The Chrysanthemums

This story was strange and confusing the first time I read it. It was not until I stopped to think about the story that I understood it for its face value. When I was thinking about it I came to the conclusion that there is more than one theme. I believe there are two themes. First, Elisa had a deep sense of duty and commitment to her husband, even though she was very distant to him. Another theme would be that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

The first time I read it I noticed the theme was that there is a sense of duty. When Elisa takes care of her Chrysanthemums she takes great pride in caring for them. She is so involved in them that it seems her life is revolved around them. She kind of treats them like her children with the intense year round care for them.

The other theme that I came across was that the grass is not always greener on the other side. With Elisa’s intense care for her flowers, her sense of duty, she seems to want to get away. It seems that she wants to live the life of the wonderer, and get away from her boring life. She wants to experience a different life that is very different from her own. When the wonderer explains that his life is very difficult and very straining, Elisa realizes that she cannot leave her husband and her life. That is why she gave the wonderer a Chrysanthemum. She gave it to him to take her place. With these two themes the story is very confusing, but once you realize them it became clearer. John Steinbeck wrote a great short story that was thought provoking and interesting