Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" is a story that clearly captures the theme of isolation. From the beginning to the end of the story, Elisa, the main protagonist, is alone emotionally, sexually, and physically. Clearly, one can't help but sympathize with her as her loneliness leads to her dissatisfaction with her life. Reading the story, one wonders about Steinbeck's ability to delve deeper into the complexities of Elisa's consciousness, as each detail told from Elisa's point of view helps us engage with her as we understand the circumstances of his life. What makes the story interesting and also makes it clear is Steinbeck's use of symbolism. The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa as well as each woman and Elisa's children, while the close parallels between her and the dogs symbolize her femininity and sexuality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Steinbeck uses chrysanthemums as a symbol of Elisa as well as every woman going through the same situation as her. This is the first major symbol in the short story and they are clearly a representation of Elisa. Just like Elisa, the chrysanthemums are confined in a narrow environment, the garden with no possibility of escape: “There was a small square of sand reserved for the rooting of the chrysanthemums”. Women like Elisa were confined to their homes doing mostly household chores while men went wherever and whenever they wanted. Additionally, chrysanthemums are beautiful decorative flowers but serve no purpose beyond their aesthetic function. Similarly, as a woman, Elisa is limited in the tasks she can perform and in the patriarchal society where the story takes place, she cannot be allowed to be independent or even take care of herself -even. Chrysanthemums also symbolize Elisa's spirit. children. She tends to her garden and handles the chrysanthemums with the most care, love and affection, just as she would with her own children. She is very protective of the flowers, as shown by the way she places a fence around them and ensures that no pest destroys them: "There were no aphids, no woodlice, snails or cutworms. Its burrowing fingers destroyed these parasites before they could begin.” Pests would naturally harm the flowers and, being a good mother, she would remove them before her “children” were harmed. A mother is always proud of her children, and chrysanthemums symbolize her children because she is very proud of these flowers. When her husband compliments her on the way she takes care of her flowers, she is proud and can't help but show a bit of smugness on her face. She is satisfied with her ability to take care of flowers. The fact that she can grow such beautiful flowers amplifies the fact that these flowers are replacing the children she doesn't have. The close parallels between Elisa and the dogs are symbolic of her femininity and sexuality. Just as Elisa's dogs seem stronger than the Tinker's dogs, Elisa is smarter, more witty, and more robust than the Tinker. She shows wit during her conversation with the handyman and, as she later shows, she is also capable of carrying out any repair work, because he: “I have nothing to do for you ". This statement clearly reveals that she had her pots, scissors, and everything else in perfect condition, so she didn't need anyone else to do this work for her. However, despite his spirit and his.