Tina's Group Answers for "The Chrysanthemums"
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Young In's Answer at Writeboard
Larry's Answer at Writeboard
Tien's Answer at Writeboard
Tina's Answer at Writeboard
Friday, November 2, 2007
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4 comments:
Beginning of this story, Elisa wears gardening costume. The 35-year-old lady’s maturates, desire and beauty are blocked by her big corduroy apron and man’s big hat as the valley is blocked from the world. However, end of the story; she washed her body until her skin was scratched and red, and then she puts on her most wonderful dress and makeup. They are very opposite situation. Actually, we can see her behavior changes throughout the story, but we couldn’t easily figure out Elisa’s emotional changes; why she cried, and why she was angry, because the author didn’t describe detail her emotional state. To show her emotional changes, the author might use the symbol. The gardening costume represents Elisa’s oppressed and limited life. Changing of her dress represents her changed state of mind. That means she wants to challenge something in her life. That’s why the author uses long description about her dressing style.
3. We see Elisa talk to Henry at the beginning and again at the end of the story, what kind of relationship she has with Henry? What is his view of her? Why is he so confused when she protests at being called "strong"?
By the talk between Elisa and Henry at the beginning, we can see the relationship that Elisa has with Henry is kind of insipid,plain and routine, like a working partner rather than a couple. The most of topics in their talks are just related to
the crop, steers or the other ranch jobs. When Henry tell Elisa that he made a deal at nearly his price, Elisa just said with a plain tone:"Good,""Good for you." We can't see any exciting or intimate feeling in her voice.
On the other hand, Henry is only concerned in making money rather than Elisa's interests. He suggests Elisa to work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big instead of stucking herself in the gardening. In his view, Elisa is "strong enough to break a calf over her knee," maybe he forgets that Elisa is a woman first who needs to be cared and admired. The reason Henry is so confused when she protests at being called "strong" is because she has never reacted in this way before. We suppose that Elisa used to be called "strong" by Henry and she got used to it until she met the tinker. So, when she protests this time, Henry can feel some wrong with her. At the end, when
Elisa talks to Henry that she doesn't want to go to the fights and it will be plenty if they can have wine, it goes to show that Elisa has excepted such kind of life of milk and water
Tien's Answer:
In "The Chrysanthemums," John Steinbeck creates a vivid but grim details of setting. For example, he
chooses "the grey-flannel" to describe the dark thick stubborn winter fog that won't go away and "sat like a lid" above the isolated Salinas valley. The setting absolutely carries a sad message to the reader. Another example, Steinbeck might use "The thick willow scrub along the river" to indicate the main character's changeable mood and thoghts; in addition, he chooses the verb "flamed" which seems reflecting the indignation of the main character later on. Steinbeck also writes "It was a time of quiet and of waiting." to create an atmosphere of expectancy which
makes us to look ahead to what is about to happen. The description of the setting thus adds to the story's suspense as the farmers are waiting for "a good rain";
"but fog and rain did not go together."
Tina's Answer:
After the tinker leaves, what does Elisa do, and why? Why do her actions and speeches confuse Henry?
Watching the wagon gone, she whispers “Good-Bye”. After having a bath, she looks her body at the mirror, changes her pretty dress and makes up. Elisa is trying to regulate herself after her emotion has a huge wave. The talk with the tinker helps her to realize that she is not as strong as her husband thought. She needs people to appreciate her work like the tinker did but her husband did not. She has an anger toward Henry about having an isolated life. When Henry pleases her outlook, her reaction is hostile: “What do you mean by ‘nice’?” “What do you mean ‘strong’?” She further confuses Henry by asking wine at dinner and talking about fights. She shows us that she is passionate and emotionally weak and she needs a stir for her peaceful life.
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