Steinbeck's strong and somewhat manly description of Elisa while working in the garden, gives the distinct impression that she is not as weak as a stereotypical housewife would be. He writes that "Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with." As e

In the portion of the story where Elisa is talking to the "Pot Fixer" who happens to pull down the road to her farm, Steinbeck shows Elisa's eagerness for attention and how she comes to the realization that there is a more exciting life outside the farm. In the Pot Fixer, Elisa finds somebody who sees her as more than a housewife, someone who can appreciate her from an unbiased viewpoint. She is eager to talk about her chrysanthemums. Elisa's face becomes "tight with eagerness" as she talks about them as if they were her children. The vibes from her infatuation with these flowers are picked up by the old man and there is an unspoken commradery between these two perfect strangers as they have both chosen their own preoccupation in life, his being a passion of pots and hers a love of chrysanthemums. It is this camaraderie that ignites the realization that she longs to break free from the everyday routine she calls life. This feeling is so strong that "her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers" as if to grasp a piece of his adventurous life at least through her eyes. Her interest in this adventure of his is further exemplified as she exclaims, "It must be nice" to live that kind of life. She then states, "I wish women could do such things," fooling even herself into thinking it is not a woman's place to live such adventures. These truths make it obvious that Elisa is wishing for more than life is presently giving her but at the same time she can't break free from the stereotype society has given her.

Steinbeck's "The Chrysa

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Approximate Word count = 1072
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)