The Chrysanthemums Questions and Answers - eNotes.com

The Chrysanthemums Questions and Answers

What does Elisa mean when she says, "That's a bright direction. There's a glowing there," in The Chrysanthemums?

Why does the traveling salesman take an interest in Elisa's chrysanthemums?

Why did Elisa cry like an old woman in "The Chrysanthemums"?

Why is Elisa considered a complex character?

In "The Chrysanthemums," what is Elisa and Henry's marriage like?

For what purpose does Steinbeck provide such a detailed account of Elisa's preparations for her evening out in "The Chrysanthemums"?

What literary devices are employed in John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"?

How do Elisa's feelings and actions toward the stranger change over the course of her conversation with him in "The Chrysanthemums"?

After the stranger leaves in "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, what does Elisa do?

In “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, how does the setting of the Salinas Valley affect or inform the possible themes of the story?

Is the main character of "The Chrysanthemums" round and dynamic?

What is the tone in John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"?

What does this wire fence suggest in "The Chrysanthemums?"

Discuss the irony and symbolism found in John Steinbeck’s short story “The Chrysanthemums.”

How does John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" begin?

How do you interpret Elisa’s asking for wine with dinner? How do you account for her new interest in prizefights?

What motivates the stranger to ask Elisa about her chrysanthemums?

In The Chrysanthemums, what are Elisa’s dominant qualities?

What does Elisa see at the end of "The Chrysanthemums" that makes her sad?

What might be a good thesis statement for an essay on the short story "The Chrysanthemums," by John Steinbeck, especially if one were trying to imagine the story being made into a film?

"The Chrysanthemums" how does Elsa act differently with her husband and the stranger?

How does the setting in the first two paragraphs of "The Chrysanthemums" foreshadow what happens?

What is the significance of the traveling repair man?

In "The Chrysanthemums," how does Steinbeck characterize Elisa?

What excerpt from "The Chrysanthemums" foreshadows that Elisa is feeling trapped?

Please analyze the quote below from "The Chrysanthemums." "Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark speck. She knew. She tried not to look as they passed it, but her eyes would not obey. She whispered to herself sadly, "He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldn't have been much trouble, not very much. But he kept the pot," she explained."

Scissors are mentioned a lot in the story. What could they possibly symbolize? Or are they a notable symbol at all?

Why does the tinker throw away the chrysanthemums? (i.e. What is the significance of that act--for him and for Elisa?) John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"

What is the significance of the landscape, the weather, the fog, and the fence in "The Chrysanthemums"?

In "The Chrysanthemums," how are Elisa and the chrysanthemums similar?

Does the theme of the American Dream appear in the story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck?

What is the function of the setting in "The Chrysanthemums"?

In John Steinbeck's Chrysanthemums what is the point of view?

What are the major conflicts in "The Chrysanthemums"?

Discuss the symbolism in the story "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck.

In "The Chrysanthemums," what is Elisa referring to when she sees the "dark speck" on the road when heading to town for dinner?

What is the central idea in Steinbeck's story "The Chrysanthemums"?

Identify metaphors and hyperbole in "The Chrysanthemums."

In "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, who says the line, "Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke"?

What is the significance of the encounter between Elisa and the tinker in “The Chrysanthemums”? Use at least one concept from the “Feminist Criticism” chapter in Critical Theory Today. Highlight the concept/term in bold print and include the page number where it is found in Critical Theory Today.

Which incidents complicate the conflict in "The Chrysanthemums"? Which quote reveals the climax?

How is "The Chrysanthemums" an example of Naturalism?

Using Freytag's pyramid, what is the rising action of "The Chrysamthemums"?

Who is the antagonist in Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"?

In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," as Elisa, both realistically and symbolically, goes out into the world, has she found any resolution to her problem?—speak to why she ends the story, "crying weakly."

What is the epiphany that takes place in "The Chrysanthemums"?

How does Elisa and Henry's relationship change over the course of The Chrysanthemums?

Elisa lives in the Salinas Valley. Why did this make her more willing to talk to the man traveling in the caravan?

Identify and explain one symbol in "The Chrysanthemums."

In a sentence, try to state the short story's theme