"The Chrysanthamums"

"The Chrysanthamums" by John Steinbeck is a story about a not-so-typical woman wanting more out of life. Elisa was not typical because she seemed to wish to do things a man could do instead of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children like women of her time did. She loved to garden and was very good at it, she could grow chrysanthamums "10 inches across."(784) When the man in the wagon stopped by she seem quite annoyed with his presence and told him "I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do."(786) and insisted many times that she did not need his services. But once he showed interest in her flowers "the irritation and resistance melted from Elisa's face."(787) She seemed so proud that some else noticed how well she could garden, so she gave the man some pots to mend. She asked if he slept in the wagon and the man said yes and Elisa said "It must be nice, I wish women could do such things."(788) and the man replied "It ain't the right kind of a life for a woman."(788) This just goes to show that Elisa was not able to do things that interested her because it was not things women do. In the end she finds out that the man had thrown her chrysanthamums out on the side of the road and she no longer felt pride and knew the man had just made up the story to get her to give him some pots to mend. She also know that she would never be able to do things men were able to do.