In the story "The Chrysanthemums- by John Steinbeck, the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa's confidence and her feminist side. In the beginning, the narrator talks about her passion for the planting of chrysanthemums which she is so good at. It is shown by her chrysanthemums, which have no aphids, "no sowbugs or snails or cutworms."" However, when she is not with the chrysanthemum or feels disconnected with the chrysanthemums, she will not be proud. She feels that when she is with her husband, who seems not to understand her "gift- as a planter. Through the story, Elisa gains the confidence from the man who rides by but later loses it. .
From the beginning of the story, Elisa is portrayed as a masculine figure. "Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron ."" But when she starts working on the chrysanthemums, "her face was eager and mature and handsome."" This shows that she feels the confidence when she is with her chrysanthemums. But her husband does not appreciate her flowers so much since he says, "I wish you'd work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big."" So in the beginning of the story she can't find her confidence and feminist side.
Then came the mender, who travels the road to fix "pots, pans, knives, sisors, lawn mores- He first asks Elisa if there is anything for him to fix. Elisa says no. However, the man seeing the chrysanthemum starts talking about it. Suddenly Elisa tension and annoyance is gone and she starts to feel the confidence and excitement that is inside of her. The man remarks, "Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?- which could be compared with what her husband says, "Some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across."" What the man says excite her because it tells of its elegance and its beauty while her husband says what all farmer will say "its size.