Little Woman, Small World Essay -- Literature

In a small world, there is not much choice for a simple woman. Throughout history, women often are portrayed as the weaker sex. As a result of this assumption, women try to disassociate themselves from this custom and be more independent with their lives. One of John Steinbeck’s most accomplished short stories is, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† a story of an unhappy marriage of Elisa that takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. Elisa is coerced into a meager existence on her husband’s ranch. Particularly for Elisa, the world is as small as it appears, and she does not want to be a part in it any longer. She is feeling trapped in a life of servitude and suppressing a yearning for more. Therefore, Elisa takes a bold step towards her own providence. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† is a coming of age tale for a woman and a wife named Elisa who is portrayed as feminine, subservient, and conservative, though the reality is that she is instead a masculine, frustr ated, and sensual woman who wants more out of life than Henry offers her. Therefore, her portrayal shows her dissatisfaction in her marriage. Several times throughout the story, Elisa’s portrayal shows her masculine gender role that that leads to her dissatisfaction in her life. Elisa’s strength is almost to the point of masculinity. For example, Elisa is described in the story as powerful, handsome, strong, eager, and lean (Diyanni 460). Elisa could easily be mistaken for a man on the way she dresses up. She wears manly clothes and could be mistaken as a man from the distance. The way she looks and dresses up, she feels limited and underappreciated as a woman which adds to her dissatisfaction. In addition, according to Elizabeth McMahan, one of the critics from short story criticism, s... ...d As Met.† Short Stories for Study, Harvard University Pres pp.115-52. McMahan, Elizabeth E. Short Story Criticism. Vol. 2. Ed. David Segal. Second ed. United Kingdom: Gale Research International Limited, 1992. 214-16. Print. Palmerino, Gregory J. â€Å"Steinbeck’s ‘The Chrysanthemums’.† The Explicator 62.3 (2004): 164+.Literature Resource Center. Web. 6 March. 2012. Masterplots. The Chrysanthemums. The Big Sky-The Confidential Clerk. Vol. 2. Ed. Laurence W. Mazenno. Fourth ed. Pasadena, California: Salem Press, 1949. 1011-12. Print. Schultz, Jeffrey, and Luchen Li. Critical Companion to John Steinbeck A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Checkmark Books, 2005. 50-52. Print. Steinbeck, John. "The Chrysanthemums." Literature Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. Second ed. Boston: New York University, 2008. 459-66. Print.