"The Chrysanthemums"

The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa Allen; beautiful, strong, earthbound. The story occurs at a time where a woman’s place was well defined. They are to embody feminism, do menial household tasks, and leave the serious work to men. When the man in the wagon showed up she secretly envied him, he represented all she could not be. He was free, independent, in charge of his own destiny. His hands were cracked and unwashed, her own protected by gloves. Knowing she could never live that kind of life, the idea of something she grew and that which represented her, the chrysanthemums, “escaping” her garden was the next best thing. After the man leaves she prepares for her night out. Despite yearning to break the convention she is expected to adhere to, she makes herself attractive in the typical feminine style. She scrubbed the soil and rough spots off her body, put on a fancy dress, and put on rouge. On the way to town for a typical night out of dinner and a movie, something her husband mentioned jokingly earlier suddenly intrigued her. Going to see men fight, witnessing the violence, something a proper woman should have no interest in, sparked her curiosity. After casually inquiring about the fight she relents and tearfully relinquished into her place as a proper woman. At least the potted chrysanthemum was on its way to an unknown destiny.