The Struggle for Equality and Respect in a Man’s World...

John Steinbeck’s short story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† portrays the struggle for equality and respect in a man’s world for the protagonist Elisa Allen. Steinbeck defines Elisa as a strong, proud woman who is limited from personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a womans role in a world dominated by men. From the beginning of the story, Steinbeck effortlessly describes boundaries Elisa faces through the detailed description of the geography and weather. Steinbeck notes the Salinas Valley as having â€Å"gray-flannel† fog and closed off from the sky and the rest of the world (Steinbeck). The expected gendered roles Steinbeck designates to Elisa such as the garden work and what he designates for the men in the story†¦show more content†¦The only area of self-fulfillment Elisa truly has is her garden area and the house, the rest of the land is known as â€Å"Henry Allen’s foothill ranch†. Through the story Elisa is stationed to the garden or the house, where as Henry is able to roam the ranch with the other men and he is even able to leave the property. As Skredsvig states the only self-fulfillment Elisa really embodies is with her flower garden, it is the only thing that is really â€Å"hers† (Skredsvig). This is a way Steinbeck illustrates the limited roles and self-expression women had in the 20th century that bound them to their specific gendered roles. John Steinbeck demonstrates the house as a hard-swept looking little house, with hard-polished windows, and a clean mud-mat on the front steps, all of which render evidence of Elisas apparent acceptance of these responsibilities and competence in her designated duties for a woman, which only bound her to this certain role as a housewife and nothing else (Skredsvig). By Steinbeck illustrating Elisa as an expert gardener and her husband reinforcing this demonstrates the idea that women were only allowed to do house and garde n work, limiting them in their self-expression and achievement. Elisa is hidden behind her garden costume and the blooming chrysanthemums, as if her only success in life is the ten inch chrysanthemums. Her real passion, love, and pride is with these flowers, as SkredsvigShow MoreRelatedHistorical Challenges That Native American Women Have Faced Essay744 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Native American tribes and found the women subservient and passive. Both of these authors strongly disagree in this characterization of Native American women and instead portray them as important and honored members of their tribes who will struggle but will continue to have a tremendous impact on the future of their tribes. 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