Analysis of “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck The main character of John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” is a young woman Elisa Allen. Written in the 1930's, this story demonstrates women's unfulfilled needs and desires, and the shame associated with having these feelings. In “The Chrysanthemums,” the struggle for equality in a male-dominated society, which ends up with woman’s defeat, is portrayed through Steinbeck's character Elisa. For women, sex was meant only for procreation. It …showed first 75 words of 1205 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1205 total…to John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”, a woman’s struggle in male dominated society ends up with her defeat. Works Cited Marcus, Mordecai. “The Lost Dream of Sex and Childbirth in ‘The Chrysanthemums.’” Modern Fiction Studies 11 (1965): 54-8. Steinbeck, John. “The Chrysanthemums.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan Day, and Robert Funk. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1989. 330-6. Sweet, Charles A., Jr. “Ms. Elisa Allen and Steinbeck's ‘The Chrysanthemums.’” Modern Fiction Studies 20 (1974): 210-14.