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  • Essay / Elisa's misfortune in John's Chrysanthemums...

    John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums" centers on Eliza and her relationship with her husband Henry. Critic Gregory Palmerino sheds light on their relationship problems. He states: “Everywhere there is conflict in “The Chrysanthemums,” but nowhere is there combat. This lack of friction prevents Henry and Elisa’s relationship from progressing, whether as lovers, partners, or parents” (Palmerino 1). What Palmerino doesn't focus on is the origin of these deeply rooted communications. Because the ideology of patriarchy is so ingrained in Elisa and her husband, Elisa feels like she cannot communicate with her husband or even herself. In this text, patriarchal ideology is reinforced by the way the characters are presented and their interactions with each other. At the beginning of the story, Steinbeck discusses the weather and we see that a thick fog covered the country: "It was a time of calm and waiting [...] the farmers had a slight hope of a good rain by now little ; but fog and rain don’t go together” (Steinbeck 438). It's important to note that the weather is introduced before our two main characters, foreshadowing the type of relationship they have. Palmerino sees the fog and rain as symbols of Elisa and Henry; of the feminine and the masculine: “The natural elements of the foothills and the ranch seem as unwilling to confront each other as the characters who inhabit its surroundings” (Palmerino 1). To extend this symbol to feminism, the fog symbolizes the patriarchal male; it is thick, gray and consumes the surface of the land just as the male consumes the female. The rain is Elisa; she is passive and does not come to confront the fog just as the patriarchal woman who submits to the male cannot confront him....... middle of paper......scord and, ultimately, all possibility of progression” (Palmerino 2).Elisa is clearly unhappy with her life but will not face this unhappiness. She hides her emotions from her husband. Just like the rain that never comes to face the fog, Elisa can never change her position in life; she will always submit to her husband and be locked in a marriage with a man who shows very little interest in her as a woman. Their marriage will never progress and both individuals remain unhappy. Patriarchal thinking is reinforced and Elisa will never have the life she wants. Works Cited Palmerino, Gregory J. Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums." Explainer 62.3 (2004): 164-167. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Claire Carney Library. Steinbeck, John. “Chrysanthemums”. The Seagull Reader's Stories. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc..., 2008. 437-448.