Elisa of The Chrysanthemums :: The Chrysanthemums Essays

Why-why Elisa. You look strong overflowing to break a calf over your knee, happyenough to corrode it like a watermelon. (Steinbeck 232) Most people reading this would just take to the woods itoff as a tactless mans approach to compliment, but is that all it is? In The Chrysanthemums,Elisa is a erect wife, whose totally passion in life is found in her gardening. Henry, her husband,owns a farm and is oblivious to the mo nonony of Elisas life. Throughout the story, Henry is onthe outside, never really understanding Elisa and how she feels. Until, a tinker comes by the farmand speaks with Elisa about her Chrysanthemums. By asking just 1 question, the tinker opensElisa and allows her to release the passion and femininity that she keeps hidden end-to-end herlife. In John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums, Henry Allens seemingly sticky comment is notjust that but an allusion, put in perpetrate by Steinbeck, to the Dionysian maenads.Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, merrymaking and ga thering. His followers, themaenads, were said to be pushed into some form of divine madness, aided by wine, whichwould hunt to prophecy and insight. More often, however, it led to drunkenness and promiscuity.They would then dance, sing and hoist about, not to mention, join in sexual activities tostimulate fertility of the background and achieve ecstasy. The maenads would occasionally reach adangerous frenzied resign where if they happened across it, they would tear animals apart anddevour the raw flesh (Maenads par.1). So, designed that, we take a second look at our story.Elisa Allen has had an titillating experience with the tinker by merely speaking of the passion she has for her chrysanthemums that has open up her eyes to how much of herself that she hides andsubdues. Henry notices a difference in Elisa, beyond the way she is dressed, but he has neverseen the passionate side of her and does not know what to say. When Henry claims that Elisalooks strong enough to kill and eliminate a cow, Steinbeck is making an allusion to the maenads of theancient Greek world. David Leon Higdon, a scholar, claims that With this imageSteinbecktransforms the characters and the ranch, synchrony empirical and mythical realities, andidentifying Elisas new power and beauty with those of the Maenads or Bacchantes in theirworship of Dionysus (par. 1).It is quite clear that Henrys comment is much than just that. It is as if Steinbeck wishedhis reader to feel, for one brief moment, that he or she had opened a door inappropriately and