53 pages • 1 hour read
John SteinbeckThe Chrysanthemums
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1937A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Character Analysis
Elisa Allen
The story’s protagonist is a 35-year-old housewife with a lean face, clear eyes, and dark, pretty hair. She is an intelligent, energetic, and capable woman trapped by the societal conventions of the United States in the 1930s, forced to live an uninteresting and under-stimulated life. She is childless and has no opportunity to pursue a career, so the only outlet for her energy and passion is growing flowers in her garden. When the Tinker enters the story, Elisa is thrilled to have mystery and intrigue in her dull daily life.
From the first scene, Elisa is interested in the man’s world she cannot be a part of. She is curious about the business arrangements her husband makes and wants to help in the orchards, yet her husband limits her to the flower garden. Similarly, she expresses a desire for the adventure and freedom of the Tinker’s lifestyle, but he shrugs it off saying it’s too scary and lonely for a woman (8).
Elisa’s internal conflict is the driving force of the story. She is at odds with herself, torn between being an outspoken, strongminded woman or a sedate, repressed housewife. In her interactions with the Tinker, Elisa is witty, flirty, and outgoing. However, the Tinker rejects her by throwing away the chrysanthemum buds she gives him. Elisa falls back into her role as a housewife, and the story ends with her accepting her mundane life and crying like an old woman.
The Tinker
The reader learns very little about this character, not even his name. The only thing the man reveals about himself is that he travels along the California coastline fixing pots and pans. Everything the reader sees is Elisa’s perception of him. Although the Tinker appears poorly educated, judging from the misspelled word “scissors” on his wagon and poor grammar, he is witty and clever. He fulfills the common literary trope of the tall, dark stranger and attracts Elisa with his banter and adventurous lifestyle.
The Tinker forms a connection with Elisa by complimenting her chrysanthemums. It is difficult to tell if this connection is genuine or if the Tinker is using flattery to get work from Elisa. Eventually, he manages to get work and fixes two pots. After getting paid, he quickly packs up his wagon and leaves her. Later, Elisa sees that he threw away the chrysanthemum buds she took great care in giving to him, showing that the connection was false, and his desire toward Elisa was only to gain money.
Henry Allen
Henry Allen, Elisa’s husband, is a simple farmer who successfully runs his ranch and provides a comfortable life for himself and his wife. He is kind and good-natured but cannot satisfy his intelligent and energetic wife. He is gentle but speaks to Elisa as if she were a small child, unconsciously belittling her and her abilities.
He is a flat character who perhaps represents a typical male of the 1930s. He follows the traditional thinking of the time, believing that women should work in the garden while men work on the ranch; women want to watch a movie while men enjoy watching prize fights. Henry is hard-working and caring, but he does not see or understand the depth of Elisa’s character. To him, her mood swings are a mystery that he doesn’t attempt to understand. Ultimately, his character serves to highlight Elisa’s dissatisfaction with her life. He is everything that a woman in her time ought to want, and yet there is no stimulation, excitement, or fulfillment in their marriage.
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By John Steinbeck
