... a stranger who compliments her flowers in the hopes that this will gain him some work. The stranger asks Elisa if he can have some of her chrysanthemums to take to another one of his customers. Immediately a change takes place in Elisa. She takes off her black hat and shakes out her dark ... calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon." While on their way to town Elisa sees that the peddler dumped her precious chrysanthemums out on the road. This destroys the small spark of hope she had left for Henry. At the end of the story Elisa looks like an ... the peddler asks ...

• Word Count: 879
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... manner, implies that she takes great pride in her prize flowers. Further more; Steinbeck goes into detail about the method in which she cares for the chrysanthemums. "The chrysanthemums were too small and easy for her energy. She . . . put her strong fingers . . . into the forest of new green chrysanthemum sprouts ... with her capability as a "mother" in caring for these flowers. Eliza's joy in her "planting hands" and their power to grow suck exquisite chrysanthemums stresses the fact that Eliza has exchanged her non-existent children for these flowers. Steinbeck states, "there is no su...

• Word Count: 619
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School