The Chrysanthemums Conformity Analysis

As cultures develop, they demand different conformities that are shared by a group of individuals, that help guide their interactions with others. Conformity refers to rules adhering to traditional or socially expected methods of doing business or familiar processes within a workplace. The term conformity is also often used to indicate a desire to “fit in” or to take part within a social role. “The Chrysanthemums” and “The Lottery” show how important social influence involving a change in belief or behavior is to the main characters as they desire to take part within their social roles. “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, published in 1938, takes place in Salinas Valley, California in the winter, shrouded in fog. This is a story that begins as “Elisa Allen, working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw her husband Henry” (Steinbeck). As the story develops, Elisa sees an old caravan pull up to her wired fence. The caravan stops and a man jumps out (the man is never named throughout the story). “Elisa saw that

In “The Chrysanthemums”, Elisa is supposed to stay loyal to her husband even though her marriage is not that interesting. In “The Lottery”, whoever draws the slip with the black spot within a family must be stoned to death. There is no way of breaking the tradition for it has carried on for many years. Each of these main characters is responsible for not breaking what society decided is to be a norm. The conformity is what guides the members of society and influences their beliefs but if they were to break the norms, society would look down upon them. Throughout both stories, the main characters show the importance of conformity within their society. The conformity is what forms their community into what guides them and influences them to do what’s right. Each society holds the norms and it is key to maintain tradition