Assigment #7

Bushra Algutaini
ENG 102 – 0826
Dr. Vasileiou
4/29/10


The theme is one of the most important aspects in any piece of literature, as it illustrates the purpose that the author wrote it. The theme conveys a message that the author intended about whatever topic. The theme is also a general statement and an expression that one feels strongly about when reading a piece of writing. In the “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “The Chrysanthemums” by Johan Steinbeck, both talk about women struggling in their society. Both stories deal with restriction, suffering and the loneliness of women in a male world culture a century ago. In this paper, the writer compares and contrasts the theme of how women were viewed and treated in the 1800s and 1900s.In the late 1800s and early 1900s, women were not given enough attention from their husbands and their society.


Johan Steinbeck in his story "The Chrysanthemums” starts with the character of Elisa Allen, a woman who feels lonely and is neglected by her husband as well as in her society. The writer starts his story with Elisa Allen working in her garden bounded by a wire fence, “…the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens," which also shows that Elisa was trapped in order to be protected from the outside world. The gardening in the valley represents Elisa Allen’s depression and her unhappy life. The valley is described as a “closed pot” (p. 192) which represents her separation and isolation from her society. Even though she lives with her husband Henry in the valley, she still feels lonely because he neglects her and has never given her enough attention or any kind of affection that a woman needs from her husband.

The chrysanthemum flowers show and represent Elisa’s emotions and spirit that needs love and care just as the flowers do. Therefore, Elisa expresses her feelings by taking care of her garden as if they were her “children“ because she is not taken care of or treated with care at all. Steinbeck uses the outsider which is the tinker to represent the outside male world, which is also her own society. Elisa has not experienced any other world. The Tinker shows an interest in the flowers and makes her feel attracted as a female confident of her feminine side. She even felt more confident when she was giving him the flowers. Elisa had no one to care for her and make her feel confident in herself but Tinker showed affection and care towards her which made her react so confidently. The flowers represent her dreams of having a better life; and when Elisa had given Tinker a part of her life, she really believed him and thought that he can somehow take her out of the depression.

Elisa was also touched by Tinker's affection and care towards her which made her give him the flower. Unfortunately, the Tinker did not really have any affection, love or care for her at all -- it was all to use her for some business that he needed with her husband to make money. When Elisa saw the flower lying on the road, her hopes and dreams were ruined like the Chrysanthemum lying in the road. Steinbeck represents Elisa's dreams and hopes like flowers that can be damaged so easily if no one is there to take care of them. This story shows the reader that society never gave women the opportunity to be a part of it. Society was not fair to women as during that time, they only had a chance to show that they are worth something through their husbands; on their own they were worth nothing in the eyes of their society.

The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin (1851-1904) is an inspiring literary piece which touches a reader's feelings by portraying how women were desperate for freedom and how much they struggled to gain their identity to express themselves as women in a male dominated society. Society in the late 19th Century expected women to stay home, cook and care for children but not much more. Chopin presented the character of Mrs. Mallard as a young and married woman who suffers from “heart trouble.” Chopin chooses the “heart” because women are the heart of any society. If women have trouble, how can the society function just like the body which cannot function if it has a troubled heart.
Apparently, in the story, Mr. Mallard does not treat his wife particularly well. Also the character in the story, Louise, is miserable with her marriage, and doesn’t feel a bit free to do what she wants in her life. Mrs. Mallard could not leave her husband because women at the time could not live by themselves and they could not work and support themselves. Even if they were in an abusive relationship with their spouse, they would have to face the hardships just like other women. When Louise hears about her husband’s death, for a short time she feels grief but overcomes her grief with the feeling of joy. After her husband passes away, Louise finds freedom that she had forgotten she had. Louise’s character gets more optimistic as the story continues. Louise decides to be honest and live for herself. We hear Louise whispering “Free! Body and soul free!”( p. 317). In this quote Chopin is showing how much women do want to be free just like men and how precious self-determination and freedom are to them.The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin (1851-1904) is an inspiring literary piece which touches a reader's feelings by revealing how women were desperate for freedom and how much they struggled to gain their identity to express themselves . In their stories, both writers, Chopin and Steinbeck, talk about the condition women were in a century ago. Both stories show that women never really get the chance to express themselves the way they want.
For many years, these stories and others certainly, have inspired readers about women’s rights that we have today. " The Story of an Hour" and “The Chrysanthemums“ have probably inspired many women to oppose their husbands if they feel like their marriage isn’t quite as happy as it should be.