The protagonist in this story is Elisa, whose character is round, has a love for raising chrysanthemums. She is a 35 year old attractive woman whose “face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water”. In her garden, the chrysanthemums grew with the work of her hands and the care of her heart. She works in the garden wearing “heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked”. When the drifter first approached her for some work, she became hesitant and irritable and exclaimed that “she hadn’t anything for him to do”. Her attitude quickly changed, illustrating Elisa’s character also as dynamic, when he became interested in her chrysanthemums. It seems this character can also become defensive when she thinks someone is too overbearing to get what they want. Elisa’s husband tries to compliment her by telling her she “looks different, strong, and happy” when she was all dressed up for dinner. Unfortunately, it is the realization of the lost chrysanthemums the drifter is carrying that has made Elisa feel so disappointed at the end of this story.

This story has two different types of conflicts. The first is an internal conflict within Elisa struggling over self-worth. She is trying to find dignity in her life, some self worth that she can be proud of. Her only sense of achievement in life is from her husband and her garden. This causes her to feel uncertain in her contributions she is making in her life and in that of her marriage. The other conflict is an external conflict, between women vs

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