In the “The Chrysanthemums,” John Steinbeck portrays a woman’s struggle for identity. We are first introduced to Elisa Allen, a strong hardworking woman that is married, and lives on a ranch in Salinas Valley, tending to her chrysanthemums. While she is tending to her garden, a peddler, who fixes pots and pans for a living, arrives to the farm and cons Elisa into believing that he is interested in her chrysanthemums. The stranger’s …showed first 75 words of 786 total…

…showed last 75 words of 786 total…in the current life. She longs for a free life to explore the world. Steinbeck uses symbolism to explore Elisa’s emotions. She struggles with her own identity, and what she desires in life. The irony of “The Chrysanthemums” lies in the fact that Elisa’s life will not change. Even though she can attune to her feminine side, that fact remains that her life is real and she must accept the reality of it.