When one encounters Elisa in the story, she is introduced in a way that depicts that she is wearing a gender-bending outfit. The outfit conceals her body blocking her figure. My first opinion is that she is a woman who is not afraid to go against what the society expects of women ( Steinbeck 1). However, it could also be that her clothes are aimed at oppressing her woman character so that the world can not see it.
Her character raises the question of whether she is a modern woman who can stand against a man or some of the roles that men offer repress her. Her anger and resentment towards men make one believe that her flowers represent repressed sexuality. In my view, her flowers and masculine actions present a person who is not able to establish a true relationship within herself. Therefore, her masculine traits coupled with her Chrysanthemums are enough to provide her with some sense of fulfillment ( Steinbeck 4) . She is living in a male-dominated the world in which even women are required to conform to some male-oriented concepts.
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The repression of her character and ability comes from her husband. The man thinks that he may be empowering her if he gives her some praise for her qualities. He frustrates her by failing to see her abilities and praise her for what she has done in maintaining the farm. As a woman, she is looking for ways to fit in a world that limits her for being a woman. The domination of men brings the limitation. Her relationship with the stranger gives the reader a view that she is capable of passion, but when she is around her husband, she is depicted as a meek person.
Works Cited
Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums : 1-11
