Lindsay's Group Answers for "The Chrysanthemums"
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Lindsay's Answer at Writeboard
Catherine's Answer at Writeboard
Vincent's Answer at Writeboard
Kaisa's Answer at Writeboard
Emilia's Answer at Writeboard
6 comments:
Why does Elisa want to see a fight at the end of the story? Why does she begin to cry?
In the story, “The Chrysanthemums,” John Steinbeck’s character Elisa is a simple farmer’s wife, she is also a dreamer. Secluded on a farm day in and day out, with not much knowledge of the business part of it she spends her time in her garden which is her pride and joy. She is looking for adventure in her life, she dreams of going to see the fights and is interested in them; however she doesn’t believe that is a woman place. In the end she is crying because she is upset that the tinker threw away carelessly what she dedicates her life to-gardening. She’s a strong woman, but she’s not strong enough to pull herself to go to the fight, even though she is curious about it.
First draft; Word count 147
Catherine, Im surprised you havent posted yours yet! Hope everything is going ok writing it. Let me know if you have any questions! Whistler is going great, im glad I was able to finish this.
Hi dear Lindsay,
I’m surprised, too; you still have time to do our homework?!
Here’s my work
9. After the tinker leaves, what does Elisa do, and why? Why do her actions and speeches confuse Henry?
After the tinker leaves, Elisa stands there in a daze a little while. Then she turns and runs “hurriedly” into the house, takes off her “soiled” clothes, and takes a bath. She “scrubbed [scrubs]” herself with “a little block of pumice” until her skin is “scratched” and “red.” After that, she looks around her body in front of a mirror, dresses “slowly” with her “newest” and “nicest” clothes, and makes up “carefully.”
She does all those things purposefully because she knows she will meet the tinker soon on the road. The chrysanthemums he is taking on the wagon may represent her desire or dreams of life. He will take them to a new place to start a new life. She wants to give him more beautiful impressions of her so that he will take care of her flower carefully.
Her husband Henry doesn’t know what is going on, so he is very confused when he notices that she looks “strong” and “happy” that is quite unlike her usual.
First Draft; 168 words
hello
thank you, Lindsay. i worked till 10 and i was busy, so i am little late. sorry.
my question is to discuss about Elisa's character, and here is my answer:
In the story, “The Chrysanthemums”, Elisa is a sentimental woman; however, she is compressed by her responsibilities to be a wife, and the circumstance to manage a ranch. She pursues beauties and orderliness, so she always works in her flower garden where “no aphids were there, no sowbugs or snails or cutworms,” and plants the chrysanthemums which “were ten inches across.” But her husband, Henry, doesn’t appreciate it at all, and he also doesn’t care Elisa’s “planting hands.” In the “closed” ranch, even though Elisa tries to manage everything with beauty and neatness such as the”hard-polished windows, and a clean mud-mat on the front steps” with her house, she still buries her own appreciation with art in her mind. But the tinker touches her. Although he just tries to get the sale, his fake passion on the chrysanthemums makes Elisa present her desires to the outside world. She becomes talkative with the tinker; because she wants to share her real passion with flowers and the life she wants. Because of the tinker who touches Elisa’s dried-up heart, she becomes energetic and excited; however, when she sees her love is the “dark speck” on the road, her excitement just likes a sharp knife drops on her heart, hurt her very deep.- 210 words, first draft by Vincent.
In the story “The Chrysanthemums,” “planting hands” are describing a way of gardening. Elisa’s fingers know exactly what to do, by themselves. “Planting hands” is a natural skill some people are privileged to be born with. Your fingers work like programmed machines, picking off one dead bud at a time. “They pick and pick the buds. They never make a mistake. They’re with the plant,” Elisa describes here exactly how “planting hands” work, like magic before your eyes. The tinker doesn’t really understand or care about her “planting hands”. He would rather try to solicit her into buying his services to fix things. When she describes “planting hands” to him, he is very quick to change the subject.
The Chrysanthemums
In “The Chrysanthemums, the author revealed a complex and consistent character. The way Elisa changed her attitude shows the complexity of her personality. At the beginning she agreed her husband and she seemed to be satisfied with his decision. Elisa answers : ” Good for you” when Henry said that he sold the steers. When her husband decides that they will go to restaurant, Elisa answers: “Oh, yes. That will be good“. In the
middle of the story the character shows a dramatic metamorphose. After she met the tinker Elisa changed her attitude. She said to Henry :” Don’t talk like that. You don’t know what you said.”, and she added : “ I’m strong […] I never knew before how strong ”. At the end of the story Elisa returned to the same attitude she had at the beginning. She is resigned with her life: “ It will be good, tonight “. The consistency of the character is given by her behavior . At the beginning of the story she wasn’t interested in her appearance. She wears gardening costume an apron and heavy gloves. Her physical description is supported by her actions. She is a dynamic personality, she digs with her “terrier fingers”, she sharps knives and scissors and she knows how to “beat the dents out”. During the story Steinbeck developed a surprising personality. She becomes meticulous with her self : “She worked carefully on her hair, penciled her eyebrows and rouge her lips”. In the climax Elisa is relaxed, she gave up, she is weak and she cries “like an old woman”. The complexity of the characters make the story real and unique.
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