The Chrysanthemums

1、 John SteinbeckBrief IntroductionAwardsMedalsWriting CareerWorksThe Chrysanthemum Characters Structure Summary Symbols Sentences Theme and EnlightmentAmerican novelist, playwright, and essayistBorn on 27th February, 1902,in Salinas, California He studied marine biology at Stanford University John St

2、einbeck，(19021968), a significant American novelist、 story writer、 play writer、and essayist. He was born in Salinas , California. His father was a government official, and his mother a school teacher. He grew up at home reading British and French classics. He went to Stanford University (1919-1925),

3、 but never graduated. He worked as a farm laborer, a seaman, a newspaper reporter, a bricklayer, a chemists assistant, a surveyor, and a migratory fruit picker.Awardsfor his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perceptionthe Nobel Prize in Litera

4、ture, 1962 He is awarded the title of American “National Literary arts Institute academician”（国家文艺学院院士）, and “The American literary arts study academician”（美国文艺研究院院士） MedalsTHE GRAPES OF WRATH (1939), won in time the Pulitzer Prize in 1940. And in 1940 he obtained the Nobel Prize in literature nomin

5、ation. At last John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.William Faulkner listed him as the present age “one of five biggest writers of fiction” . Writing CareerNearly 40 years writing career , he published 12 novels, 2 volume short story collections, 1 scientific experiments no

6、vel, 3 travel notes . He also set his foot in screenplay creation and photography. WorksTortilla Flat (1935)In Dubious Battle (1936)Of Mice and Men (1937)The Grapes of Wrath (1939)The Moon Is Down (1942)The Pearl (1947)East of Eden (1952)The Winter of Our Discontent (1961) The ChrysanthemumsCharacte

7、rsStructureSummarySymbolsSentencesTheme and Enlightment Characters Elisa A passionate woman who lives an unsatisfying life. As a result, she devotes all of her energy to maintaining her house and garden. Elisa is so frustrated with life that she readily looks for stimulating conversation and even se

8、x.HenryHard-working, successful small-scale rancherPractical - does not fully understand Elisas desire to grow flowersElisa hopes Henry will see how pretty she is, but he does notThe TinkerRepresents freedom, connection with others that Elisa longs for but cannot have .To Elisa, the tinker is exotic

9、.(异国的，异域风情的，means very different from Elisa.) StructureBeginning Story opens with Elisa and Henry， they both work hard on their farm in the valley. Elisa is a passionate woman who lives an unsatisfying life. Elisas husband, Henry ,is everything a woman should want in a husband by the standards of hi

10、s society .DevelopmentArrival of the tinker:His interest in the flowers:Elisas captivation with him The tinker drives away with fifty cents and the cuttings .Elisas preparation for dinnerClimax Elisa sees the chrysanthemums of her are discarded on the road: “Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark sp

11、eck. She knew.”Ending Elisa realizes she is not so strong, and she breaks down in weak tears like an old woman. Summary Elisa Allen and her husband Henry live peacefully on their farm. When Elisa is busy with her chrysanthemums in the garden, a tinker passes by and asks for work .She refused directl

12、y. Later when the man enquires about her chrysanthemums and asks for some “seeds” to bring to“ a lady”, Elisa gets emotional and finds him two pots to mend. The tinker drives away with fifty cents and the cuttings . When riding on the road with her husband, Elisa sees the chrysanthemum shoots she se

13、nt to the lady thrown on the road. She is dismayed and cries sadly . SymbolsChrysanthemumsThe chrysanthemums symbolize both Elisa and the limited scope of her life. Like Elisa, the chrysanthemums are lovely, strong, and thriving. The Salinas ValleyThe metaphor of the valley as a “closed pot” suggest

14、s that Elisa is trapped inside an airless world and that her existence as reached a boiling point.FencesFences symbolize the barriers that separate Elisa from the rest of the world, including her husband Henry. Her fences protect flower garden from cattle, dogs, and chickens which represent her husb

15、ands world while her flower garden represents。Red flower potThe red is important here because red is the symbol of power and passion. At this point in the story, Elisa is beginning to feel her own power. She is realizing she can bring forth life in her flowers, even if she is not powerful in other a

16、spects of her life. Sentences1.“The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from the rest of the world.飘荡在半空中的冬雾呈现出灰法兰绒色，将萨利纳斯山谷严实地罩了起来；同时也把它与外界分隔开。 2.“The calloused hands he rested on the wire fence were cracked, and every crack was a black line. He took off his battered hat.”他放在铁丝栅栏上的手打满了老茧，裂着一条条黑乎乎的口子。他脱下了那顶破烂的帽子。3.“Elisa started at the sound of her husbands voice. He had come near quietly, and he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs an