Summary:
To understand John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums," we must first know the "real" Elisa Allen. At first Elisa is a woman whose hopes for a more fulfilling life are raised by a stranger she meets. After the stranger has finished using Elisa and crushing her hopes, we see her for who she is -- a bitter woman who lives a forever unfulfilled life of routine, boredom, and hopelessless.
Character Analysis of Elisa Allen
"The Chrysanthemums," written by John Steinbeck, captures one day in the life of a woman who yearns for a more fulfilling life. Elisa is first portrayed as a woman whose tasks are exceeded by her abilities. As the day continues, a stranger briefly enters her life and, through manipulative words, fills her heart with hopes of change and excitement. We learn that these newly-found hopes are crushed when Elisa eventually realizes that she has been used. A stranger manages to break Elisa's heart, not because of who Elisa appears to be, but because of who Elisa really is. To understand "The Chrysanthemums," we must first know the "real" Elisa.
As she is first introduced to the reader, Elisa seems to be a woman who is satisfied with her life. Elisa appears to.....
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