Flowers as a Symbol in The Chrysanthemums

In romantic or sexual context, a woman is often said to be as beautiful as a flower. In John Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums", Elisa Allen never receives this recognition. Although she is a strong woman, she is frustrated because her husband will not admire her romantically in any way. This frustration only deepens because she is childless and feels the need to be a mother. She discovers an outlet for her frustration in a flower garden where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums. Steinbeck uses these elegant flowers as a symbol to represent the tender, inner-self of all women, including Elisa.

First, the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa's children. She tends her garden and handles the chrysanthemums with love and care, just as she would handle her own children. Elisa is very protective of her flowers and places a wire fence around them; she makes sure "[n]o aphids, no sowbugs or snails or cutworms" are there. "Her terrier fingers [destroy] such pests before they

Chrysanthemum is a beautiful painting by Piet Mondrian. It is a still life is a painting of a chrysanthemum.Piet used very dull and gloomy flower colors. This painting makes me feel gloomy and tired.

I like the petals the most out of this painting because they look so detailed. I think that Piet decided to paint this chrysanthimum is because he knew it was going to be beautiful.