

However, when the peddler comes along, we learn of new sort of Elisa that shows a side of the human condition. Through these passages we come to realize that she is a strong woman who is constantly being degraded by her husband. His “praise” is not very affectionate in that passage (Steinbeck 10-11). He does this when she desires to work in the apple orchard as well when she gets dressed up to go into town. In her strength and energy she boasts about her gardening feats and desires to do greater things, like work in the apple orchard, but her husband beats her assertions down (Steinbeck 2).
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In the beginning we learn that she is a hard, determined woman full of strength and energy (Steinbeck 1). In “Chrysanthemums,” we really understand Elisa’s personality and her own psyche. This is manifested in the section talking about He climbing into the peach trees as well when they have to take Him to the hospital (Porter 2&7). They criticize his actions and even try to ignore Him and His family because of Him. Moreover, the neighbors are just as convalescing to He as she is. Whipple may always say that she loves her son, she keeps having to remind or convince herself that she does (1). From Porter’s “He,” we come to understand that whilst Mrs.

These stories are also similar in the way they lay bare the true nature of a person. In “Chrysanthemums,” Elisa Allen is the chief character and her thoughts and words, which are laid bare before us by the omniscient narrator, give us an understanding of her own psyche as well as an understanding of the rising feminist movement. While the story may be about her son He, the story is primarily her thoughts and words about her son. Whipple is the primary character and it is her mind that we come to understand throughout the story. Both short stories are also written from a woman’s point of view. Their piece of land is labeled as a “foothill ranch” where they raise cattle and fruit (Steinbeck 1). The Allens are definitely a farming family as well. The Whipples have livestock, a chicken coop, peach trees, and much more which would label them as a farming family (Porter 1). The Whipples and the Allens live in a rural farm area. The setting in both stories is very similar if not the same. On the surface, one can realize that both stories have similar settings as well a feminine viewpoint. These short stories, both being somewhat dark and dismal, are really quite similar despite their different styles and amount of detail.įirst, their similarities must be taken into account. It is in the early part of the twentieth century that the two short stories, “He” and “Chrysanthemums,” were written and they emulate several new forms of literary subject matter which were unknown to literature prior to The Great War.

The short story, as a form of popular literature, began in earnest in the early 20 th century and acclimated well to Modernism.
