No Way Out Essay -- Literary Analysis

The short story, The Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck, is a fascinating tale that involves the life of a beautiful, yet misunderstood, women as she battles with the protracted sting of isolation. After years of captivity on a farm, enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay finds it difficult to feel like a free woman. As a result, enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay becomes guarded and closed-off to even her husband. Despite her masculine persona, Elisa lets her shield exterior down when an opportunity to escape presents itself. Trapped in the line of her farm, Elisa creates a kind of intimate relationship with her cherished chrysanthemums as a way to keep her sanity (French 64). Through the cunning intent of symbolism, and the forces of human nature combined with the female limitations of the time, Steinbeck enhances the idea that happiness cannot view between the bars of a cage. Steinbeck first enriches the feeling of despondency with the cunning use of symbolism. T he story opens with a detailed description of the Salinas Valley. Here, Steinbeck relates the valley to a closed pot, which suggests Elisas inability to escape. Furthermore, Steinbeck describes that even though in that respect is sunlight nearby, the Salinas Valley sees none. As sunlight is often associated with happiness, the implication here(predicate) is that while others are happy, Elisa is not. To further the use of symbolic reference, Steinbeck relates Elisa to the hopeful farmers in the area. Farmers believe that rain is imminent due to the southwest wind that sweeps through the valley. Unfortunately, the encumbering fog repudiates any chance of this happening. Like the wild hope that torments the farmers, Elisa is burdened by an illusion that happiness thus far might come for her. Also, Elisas garden is surrounded by a wire fence for pr... ...ed to demonstrate how contentment and confinement do not coincide with one another.Works CitedFrench, Warren. John Steinbecks Fi ction Revisited. in the buff York Twayne Publishers, 1994. Print.Beach, Joseph Warren. American fiction, 1920-1940. New York The Macmillan Company, 1941. PrintJohn Steinbeck (1902-1968). Short news report Criticism. Ed. Joseph Palmisano. Vol. 77. Detroit Thomson Gale, 2005. 228-297. literature Criticism Online. Gale. Glendale Community College. 15 April 2012 The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck. Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anja Barnard and Anna Sheets-Nesbitt. Vol. 37. Detroit Gale Group, 2000. 320-363. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Glendale Community College. 16 April 2012