“The Chrysanthemums”
A Tool for Learning
The Thesis
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Elisa chooses to oppress her femininity in order to be successful in a male dominant society. This is expressed through
diction, metaphors, and symbolism.
In this passage, John Steinbeck demonstrates inequality by portraying how women submit to the male resulting in them
becoming the secondary gender.
Both are arguments but a little general – The second phrase is unnecessary – combine or omit
The encounter with the Tinker causes Elisa to visualize her life differently which triggers a motivation to change how society
views her as a woman.
This argument is more specific to an aspect of the story – an area that could be dealt with in the thesis is the result/effect
John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” explores the idea that females are confined by the expectations in society and as a
result cannot reveal their true identity.
Though Elisa attempts to reject her female characteristics through her bulky attire, use of vigorous tools and her
determination, her feminine identity will always still be a part of her.
These thesis statement s are good – a next step would be looking at the result. Why is this important?
All of the thesis statements submitted were good; however, they are dealt specifically with the story. Do not be afraid to state a
truth through your thesis – outside of the text – and simply use the story to support.
Oppression is not defined by physical boundaries but by the internalization of a lesser identity.
When an individual denies his or her dreams , a successful partnership cannot be achieved.
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Diction is shown through negative connotation: “Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening
costume…” (passage). By concealing herself under larger clothing Elisa is being stopped from reaching her
goal of who she truly wants to be. However this blockage is protecting her from the outside world which in
turn is protecting her from getting hurt physically and emotionally. Also the word costume has a negative
connotation as costumes are looked at as a joke or a mask.
This is structurally sound, bus has the idea of negative diction been supported?
In the passage, Elisa lacks privacy from the power of men, as her life depends on what the men around her
do, even in the confines of her own garden, “While the man came through the picket fence...”. Elisa finds
strength within her garden, she feels in control of her chrysanthemums, however, as the man breaks
through her symbolic barrier, the fence, her power is lost. The idea that Elisa “ran excitedly” shows her
vulnerability to men. Elisa gives in to the man by running to him while he remains where he is. This
represents how women revolve around men who are the dominant force in our male driven society.
Remember to use a colon before the quote when the passage is complete and always cite the
parenthetical reference (passage) for this paper. Avoid personal pronouns (our)
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In the beginning of the passage, the reader immediately gets a sense of restrictions that exist in society. It
is revealed that Elisa, the protagonist of the story is experiencing these imitations as she misconformed to
the traditional roles of women: “…closed off… the rest of the world” (passage). To avoid ridicule, Elisa has
to close herself off to the world because she doesn’t want to fall to societal views on women. Elisa is
unhappy to conform to societies norms because she doesn’t want to do what is considered “typical
womens work.” Masculine qualities are more dominant in her personality.
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Proofread! Contractions, possession
Where in the passage are “masculine qualities” discussed. Ideas cannot be introduced unless there is support and
discussion.
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When a man enters her world she immediately becomes submissive to him.
“While the man came through the picket fence Elisa ran excitedly along the geranium-bordered path to the back of the
house. And she returned carrying a big red flower pot.” (Passaged 5).
While she is in the garden herself, she is completely in charge of what she does and wants. The moment a man
enters her domain, her dominance and control over the things around her dissipates.
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Problems?
What is the problem with this
Passage?
• The weather acts as a representative of the loneliness, isolation, and
hopelessness which she feels. Elisa suffers a monotone life, doing the
same work every day without any options to try and change. This is
represented in "[the fields] seemed to be bathed in pale cold sunshine,
but there was no sunshine" (passage), how the overcast weather is like
Elisa’s worldview at the time, gloomy and cold. The reader is made to feel
the coldness that the valley has to offer, and the emptiness that is in Elisa
life. However, the mention of “the thick willow scrub along the river
flamed with sharp and positive yellow leaves” (passage) and “the yellow
stubble fields” (passage) represents that the stalemate of her life will soon
be changed, in the same way that the decaying flora will be renewed in
the spring. “The black earth shining like metal” (passage) also represents
this coming change, the fields having been tilled to reveal the fresh soil
beneath. This change comes in the form of the Tinker, who when passing
into Elisa’s life brings her hope and a change of view, revealing that there
are ways to live her life other than what she knows.
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Thesis: Elisa demonstrates an inability to sustain dominance in her environment when it is disrupted by a
dominant male.
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Once the tinker enters Elisa's garden, she transitions to a submissive position of kneeling on the
ground. Steinbeck writes, “She was kneeling on the ground looking up at him. Her breasts swelled
passionately” (passage). Her body language expresses a subconscious willingness to submit, which is
driven by her excitement in explaining her power in her environment. In addition, she was previously
depicted as the dominant character in her garden, but once a male figure enters her domain, she, without
thinking, allows for her powerful physical appearance to disintegrate. Therefore, she demonstrates an
inability to sustain dominance physically in her environment when a male is present.
In the tinker's presence, she also gives up her power verbally in an attempt to share her passion.
Elisa says, “'Well, I can only tell you what it feels like'”(passage). The author uses this sentence as an early
indication of what's to come. Elisa is very willing to share her environment and the practices that come
with it, but in doing so is about to lose the total control that she holds. She is passionate, thus in fighting
so hard to find a connection between herself and the tinker she loses dominance in her environment. This
connection is also deeply emotional for her. It relates both to how she feels in her garden and the power
and control she experiences, but also that which she experiences as a woman. She is demonstrating what
small controls she has over her life as a woman, and desperately desires understanding from someone in a
position of power. Therefore, in an effort to assert some dominance, she loses all control. It is a constant
battle for approval, which ultimately undermines her control in the garden.
While explaining her passion for her garden she displays an eagerness for the tinker's acceptance.
Elisa, bursting with energy after explaining the joy of her gardening, begs to know “'Do you see that? Can
you understand that?'” (passage). This shows her need for approval from the male figure. At this point,
she is entirely submissive and seeking for him to relate to her and to understand her. The power and
control is in his hands absolutely. Elisa has gone from a figure of authority in her domain to a submissive
character whose satisfaction comes from knowing that the male in her environment is interested in her
passion. In this way, she abandons all dominance over her garden over the approval of the now dominant
male. This is another example of an emotional connection that she alone is experiencing and wishes to
extend to her male counterpart. Once again, instead of her intended result of understanding and relation,
she instead invokes discomfort in the male, further enforcing a barrier between them both, and leaving
the male as the master of the domain.
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