John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" uses the chrysanthemums and "the fights" as symbols to portray Elisa Allen's inner battle with her desire to prove herself and the instilled repression that is prevalent in her life both from others and from herself. Both of these symbols that Steinbeck uses are equally important, as we can see Elisa as a fighter and as a wilting flower, however the chrysanthemums are the more dominant symbol. .
In the story, Elisa's physical strength is adequate and evident throughout the story. She is described as "lean and heavy" (Steinbeck 260) and "mature and handsome" (Steinbeck 260), almost giving the reader a masculine image of her. One critic of Steinbeck's work even describes Elisa as having an "ambiguous combination of traditionally masculine and feminine traits." (Hughes 234) Even though Elisa can not see her physical strength, the reader can see that like a fighter or her flowers, she is strong and healthy physically.
Elisa's emotional strength is immensely lacking. Although she has the strong, diligent hands of a gardener, inside she is a scared, repressed woman. Even when her husband says she looks "different, strong and happy" (Steinbeck 265) she questions him. She is clearly in denial of her capabilities. She is like her flowers, struggling to burst forth and bloom, only to have their stems cut, or like the fighter that everyone is betting against. She even begins the story by saying "No, I wouldn't like the fights." She could be or do anything she wants if she can only make herself believe it. We can see the fighter/flower in her when she challenges her husband when he questions her ability to work in the fields by saying "Maybe I could do it too." (Steinbeck 261) and when she challenges the traveler when he says his life is not for a woman and she adamantly replies "How do you know?" (Steinbeck 264) She builds herself up by challenging her husband and the traveler, seeming like she wants to face any challenge they can throw at her, and even asks her husband "Do women go to the fights", as if she were ready to jump in the ring herself.
