They are both important to an extent in the story, but the relationship between Elisa and her chrysanthemums plays a major role because the Elisa is attached to chrysanthemums emotionally, while her emotional attachment to Henry, if any, hardly shows that it exists. Elisa has this tunnel vision that is focused toward her flowers that herself and, most important, her feeling seem to revolve around throughout the story.
Later in the story, a man arrives in a squeaking wagon appears in front of the house and converses with Elisa (248). Her tone is noticeably different from her tone and actions toward her husband. This again indicates that the relationship between her and her husband, Henry, must not be all that desirable. The man is there to make some money and offers to fix things for Elisa, but she begins to get irritated by him and rejects his offers to have her things fixed. After several attempts and offers the man was going to turn away and leave but he catches a glimpse of the chrysanthemums and suddenly thereafter, their conversation makes a quick turn and heads toward another direction. Steinbeck introduces this turn in direction of their conversation with the following lines: "What's them plants, ma"am?" The irritation and resistance melted from Elisa's face. "Oh, those are chrysanthemums, giant whites and yellows. I raise them every year, bigger than anybody around here" (249). Notice how Steinbeck describes how Elisa's irritated face has vanished as a result from the stranger's question, which is Elisa's interest. From that moment further, Elisa began to "open up" to the man, feeling more comfortable and leaving her irritation behind her. This moment in the story illustrates how her attention was diverted away from being resistant and rejecting the man to being engaged and interested because of her emotional relationship and attachment she has with her chrysanthemums.
