Question

After reading "The Chrysanthemums," answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Elisa works inside a fence on her chrysanthemums. What is the symbolism of the fence and these flowers in relationship to her marriage to Henry? Who enters? Who does not?

2. What is the true motive of the traveling salesman and what kind of thoughts and feelings does Elisa share with the salesman? How does Elisa act after the salesman leaves? Why?

3. Elisa sees the discarded flowers on the side of the road. What change takes place in her? Why ask for wine with dinner and go to see the prizefights? How do these reactions relate to her marriage to Henry?

4. What is a theme of this story? Theme is the idea of the story or the lesson you learn about life - in this story: marriage.

Answer 1

1. Elisa leads unsuccessful marriage life. She has no children and her relationship with her husband is also bad. The chrysanthemums are greatly cared and nourished by her as children. As mother protects children from any harm, she also saves the chrysanthemums from the harm of the pests. Therefore she builds the fence and it symbolizes protection.

2. The tendency of the salesman is to impress Elisa and to sell the object. He praises the chrysanthemums and Elisa thinks that he appreciates her and her feeling. She wants to marry him and she feels love to him. She feels that the desert of her life would be filled with fulfillment.

3. When she sees the chrysanthemums by the road her love to the tinker is shattered. The chrysanthemums symbolize her femininity and sexuality. When she finds the chrysanthemums by the road she also thinks that her feminity and sexuality have been rejected. It is the loss of dream and love.

4. The theme of the story includes frustrated marriage, rejected love, rejection of sexuality and femininity, and love of flowers. It presents how a woman can visualize her children in the flowers and Elisa also suggests the tragedy of a woman who remains unsatisfied for the indifference of the men to her sexuality and femininity. The story focuses the endless search of a woman for love and recognition of feminity and sexuality.