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john steinbeck

             John Steinbeck utilizes two main characters to contrast different forms of strength in the short story " The Chrysanthemums". Steinbeck uses his female protagonist, Elisa, is a middle-aged woman who is beginning to question how strong she is as a female in a society where males are viewed as the stronger sex. Steinbeck portray Elisa's transition of becoming and wanting to be a sturdy independent woman to realizing that she isn't as strong as she had contemplated, by exercising her underlying feelings of vulnerability, a result if her superficial might. Steinbeck also uses a traveling repair man to present strength as a modest attribute that takes place on the inside of a human being rather than a boastful strength that's only exists on the outside, even though Steinbeck portrays it in a cunning way.
             Steinbeck shows Elisa's physically robust characteristics in the line "Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's black hat pulled low down over her eyes- This manly description proves in contrast to her activity of cutting down the delicate chrysanthemum stems. Steinbeck points this out by saying " The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy." Steinbeck also demonstrates how hard Elisa is trying to be masculine by referring to her gardening clothes as a costume and by pointing out that the hat she was wearing was a man's.
             In the middle of the story Elisa meets the "fix-it man". Speaking with him gives Elisa a chance to express her skill with chrysanthemums which makes her feel powerful and clever in her expertise of gardening. As Elisa is describing her mechanical way of getting rid of the old buds off her chrysanthemums she sounds like she could burst with enthusiasm and craze. Realizing how magnificent her ability is, Elisa is filled with assurance and becomes arrogant with her self-righteous discovery.


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1. John Steinback

... who had some what of a depressing life, lived through a depressing time in history, and wrote books mainly about depressing and tragic stories. John Steinbeck lived through an action packed time in history. Steinbeck lived through World War I (1919-1919), which changed America, and its set ways about men and women's role is society. A year after World War I ended, the proabition started. This ... for "safety reasons" not for them, but for Americans. World War II helped pull America all the way out of depression, by 1941. At this time Steinbeck was an employer at the New York Herald Tri...

  • Word Count: 1765
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

2. John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men

... partner, Lennie, come close to accomplishing their American dream of purchasing a farm, but George's and Lennie's dream is overturned when Lennie accidentally kills their boss's son's wife (John Steinbeck 19). Every character but one in John Steinbeck's extremely abbreviated novel Of Mice and Men is heartless if the range of the word human is understood to synchronize with the range this far established by ... not last for Lennie is a half-witted giant with a passion for petting mice--or rabbits, or pups, or girls-and for killing them when they do not like it (Doren). John Steinbeck's f...

  • Word Count: 1322
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3. John Steinbeck

... into Stanford University in 1919. His attendance was a little rough. He attended Stanford on and off for six years. He finally left Stanford in 1925, without a degree. ("John Steinbeck- , "John Steinbeck Biography-) John also did other work during the summers and other times he was away from college. He worked as a farm laborer, where he sometimes lived in the farm bunkhouses with the ... married. The couple had two sons together. But like the first marriage, this one also fell apart and John and Gwen were divorced in 1948. By 1950 John had married his third wife, Elaine Scott. They di...

  • Word Count: 963
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

4. John Steinbeck

... into Stanford University in 1919. His attendance was a little rough. He attended Stanford on and off for six years. He finally left Stanford in 1925, without a degree. ("John Steinbeck- , "John Steinbeck Biography-) John also did other work during the summers and other times he was away from college. He worked as a farm laborer, where he sometimes lived in the farm bunkhouses with the ... married. The couple had two sons together. But like the first marriage, this one also fell apart and John and Gwen were divorced in 1948. By 1950 John had married his third wife, Elaine Scott. They di...

  • Word Count: 954
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

5. John Steinbeck

... his most well recognized works. (Grolier's) My report on of mice and men The book that I have read that has really stayed with me is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I really enjoyed reading it, which is unusual, because I usually don't enjoy reading too much. There was something about George and Lenin's friendship that really made me think. Seeing how they ... Wrath (1989); Fensch, Thomas, ed., Conversations with John Steinbeck (1988); Lisca, Peter, The Wide World of John Steinbeck (1981); Noble, Donald R., ed., The Steinbeck Question: New Essays in Criticism (1992); Owens, Louis, Jo...

  • Word Count: 1312
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6. John Steinbeck

... wrote for the "American," but soon returned to California. (John Steinbeck 1902-1968) In 1935 Steinbeck became widely known when he wrote, "Tortilla Flat", a series of humorous stories about Monterey paisanos(John Steinbeck). In 1936 Steinbeck wrote, "In Dubious Battle," this story dealt with the strikes of migratory fruit pickers on California plantations. Steinbeck's next novel, " Of Mice and Men," in 1937 ... became his first big success. Steinbeck followed " Of Mice and Men," with a series of short stories entitled " The Long Valley."(John Steinbeck) In 1939 Steinbeck published what ...

  • Word Count: 402
  • Approx Pages: 2
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  • Grade Level: High School

7. Biography of John Steinbeck

... and beneficial friendship with Ed Ricketts. This unique combination gave him the experiences and the desire to become a successful writer. John Steinbeck gained a love of reading and writing from a very early age. There were always books accessible in his home. His mother, Olive Steinbeck, was a school teacher and would encourage her children to read. She would also read to them often, including books ... his school newspaper, El Gabilan, and his teachers began to praise his writing efforts, his mother realized how much talent he really had and then became supportive of his wishes. John ...

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8. Biography of John Steinbeck

... for his when he was a kid and why did he write what he wrote? You will find all those answers and more when you read this biography of John Steinbeck, and then learn what happened to him in his own hometown. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas Valley, which was located in Monterey County. He was raised by his father ... by the name of Mary. During his lifetime he was married three times and had two children with his second wife Gwendolyn; two boys by the names of Thomas and John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck was a man that most people in the world respected; yet he was d...

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9. The Life and Works of John Steinbeck

"A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ," - John Steinbeck. This quote explains a lot about Steinbeck's life and his perspective on the time period in which he lived. The majority of the America at the time was sad, and it seemed easy for many to just give up. Steinbeck lived in a time period that was overwhelmingly pessimistic, yet was able to become very successful ... . This is Steinbeck's story as told through his biography, literary works, life experiences, and his legacy. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California (Webster 1338). He was born into ... a middle c...

  • Word Count: 1462
  • Approx Pages: 6
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10. John Steinbeck biography

John Steinbeck Biography John Steinbeck John Ernest Steinbeck was born in California, on February 27th, 1902. Being the third child of four, he was the only son to parents John Ernest II and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck. He worked through Stanford University but left without a degree. He journeyed to New York to pursue his writing career. However he was unsuccessful in getting his work ... to California. After publishing some novels and short stories John Steinbeck first became well known after the novel "Tortilla Flat" (1935). This was a turning point in Steinbeck's writing career. In WW2 he se...

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