ng her garden of chrysanthemums. The garden is a part of Elisa, it helps her achieve and dominate her strengths. This way she can get others to appreciate her as well. She was content to receive a response from the

Elisa’s loneliness is expressed through her relationships with others. Although her marriage seems reasonably happy, they only thrive on complementing each other. Elisa’s husband Henry was proud of selling his 30 head of steers. She complemented “You’ve got a strong new crop coming,” he returned the favor, “You’ve got a gift with things”(Lewis 348). Lewis critics that “while they have settled into a fairly familiar routine, they are still responsive to each others moods.” On another note Elisa’s second sign of loneliness was her eased acceptance of strangers. The big, bearded, and graying man achieved a dramatic response from her. She felt “Energized and appreciated, delighted to share her special skill and excited by the chance to share…a totally different kind of life.”(350). Finally Elisa’s struggle loneliness remains as she continues to hide her pain from her husband, and pictures her future “Crying weakly like an old woman.” (Jacobs 354).

Sexism is an evident issue with Elisa throughout the story. As it takes place during the early 1900’s woman were designated very traditional roles in the households. Their main objective was to, “bear children, raise them, and to do the housework” (Master Plots2). It is sensed that they were not allowed to act, as they wanted; however, what they were told to do so. Unfortunately Elisa’s situation revolves around that issue with her husband Henry. There is one catch she has no children. Her chrysanthemum garden is a symbol of her children. She is, “earthbound, rootly secure in h

Some topics in this essay:
Elisa Allen, Finally Elisa’s, Unfortunately Elisa’s, John Steinbeck, Joseph Beach, Master Plots2, throughout story, repressed feminine qualities, feminine qualities, elisa allen, repressed feminine, Incomplete Woman, occupied loneliness repressed, qualities sexism throughout, sexism throughout story, husband henry, qualities sexism, elisa’s husband, “the chrysanthemums”, feminine characteristic, feminine qualities sexism, sexism throughout,