The Chrysanthemums

I found the short story "The Chrysanthemums" interesting because the main character did not feel like she was suppose to be happy. Elisa was great at gardening but she felt like she should be able to do more. Since she was a women, she knew that she could not, or at least was not suppose too. Her husband did not seem to appreciate her flowers as much as she did because they were not as profitable as other crops. He replied, "I wish you'd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big" (633). When the repair man came, she was very proud when he asked about her plants. I could sense the boastfulness in her voice as she instructed him on how to care for the flowers. After, she seemed ashamed because women were not suppose to tell a man what to do, so she let him fix a pot for her. As she watched him work, she admired his way of life and commented, "I wish women could do such things" (637). While driving to town with her husband, she questioned him when he complemented her. She was use to being told she was just a women and could not do the same things men could. Along she believed she was strong and looked nice, she felt odd when she was told she was. I think she thought about her flowers on the side of the road to humble herself more. She cried because she felt she was not suppose to be happy about her life. She could not be happy because she was just a women, an old women.