figure look[s] blocked and heavy in her gardening costume…” (204). This imagery of a heavy, blocked figure is very masculine which contrasts from the feminine, nurturing imagery of Elisa caring for her chrysanthemums as if they were her children. This hard and masculine image of Elisa leads to a lack of romance within her and Henry’s marriage. Elisa feels as though Henry doesn’t see her as feminine which causes her to be hostile toward Henry. While Henry seems aloof of Elisa’s needs, Elisa is not quick to tell Henry what her needs are; this lack of communication not only adds to Elisa’s frustration, but leaves her unable to properly handle the Tinker.

All over the world, in the past and even today, there has been a major problem called sexism. Women everywhere are being oppressed and marginalized. There are no real reasons for this, except for the fact that they are women. John Steinbeck’s exploration of a real-world issue, which is sexism, is clearly shown in Of Mice and Men and The Pearl through the characters of Curley’s wife and Juana.

“Her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair…”(Steinbeck 6). Stripping from her old, tattered gardening hat reveals a soft, graceful version of Elisa that is hidden behind the psychological fence she has built up to protect her heart. She allows herself to give a part of her deepest self to the repairman as “her breast swelled passionately”, her voice and demeanor becomes more sensual as she nearly touches his trousers (Steinbeck 7). However, she is taken as a fool.

Not only that, as Homer becomes a popular figure in town and is seen taking Emily on buggy rides on Sunday afternoons, it scandalizes the town and increases the condescension and pity they have for Emily. They feel that she is forgetting her family pride and becoming involved with a man beneath her station. Even though Emily is from the high class family, it does not mean that she is living up to the pleasant lifestyle. As a matter of fact, she is actually living a gloomy and desolate life, which is essentially the opposite lifestyle expected for Emily's rank in society by the townspeople. Although Emily once represented a great southern tradition centering on the landed gentry with their vast holdings and considerable resources, Emily's legacy has devolved, making her more a duty and an obligation than a romanticized vestige of a dying order.

Elisa 's interaction with the men in the story illustrates the strength of her character and an attempt to demand respect in a society that views women

In “The Chrysanthemums” By John Steinbeck the main character is Elisa Allen, she is a strong woman who has planting hands. Her planting hands have a mind of their own and destroy pests before they can destroy her plants. She is so good at planting her flowers that she is smug and confident about her plants and loves to talk about them, whether it is to her husband or to a complete stranger. She is resistant with the man who comes to ask for work mending pots and sharpening knives and scissors that is until he mentions her flowers. She feels that she could make it out in the world just like the man does even though it is no place for a woman.

In William Faulkner’s short story, A Rose for Emily, Emily Grierson, a prominent member of her small town, dies alone in her home. Upon her death, curious townsfolk entered her home trying to learn her secrets. It was thought she was crazy. Emily Grierson was not crazy; she was isolated by her father, which led to her odd social tendencies and unique interactions with others. A Rose for Emily is a short story based in a small town.

In the early nineteenth century, John Steinbeck wrote a short story titled “The Chrysanthemums” that broke ground on the repressed sexuality of women in that era. Women of the nineteenth century were extremely repressed by the patriarchal society that was in power in that era, so they often were not able to express their femininity and their sexuality. The Nineteenth century woman that “The Chrysanthemums” follows is Elisa Allen, a middle aged farmer's wife. Elisa dresses rather mannish in the beginning and throughout most of the story, excluding of course at the end of the story when she wears a dress to go out to town. Elisa is also exuberantly passionate about her chrysanthemums and her sexuality and femininity is linked directly to her flowers.

Secondly, the first man to come along and show interest in Emily was Homer Barron who did not intend to stay around… forever. Homer shows up to town for construction work on the sidewalks outside her house. The town notices that they are spending a lot of time together, but feel she has downgraded since Emily is an old-fashioned Southern. Homer is the first man to ever show interest in her since her father’s death. After some time, Mr. Homer finishes the construction work and leaves town, but eventually comes back after Emily’s cousins leave.

Kierrah Edwards ENGL 201 9/20/15 Character Analysis: Emily Grierson The short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner depicts how seclusion can certainly impact one’s life. Throughout the story, Emily gives off this “insane” impression. However, after fully reading the story, the reader can fully understand why Emily was the way she was. Emily Grierson was a very dependent person.