The Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck, depicts an intriguing encounter between Elisa Allen, a seemingly dull woman with hidden passion, and a Traveling Man who fixes pots, pans, and scissors. Being introduced somewhat blandly, Elisa begins to display increasingly erratic behavior during and after her encounter with the Traveling man. My initial impression of this story left me confused as to why Elisa experienced sudden changes in character as described by her husband, however, Steinbeck's use of symbolism helped me shape conclusions and theories about the story.
The story uses contextual symbols to stimulate the readers understanding of the two main characters and the actions that they take. There are two symbols in this story that are referred to several times. The first is the Chrysanthemums and the second is Elisa's attire. Roberts and Zweig explains the relationship between Elisa and the Chrysanthemums as they, "symbolize her kindness, love, orderliness, femininity, and motherliness" (384). These traits display themselves throughout the story such as when the Narrator describes how careful and kind Elisa is these flowers. Her orderliness and motherliness is also shown when explaining to the Traveling man how to tend to the flowers. In the beginning of the story, Elisa trims her flowers almost out of contempt, symbolizing how she has to sever her own passion due to her current way of life. Later in the story, Elisa hands a few of her flowers to the Traveling man, which she later discovers tossed on the side of the road. This could symbolize Elisa exposing her passionate side to the man, who then rejected her by throwing the flowers out the side of the road.
Elisa's outfit begins with a gardening costume that hides most of her feminine features. This costume could represent the boring, non-exciting lifestyle that she lives and the emotions that she has. When the dialogue between her and the Traveling man ensues, she begins to remove specific parts of her outfit, such as her gloves and hat. When the conversations ends, Elisa runs inside the home, took off her, "soiled clothes and flung them into the corner" (421). She then took a thorough shower and spent much attention in getting dressed, "as a symbol of her prettiness" (421). The encounter with the man symbolizes how his arrival and inquisition about the flowers allowed her to release some of her emotion that the dress kept hidden. The shower incident suggest that she felt unclean about the situation and washed away her guilt. The new clothes allowed her to express her passionate self. This new change even startles her husband as his notion of her appearance and persona is altered.
The Chrysanthemums symbolic devices helps create a deeper understanding of this story and of the strife that Elisa keeps bottled up. They help put the emotions and feelings into perspective and gives the story substance and depth.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Blog Entry 3, Option 1: No Amontillado per il povero Fortunato
Edgar Allen Poe's "A Cask of Amontillado" places a heavy emphasis on setting. Although much of the setting takes place inside Montresor's, the narrator, family catacomb some inferences can be made. The country that the story takes place is Italy. Montresor describes the attitudes of his acquaintances and Fortunato as lacking in "the true virtuoso spirit", and that, "their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity..." (525). This attitude that influential Italians maintain, as well as Fortunato, holds significance in that it reveals their slyness.
Further in the story, Montresor looks for Fortunato in a carnival festival. Both men are dressed for the occasion, however, Montresor pays little attention to anything happening around him except for mentioning that it is chaotic. This zeal toward finding Fortunato reveals how deeply Montresor despises Fortunato because of the intent he Montresor has once he finds him. The time of day, Dusk, also signals the ending of the day, and the ending of life. The fact that Fortunato is at the festival, dressed in what seems as a jester's outfit, could also suggest how foolish he really is.
Montresor describes how he leads Fortunato through, "...several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults", and then, "...passed down a long winding staircase..." (526). the lengthy description of how isolated the area Montresor is leading Fortnato toward foreshadows the ending. It can be thought that the reader is delving into the mind of Montresor, a well hidden catacomb full of death that is damp, dark and cold.
As soon as Fortunato enters the catacomb, his cold makes him have a violent reaction because of the nitre that has formed on the walls, further strengthening the notion of how damp Montresor's catacomb is. The catacomb also appears to be symbolic, drawing a parallel between Montresor and the illness that is slowly tearing away at Fortunato's health. They are both silent, deadly killers.
As the two men reach the end of the increasingly dampening catacomb, Fortunato runs into a wall that marks the very end of the catacomb, the nearing end of the story, and the ending of his life. After Montresor shackles Fortunato, he begins the to close the entrance to the small room, or niche, with bricks. Fortunato cries as each layer is placed, symbolic of his impending doom. At one point during the story, Montresor seems to hesitate at the thought of what he is doing. It is the settings, the catacombs, that revives the animosity toward Fortunato that drives him Forward.
Finally, as midnight approaches, Montresor places the last brick. Both time and setting are utilized to end Fortunato's life.
Further in the story, Montresor looks for Fortunato in a carnival festival. Both men are dressed for the occasion, however, Montresor pays little attention to anything happening around him except for mentioning that it is chaotic. This zeal toward finding Fortunato reveals how deeply Montresor despises Fortunato because of the intent he Montresor has once he finds him. The time of day, Dusk, also signals the ending of the day, and the ending of life. The fact that Fortunato is at the festival, dressed in what seems as a jester's outfit, could also suggest how foolish he really is.
Montresor describes how he leads Fortunato through, "...several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults", and then, "...passed down a long winding staircase..." (526). the lengthy description of how isolated the area Montresor is leading Fortnato toward foreshadows the ending. It can be thought that the reader is delving into the mind of Montresor, a well hidden catacomb full of death that is damp, dark and cold.
As soon as Fortunato enters the catacomb, his cold makes him have a violent reaction because of the nitre that has formed on the walls, further strengthening the notion of how damp Montresor's catacomb is. The catacomb also appears to be symbolic, drawing a parallel between Montresor and the illness that is slowly tearing away at Fortunato's health. They are both silent, deadly killers.
As the two men reach the end of the increasingly dampening catacomb, Fortunato runs into a wall that marks the very end of the catacomb, the nearing end of the story, and the ending of his life. After Montresor shackles Fortunato, he begins the to close the entrance to the small room, or niche, with bricks. Fortunato cries as each layer is placed, symbolic of his impending doom. At one point during the story, Montresor seems to hesitate at the thought of what he is doing. It is the settings, the catacombs, that revives the animosity toward Fortunato that drives him Forward.
Finally, as midnight approaches, Montresor places the last brick. Both time and setting are utilized to end Fortunato's life.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Blog Entry 2, Option 1 : I dont want to become that kind of writer
In How to Become a Writer, author Lorrie Moore describes how Francie, a disgruntled young woman, struggles with writing and other obstructions she faces as a young adult.
The stories narrator, Francie, speaks in a second person point of view which makes it unique among other short stories. What makes this story more interesting is that she is not speaking to the reader but rather herself. The following quote is an example as she instructs the reader to, "Give it to Mr. Killian as your final project. When you get it back, he has written on it: 'Some of your images are quite nice, but you have no sense of plot'" (148). The reader likely does not know of a Mr. Killian. This use of second person point of view makes the reader think that maybe the "advice" that Francie is presenting may just be a disguise of her true intention; to reveal the different events that shaped her life and emotions that accompanied them. As a result, a sense of doubt forms in the reader's mind as they probably no longer expect for this story to teach them how to become a writer.
This story could be told in a first or third person point of view, but it would be missing much of its humorous charm. For example, the following quote is told in the second point of view, "Insist you are not very interested in any one subject at all, that you are interested in the music of language, that you are interested in-in-syllables, because they are the atoms of poetry, the cells of the mind, the breath of the soul" (150). When told in the first person it loses its funny undertone, "I insisted that i am not very interested in any one subject at all and that i am interested in the music of language, that i am interested in syllables, because they are the atoms of poetry, the cells of the mind" (150).
Another thing that should be considered is that perhaps the reader has the impression that they will become a better writer because of the title of the story. Francie ends up quitting her job and school and apparently never becomes a writer. What the author might have been referring to is how Francies experiences developed her into what is understood as a "writer" a person with wild imagination but has no job or goal in life.
The stories narrator, Francie, speaks in a second person point of view which makes it unique among other short stories. What makes this story more interesting is that she is not speaking to the reader but rather herself. The following quote is an example as she instructs the reader to, "Give it to Mr. Killian as your final project. When you get it back, he has written on it: 'Some of your images are quite nice, but you have no sense of plot'" (148). The reader likely does not know of a Mr. Killian. This use of second person point of view makes the reader think that maybe the "advice" that Francie is presenting may just be a disguise of her true intention; to reveal the different events that shaped her life and emotions that accompanied them. As a result, a sense of doubt forms in the reader's mind as they probably no longer expect for this story to teach them how to become a writer.
This story could be told in a first or third person point of view, but it would be missing much of its humorous charm. For example, the following quote is told in the second point of view, "Insist you are not very interested in any one subject at all, that you are interested in the music of language, that you are interested in-in-syllables, because they are the atoms of poetry, the cells of the mind, the breath of the soul" (150). When told in the first person it loses its funny undertone, "I insisted that i am not very interested in any one subject at all and that i am interested in the music of language, that i am interested in syllables, because they are the atoms of poetry, the cells of the mind" (150).
Another thing that should be considered is that perhaps the reader has the impression that they will become a better writer because of the title of the story. Francie ends up quitting her job and school and apparently never becomes a writer. What the author might have been referring to is how Francies experiences developed her into what is understood as a "writer" a person with wild imagination but has no job or goal in life.
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