How Does Steinbeck Use Symbols In The Chrysanthemums

How Does Steinbeck Use Symbols In The Chrysanthemums
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was born in the farm and ranch based town of Salinas, California to the
county treasurer and his wife on February 27, 1902. Being born into a well–off family, he could
afford the luxury of hopping from job to job helping ranchers and later attending Stanford
University, only to leave without a degree. Altogether, he appears to be the average college student
nowadays from our dreamer generation. Four years he published his first novel, Cup of Gold, and
over the course of time he found his niche as a fiction writer with a focus on drawing attention to
some real life issues he'd witnessed firsthand, growing up on the edge of the last frontier in the west.
He ended up publishing The Chrysanthemums in 1938, recalling the ... Show more content on
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Our text gives us several direct examples of such hints in literature, and in this particular story, I see
Steinbeck's hints all throughout, drawing our attention to Elisa Allen's deeper thoughts. With her
husband maintaining a cattle ranch and providing the income, Elisa was left to take care of
housework, not getting much interaction with anyone besides her husband and the occasional trip to
town. Her excessive pride in her work and possibly desire to be viewed with as much respect as a
man is shown through her rugged gardening gear. Not the cute little outfit some might imagine, she
wears a large, black men's hat, tough leather gloves, a large apron with pockets for her snips, trowel
and scratcher, knife, and seeds to do her work. Showing her character through the outfit she wears
most comfortably, we also get to see how trapped Elisa must feel on the inside, staring out at the
world from inside the chicken wire fence she works from within, and that being within the great,
closed pot of a valley she lives in, with the "high grey–flannel fog of winter" as a lid. She seems to
long for the life of the travelling metalworker, just because it seems so free and respected by others,
unlike her current cage she is only let from to be dolled up and paraded around town for the
edification of the marriage between Henry and
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

The Hamilton And The Trasks In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
In John Steinbeck's East of Eden, two unique families collide with one another. The Hamilton's and
the Trasks are two families who live in the Salinas Valley; each experience different triumphs and
hardships throughout the course of their life. The experiences of the two families is based on the
world in the late 18th and early 19th century, however, the actions of many characters are very
similar to human actions in the present. The Trask family in particular reveals many different parts
of the human life.Throughout the story,. friendship, arrogance, depression, and love are four major
themes that give an explanation for the development of the world in the past and the formation of
the world in the present. Friendship is the base of all human ... Show more content on
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Love is one of the most prominent themes throughout the novel. From the beginning of the story,
Charles, Adam's younger brother, felt an absence of love from their father. Later on, Cal, Adam's
youngest son, feels an absence of love. Cathy struggles with the concept of love throughout her
entire life. Adam believes he has found the true meaning of love, only to have his heart broken.
Finally, Aron Trask, Adam's youngest son, battles in his young relationship with Abra. Each of these
instances are different, but they all reveal one major thing–– love is something that is different for
each person, and the presence of love is something that many people overlook. The absence of love
is something that can have an extreme effect on people. Steinbeck explains, "The greatest terror a
child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears. I think everyone in the world
to a large or small extent has felt rejection. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger some
kind of crime in revenge for the rejection, and with the crime guilt–and there is the story of
mankind" (270). This is one of the most powerful quotes in the entire story. Steinbeck relates every
aspect of mankind to the concept of

John Steinbeck's Accomplishments
On Thursday, February 27th, 1902, John Steinbeck in Salinas, California, and was born following
his two older sisters, Esther and Beth, to the parents of former educator Olive Hamilton and Sperry
Flour Mill supervisor, John Ernst Steinbeck. Steinbeck's childhood was similar to any others, as his
adolescent years were carefree and relaxed. By the age of four, in the vast land of Salinas, Steinbeck
was given a pony, later becoming the inspiration of his famous, well–acclaimed novel, The Red
Pony. Later on his ninth birthday, his aunt, Molly, gifted him a copy of Le Morte d'Arthur written by
Thomas Malory, which began his start of being a voracious reader. Steinbeck loved words, and
reading old–fashioned words like the ones Malory used pleased ... Show more content on
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By 1933, the novel, To a God Unknown was successfully published. During the 1930's, the Great
Depression occurred leaving millions of Americans jobless, and Steinbeck wrote three books, In
Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath, all about California's labor issues,
which he brought to life, especially in The Grapes of Wrath. In The Grapes of Wrath, he used his
journalistic side to show behind the scenes of migrant labor camps. The Grapes of Wrath became
one of Steinbeck's most controversial novels and well–known as he persistently ignored publicity as
he fell ill and his marriage began falling apart. Furthermore, the suspicions of The Grapes of Wrath
led to questioning of communist teachings, and eventually made Steinbeck stick to writing about the
media for war effort. With old friend, Ed Ricketts, in 1940, they sailed to the gulf of California
influencing Sea of Cortez; even though, Henning accompanied Steinback, their marriage was
already too late to fix and divorced in 1943. On May 11th, 1948, Steinbeck's long time friend, Ed
Ricketts, was hit by a train, and devastatingly lost his life, which sadly was an addition to the
divorce of his second wife, Gwyn, sending him into a depressed state until 1948. East of Eden was
published in 1952 and dedicated to his two sons explaining his life in Salinas and grieving with the
aftermath of the divorce with Gwyn. Finally, in 1964, Steinbeck was awarded Presidential Medal of
Freedom, and by 1966, he began writing his last book about the American race. Sadly, his health
began to stop cooperating, and he passed away on December 20th, 1968. Steinbeck was a loved,
astonishing, fantastic writer that took risks other writers would not have the guts to, and if it was not
for Mr. Ricketts, one of his wives, his sons, the landscape of Sanali, or anything else along the

John Steinbeck Of Mice And Men
John Steinbeck is an American author who was born on February 27th of 1902 in Salinas,
California. During the summers of his teenage years, Steinbeck worked as a ranch hand in rural
California, which shows how he understands the life of ranch hands in his novel Of Mice and Men.
In 1919, he enrolled in Stanford University, but he never obtained a degree because he didn't commit
to being a full time college student. When John dropped out of college, he became a manual laborer
before becoming a successful author. Growing up, Steinbeck's father tried several jobs to keep the
family fed, and his mom was a school teacher. John easily connected emotionally with migrant
workers. In 1934, he met two workers who were hiding in Seaside, California and

East Of Eden Analysis
The novel East of Eden was written by John Steinbeck back in 1952. The plot of the story is based
on the biblical story of Cain and Abel. In order to suit the current setting, John set his novel in the
current setting. The novel is primarily set in California's Salinas Valley. He aims to portray te good
and evil that took place in the garden of Eden and how the occupants came to the realization of both
deeds. The novel was written between the periods of World War one and the American Civil War.
The next discussion will help critique the book, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of John's
style of narration. To effectively do this, the critique will use the works of Michael da Silva, Robert
Hatch and Greg Orybeck. After critically reading ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Aside from providing a background of the time in which the novel was written, Robert goes ahead
to discuss the novel bits by bits. After one gets proper background of the novel from Michael's
critique, then they will be able to conceptualize Robert's critique. Tis piece particularly discusses the
contents of the novel, by analysing each of the characters and the various themes in the novel. Also,
he gives a series of novels written by John Steinbeck and how they help build this novel. Robert also
analyses this book in relation to previously published books and how their themes have been
developed differently to help build the plot of the story

Freedom of Choice in Steinbeck's East of Eden Essay
Our circumstances do not determine our lives. Instead, our lives are determined by our choices. That
is not to say that our lives are not impacted by the country in which we were born, the family which
we were born to, or the tragedies which touched our lives. We are given a choice of how we respond
to those things, and the power of choice means that the lessons and value of our lives is not
determined by outside influences, but instead it is determined by our reaction to those influences. In
the novel, East of Eden by John Steinbeck theorizes that all individuals have the freedom to make
choices in order to triumph over evil. Steinbeck demonstrates this by his use of the word timshel, the
word, which translates to "thou mayest," is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Adam was clearly an Abel, good to the core. In contrast, Charles, his jealous brother, was a Cain
figure. Adam's set of twins took on characteristics of good and evil also. Aron, the fair–haired child,
was considered the good son throughout most of the novel. He was his father's favorite and Abra's
true love. The dark Cal, on the other hand, was jealous and mean. He believed throughout most of
the novel that he was incapable of goodness and was condemned to the wickedness of his mother.
Ironically, by the end of the novel, Cal became a good son and received his father's blessings.
Through the teachings of Lee, the family servant, Cal had learned that he had the freedom to choose
goodness over evil. Cathy, the twin's mother, insists that there is only evil in the world, and
immersed herself into taking advantage of other people's flaws and weaknesses. Cathy also had that
freedom of choice, but she always made the wrong decision and remained the totally evil character
throughout the novel. People are better off believing that their lives are filled with choices. They do
not get the luxury of blaming their circumstances on external factors. We all decide how we respond
to life's challenges, and there are excellent examples of people all around us who have found ways
to overcome the most difficult troubles of birth and life. At the end of the day, we all choose. This is
a principle that should be reinforced

John Steinbeck's East of Eden
East of Eden: A study in human development
The characteristics of people are formed by multiple factors. In many situations, children are raised
under similar conditions, however, their later characteristics and life choices are very different. In
the book, East of Eden, author John Steinbeck explores the development of humans, from
childhood, to adulthood, and eventually, to death. East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, is a genealogical
novel about the lives of the Trasks, particularly the main character in the book, Adam Trask. Along
the way, the Hamiltons, Ames, and many other characters are introduced. Steinbeck makes a point
of showing the continually changing nature of some characters, while describing the ceaseless ...
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From reading such descriptions, Steinbeck plants in the readers mind that actions are inherited. He
seems to say that all people act as those before them.
Soon after, Steinbeck counteracts this image in his descriptions of Kate (Cathy Ames). Kate was
born into a ordinary situation. She had loving parents and all the necessities of life. But, from the
time she was born, there was a factor to her, something unknowable.
"Cathy Ames was born with the tendencies, or lack of them, which drove and forced her all of her
life. Some balance wheel was misweighted, some gear out of ratio. She was not like other people,
never was from birth. . . . . As a child may be born without an arm, so may one be born without
kindness or the potential of a conscience (526)."
Cathy's parents never understood why their daughter was different nor what exactly made her that
way. "Mr. Ames came in contact with other children away from his home and he felt that Cathy was
not like other children. It was a matter more felt than known. He was uneasy about his daughter but
he could not have said why" (528). Cathy was different from others, much of the book is devoted to
examining this difference, but no answers are ever found. "The trouble is that since we cannot know
what she wanted, we will never know whether or not she got it" (603). There are other characters in
the book that evolve similarly; with unknown reasons to be the way the become.

The Chrysanthemums Symbolism
"I also have a message for my fellow men and boys: play your part. All of us benefit when women
and girls – your mothers, sisters, friends and colleagues – can reach their full potential" –UN
Secretary–General Ban Ki–moon. "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck is a story about a
woman named Elisa Allen who lives in the Salinas Valley. Elisa and her husband, Henry, live on a
farm. Henry takes care of all the business decision and Elisa gardens, she loves her
chrysanthemums. When Henry lands a big business deal, the two make plans to go out to dinner
after work. Henry leaves to go to work, leaving Elisa all alone gardening. She is interrupted by a
stranger, who is a tinker looking for work. After some conversation, Elisa gives the man some
sprouts ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Salinas Valley and the chrysanthemums represent how a woman is trapped and has to dependent
on a man for happiness, wealth, and just to survive in general. The dogs and the flower pots
represent how easily a man is able to use and abuse a woman's love for his own good. Both of the
men in the story do not realize how smart Elisa is. Henry, Elisa's husband, takes care of the whole
business aspect of their farm without consulting his wife at all. Elisa is supposed to be treated as an
equal partner instead she is stuck watching everything happen. Likewise, the tinker does not treat
Elisa equal. The tinker says, "it ain't the right kind of a life for a woman," with no explanation on
why he felt that way (1242). This shows that the tinker just assumes that a woman can not do his job
simply because she is a woman. Elisa is depicted as a strong woman who is trapped and sad because
wants to be independent and equal. The only way she felt that she was going to get her
independence and be able to "bloom" was through the chrysanthemums, this is why when she
figured the flowers were thrown to the side of the road, "she turned up her coat collar so [nobody
could see] that she was crying weakly–like an old woman," she realized that she was used and that
she was never going to get to see the world outside of her little town (1244). John Steinbeck uses the
two men in this story, to represent

Who Is John Steinbeck's Naturalism
John Steinbeck born february 27 1902 in Salinas California, raised in a modest household with 3
sisters and his mother and father. Both hard working parents that passed on the same characteristics
to their son. John had a nice childhood he went to highschool then to stanford university. It didn't
last long he tried to stay in the college but he wanted to pursue writing. He moved to new york and
became a freelance writer. "Steinbeck attended stanford university intermittently between 1920 and
1926"editors of encyclopedia.com. Steinbeck was a hard worker and took on construction jobs to
make it in the big city but also wrote books. "John steinbeck's reputation mostly rest on the
naturalistic themes he wrote in the 1930's" editors of encyclopedia.com.

John Steinbeck Influences
John Steinbeck, the author of various forms of literature, was also known as the "writer of the
1930's" (2). Throughout his career, he found himself writing through many periods and eras.
Periods, such as the Postwar period and the World War II era, gave Steinbeck different introspective,
which helped write with numerous different styles (2).
His background, education, and accomplishments all help define the person who John Steinbeck
was. On February 27th, 1902, John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California (2). He grew up
in Monterey County alongside his father, John who was a county treasurer, and his mother, Olive
who was a school teacher (1). Later in his life, Steinbeck married a woman named Carol Henning in
1930. The two moved

East Of Eden Literary Analysis
In East of Eden, John Steinbeck explores human knowledge of good and evil, and the power of free
will man holds. This book is about choices and understanding – the struggle to grasp and understand
the fight between moral extremes, and the choice man has to pick and choose on what side of the
spectrum he lies. East of Eden explores extremely differentiating types of people – some with a
nature holy enough to mirror prophets, and some disturbed to their very core, only to be described as
'monsters'. But every character, regardless of background, faces questions of morality, whether they
are indulged in out of personal growth or interest, or thrusted upon them by unholy circumstances.
But the lesson learned by each character can be summed up ... Show more content on
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When Cain is confronted by God in the Story of Cain and Abel, Cain replies to God's question of his
brother's whereabouts with the famous line "am I my brother's keeper?" which is also spoken by Cal
in East of Eden when confronted by his father. But like many of Steinbeck's novels, despite the
terrible acts so frequently committed throughout the span of the novel, Steinbeck chooses to end on
a note of hope, or at the very least, hopeful desperation. The word timshel, spoken with Adam's last
dying breath, is a plea to his only son. Instead of dooming Cal to the same fate as his brother
Charles, Adam decides to save Cal's soul from the idea that one's path in life is set in stone not by
the choices one makes but from forces of nature predetermined. Adam gives to Cal what may have
saved his deceased brother and son – the idea that man may overcome sin, and man may

What Is The Diction In East Of Eden
In John Steinbeck's, East of Eden, the characters go through difficult obstacles to get to where they
want to be in their lives; whether the obstacles are internal or external. In this passage, one can see
the conflict that Charles has within himself when writing to Adam, his half brother. This is done by
the authors use of graceless diction, by choosing words like "scratch," "splash," and "race," giving
Charles' letter a distressed or hurried tone, his repeated use of dashes throughout the passage,
making Charles seem unsure of what to say, and his chilling use of similes when describing the
house through Charles' eyes. Steinbeck does this in order to make Charles seem on edge due to his
solitude on the farm. In this passage, Steinbeck tells the reader that Charles is distressed, by his
word choice. One can see how Charles is hurting, due to the fact that he is all alone and is left to
reflect on himself and his actions. The words "scratch," "splash," and "race," give the audience a
rushed feeling; when the pen breaks, so does he. All of a sudden Charles has so many thoughts; his
brain is working faster than his pencil can write. This shows ... Show more content on
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When Charles writes, "It's like the whole house was alive and eyes everywhere, and like there were
people behind every door just ready to come in if you looked away," it shows the paranoia he feels.
The thought of the house and the people hiding, judging him makes Charles feel even more alone
then he already is. That is why he is reaching out to his brother by writing to him. The watching
eyes represent the animosity he feels towards himself. By being alone, he realizes the kind of person
he really is. Steinbeck does this in order to show complexity in Charles' character. When writing to
Adam, he asks himself if who he is, is by his choice or by a higher being. This appeals to the free
will or fate theme that goes throughout the

East Of Eden Theme Essay
East of Eden was published in 1952 by renowned American author, John Steinbeck. Claimed by
many to be one of his greatest novels, this piece tells a story of tragedy spanning two generations of
two different families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons. Steinbeck himself grew up in the main setting
of the book, the Salinas Valley in California. He paints a beautiful picture of the valley, however it is
stained with the turmoil the book entails. Meanwhile many themes can be drawn from East of Eden,
one of the most notable ones is the battle of good versus evil. This theme is possibly the most
interesting because it is one of the only ones that carries on throughout the entirety of the book, and
can be related to almost any character. When we look at the dynamic character of Caleb Trask, or
the opposition between Abra and Cathy, or even the word "timshel", it is clear that good steers the
story, and is what ultimately wins. One of the main plots of East of Eden that proves good wins is
the dynamic change Caleb "Cal" Trask goes through. From the very moment Cal is brought into the
book he is destined to be exactly like his uncle, Charles Trask, and he can ... Show more content on
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It is a novel that exemplifies what it means for good to win against evil. There are multiple reasons
that support this statement. Quite possibly the most notable being the dynamic character, Cal Trask,
proves that people truly can change and good can win with his drastic change from part one to part
three. Meanwhile Abra and Cathy's allusion to good versus evil is a more specific example that good
wins, or such a small word as "timshel" that can impact the theme so greatly. Thus, East of Eden can
be seen as a tragedy but all in all is a book that depicts the image of good winning in the face of evil.
Many years later, East of Eden remains to show generations that even in the saddest of stories, evil
doesn't always

A Comparison Of Minorities In East Of Eden And Life Is So...
The hardships minorities faced during the time periods East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Life is
so Good by Richard Glaubman and George Dawson is something many people will never be able to
fathom. As much as people read about these tough times and the misfortune and cruelty people
faced, only those who experienced that oppression will truly ever understand. In both these books
people are faced with rough lives and manage to continue living, despite the many adjustments they
must make. Minorities in both East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and Life is so Good by Richard
Glaubman and George Dawson learn to face challenges presented by the time period in these novels,
and make the necessary sacrifices in order to survive, but still prevail and ... Show more content on
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George Dawson never has a hard time accepting his role in the society he lives in he never has lived
life any other way, so when his son Junior returns from the Korean War and tells his father about
how he had to switch railcars when the troops were returning to the southern states. Junior rightfully
felt that it was unfair that he was allowed to fight with white troops but when they were returning
home they still could not be in the same railcar (Glaubman 218). After hearing this George
responded "That's life and you just need to get settled back into things..." (Glaubman 218), he
cannot even begin to understand the misguided nature of the situation. At this time instead of trying
to change his fate George has come to terms with the fact that he will never be able to be equal with
white men, which he does not know is absurdly untrue. Later on in the book he begins to fight back
by refusing to eat the lunch which is employer placed by the dog's food he knows that he, as a
human, has more value than that (Glaubman 214). This displays his evolution as a person. Similarly,
Lee also has come to terms with his place in the community by changing the way he presents
himself to people he knows what people expect from him and he just follows that. In the beginning
of the novel he covers his personality with the stereotypical exterior that people expect of him. By
doing so he sacrificed a bit of himself to please others. He just does what people want from him, no
more or no less, he knows "[when he looks] at a man's eyes, [he] can see that he expects pidgin and
a shuffle, so [he] speaks pidgin and [shuffles]..." (Steinbeck 164). As the novel progresses Lee
begins to open up to more people rather than just Samuel Hamilton. He allows Adam, Cal, Aron,
and Abra to see him for who he truly is. He learns to be

Influences On John Steinbeck's Literary Works
Influences on Steinbeck's Literary Works John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California and,
according to James Ryan, the eleventh dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education who
wrote a biography about Steinbeck, was the son of the Monterey County Treasurer and a former
school teacher. Steinbeck worked as a laborer on surrounding farms and ranches and grew up in an
agricultural community called Monterey County, and later on, made a profound impact on
Steinbeck's writing. For example, one of his novels, The Pearl; all of the protagonists were
Mexicans. This is because of the location Steinbeck would spend his vacation: working in farms and
ranches surrounded by Mexican ethnicity. Steinbeck used the places where he was raised as the
settings

Chrysanthemums Essay
Chrysanthemums A good writer has many tools at hand that help them develop good story lines.
There are literary techniques such as voice, point of view, character, theme, and symbolism. One
very interesting technique is that of symbolism. With symbolism the author is able to write a story in
which many of the actions around the main character seem to enhance the way the character
develops. The use of symbolism to develop the characters is easy to see in the short story "the
chrysanthemums" by John Steinback. In this story Steinback writes of a woman who lives on a
farm; but the woman feels trapped, and wishes that she could free herself. The author uses both the
time of year and the location to develop a setting that compliments ... Show more content on
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The air was cold and tender. A light wind blew up from the southwest so that the farmers were
mildly hopeful of a good rain before long; but fog and rain do not go together."(Steinback 267)
From this line much may be derived about Elisa Smith's character. The quiet waiting symbolizes
how Elisa is silently waiting for something to happen. Elisa can not say much about her current
situation, she has to calmly weight for something to happen. This can be seen when her husband
jokes about her going to the fights with her. At the time she says nothing, because it would be absurd
for her to go with him. However, after she grows up at the end of the story she expresses her interest
to go with him. The symbol of the possibly of rain shows how Elisa anticipates that something
interesting in her life may happen, but deep down she knows that there is a very low probability that
anything would actually happen. Elisa's bath is another good symbol that Steinback uses to develop
Elisa's character. When she, "scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice. . . until her skin was
scratched and red."(Steinback 273) she was scrubbing away the skin that bound her into her
conventional role. After this bath she had the courage to ask henry if they could have wine at the
dinner tonight, and that they may possibly go to the fights together. After her bath she realized how
strong she

The Chrysanthemums
John Steinback created a masterpiece that describes a most peculiar case of a strong minded woman
bound by a rural area during the 1920's and 30's. The narrator writes about a rather troubled
protagonist who seems to have a lot of ambition built up inside to change her ways of just being an
old fashioned marital wife. Her biggest problem could be the fact she is being repressed by the
primitive ideology that men work and women nurture. Studying the characters and point of view of
"The Chrysanthemums" allows for a better understanding to how truly alone our protagonist, Elisa,
may feel. The protagonist is a round character who is first introduced when she is in her jail cell, the
garden. The narrator describes Elisa's questionable outfit that

Medical Techniques And Prostitution In East Of Eden By...
East of Eden, a novel by John Steinbeck, tells the convoluted story of two families over the span of
multiple generations. The novel is considered a modern day retelling of the Genesis story from the
Bible. Though the novel is fiction, Steinbeck manages to incorporate several references to various
historical events, specifically wars that America was involved in. A few of the wars that are alluded
to are the War of 1812, the Civil War, and World War I. For some of the wars that Steinbeck
mentions, he gives correct facts about, such as the Civil War. Steinbeck properly illustrates the
medical techniques and prostitution at war camps. Other wars, though, he speaks about with less
truth, such as the War of 1812. Steinbeck grossly underestimates ... Show more content on
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He describes the outcome of the war by saying, "The Mexican War did two good things though. We
got a lost of western land, damn near doubled our size, and besides that it was a training ground for
generals, so that when the sad self–murder settled on ues the leaders knew the techniques for
making it properly horrible." (Steinbeck 130). Once again, one statement given has lots of truth to it,
the other, not so much. Steinbeck accurately describes the fact that the Mexican War was an
opportunity for teaching new generals. The important generals of the later American Civil War got
their first experience in the Mexican War (Naughton 84). On the other hand, Steinbeck wrongly tells
how much land the US gained from Mexico. He describes it as doubling the size of our country,
when, in reality, the land gained was about the size of one–third of the United States at the time
(Nevin 222). Though Steinbeck inaccurately describes the amount of land gained, he still gives a
decent overview of the results of the Mexican

Symbolism In The Chrysanthemums
The setting of a short story often plays a major role in revealing the theme of the story, especially in
short stories where the characters cannot show their full personality because of the narrative's short
length. In "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, the setting offers the reader deeper
understanding of the story and especially the main character, Elisa Allen. Set in Salinas Valley,
California, Steinbeck expertly contradicts the expectations that come along with a California setting:
lazy days in the sun, the thrill of adventure, and the warmth of perennial happiness. The setting
reveals the isolation plaguing Elisa Allen and her desperation for intimacy while also mirroring
Elisa's inner feelings. The setting lends itself to feelings ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When she is introduced, she is wearing a "gardening costume" (178) which covers nearly all of her
skin and is described as being traditionally masculine. She conceals herself, thereby concealing her
true feelings as well. Along with the heavy gardening garb, Steinbeck also describes her as being
behind a "wire fence," where her flowers are protected from harm. However, she treats her flowers
as an extension of herself due to the amount of care she puts into them, so the fence is not only
protecting her flowers from harm, but also herself. The fence and the clothing are methods of
protecting herself and further concealing her loneliness. However, she removes part of her armour
when the tinker, surreptitiously manipulating her, begins to make friendly conversation and she
engages with him. Although the conversation falters, the tinker discovers another route to
manipulate Elisa when he compliments her chrysanthemums and she takes her hat off to reveal "her
pretty hair" (182). She reveals herself to him, her true self, due to her attraction to the tinker's way to
life and his interest in the flowers that she treats as an extension of herself, but also due to her
longing for closeness with someone else who truly understands

The Grapes Of Wrath: The Modernist Literary...
John Steinbeck–John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902. He was born in Salinas, California.
Before he became a successful writer he dropped out of college and worked as a manual laborer. In
1939 he wrote a novel called The Grapes of Wrath. The novel was about the migration of a family
from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California. The novel won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book
Award.During World War II Steinbeck served as a war correspondent. In 1962 he was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature. On December 20, 1968 John Steinbeck died. He died of heart disease at
his home in New York City.
Modernism Literary Movement– Modernism was an English form of fiction writing. It was popular
from about the 1910s all the way to the 1960s. Modernism literature is distinguished by the innr self
and conscious break with accustomed styles of verse and poetry. Most Modernism literature was
writen in first person. Most literature had a beginning, middle, and end but Modernism literature
was usually more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It extended to the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Realism was a way of writing
of how everyday life was. It was usually about the life of the lower and middle classes. Realism in
literature was the attempt to write about everyday people and situations in an unideal way.
The American Novel– The American novel is any novel that has successfully represented an
important event in US history. Or a novel that tells a story that is particular of America. The
American novel is the idea of a novel as being the most accurate representation of the events that
jave occured in the United States. The novels are usually written by an author who knows about the
state, culture, and has a view of being a common American citizen. The author usesa literary device
to determine the language used by the American people at the time and to express the special
American

East Of Eden Literary Analysis
In East of Eden, John Steinbeck reinforces the theme of timshel–"thou mayest"–by paradoxically
showing how characters fail to face their fates. These characters are seemingly preordained to follow
a certain path as they each fall prey to fate. With every darkening failure in the story, there becomes
a brighter hope that someone will break the cycle of sin by choosing to live freely. Charles and
Adam Trask are unmistakably bound to the story of Cain and Abel. Through their names and their
actions, Steinbeck shows how these two brothers fail to control fate. They follow the story of giving
gifts to their father with Charles being rejected and Adam accepted. When they inevitably clash,
Charles is filled with a "Rage...and then a coldness, a possession" of his will that forces him to
follow his fate to try to kill Adam (30). Steinbeck plainly shows that Charles succumbs to fate. He
becomes alone and scarred much in the way Cain is exiled and marked. Adam's adherence to fate
goes beyond just his relation with his brother. He consciously follows the biblical story of Adam
when he "means to make a garden of [his] land" ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was Steinbeck's "belief that Cathy Ames was born with the tendencies, or lack of them, which
drove and forced her all of her life" (72). Cathy is portrayed as a monster that lacks something very
important to being human. This stark description of Cathy to an embodiment of evil and sin seems
to show that she had no choice in what she became, but this conflicts with the idea of timshel. In a
final act of desperation against fate, Cathy realizes that she "'missed something,'" and so "she grew
smaller and smaller and...disappeared" in regret for what she had done (554). Cathy takes control
over her fate by stopping herself from committing more sin. Although Cathy was a "monster", it's
hard not to pity her inability to face fate any other way than

John Steinbeck Of Mice And Men Summary
John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas Valley, California. He grew up there,
which is where his appreciation for the Salinas Valley formed. His novel Of Mice and Men takes
place in Salinas, California. The story is about two men who work as ranch hands during the Great
Depression. Steinbeck is able to describe the hardships these men face on a personal level because
he worked as a manual laborer before achieving success as a writer.
Steinbeck's father had many jobs to keep the family financially stable, and his mother was a
schoolteacher. Steinbeck went to college at Stanford, but later dropped out, moved to New York City
and began his career writing by being a newspaper reporter. At this time John Steinbeck began to

Literary Analysis Of East Of Eden By Adam Trask
A Father, a Brother, and a Wife In the novel "East of Eden", written by John Steinbeck, readers
follow a man named Adam Trask from his childhood up to his death. His life is an exhibit of
struggle, perseverance, and naivety; in which all of these qualities seem to be apparent in his
significant relationships. As the story progresses, Adam has his fair share of relationships, and not
all of which are healthy. He slowly but surely has to learn that even people he loves have the ability
to hurt him and that those relationships may be detrimental to him and his family. Adam Trask
repeatedly displays how the theme of relationships is recurring in "East of Eden"; with his father,
Cyrus Trask, his half–brother, Charles Trask, and his ex–wife, Cathy ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It seems that Adam instantly felt empathy for her, as "...his mind went back... his stepmother was
standing over him with a damp cloth in her hand, and he could feel the little running pains as the
water cut through," (p.110). This empathy may be why Adam had such a hard time letting her go
after he realized how sinister she was. Despite Cathy trying to kill her baby with a knitting needle
after realizing she was pregnant and without even telling Adam about it, and after she shot him, he
had to physically see her in a whorehouse in her ugly state to get over her and live his life. This may
be the most prominent relationship in the book because of her effect on Adam and how his character
develops. If Adam did not have Lee, the housekeeper, and Samuel, his friend, Adam's two boys may
have had a father just like Adam and

Comparing The American Dream In John Steinbeck's Of Mice...
John Steinbeck was a well known author in the U.S . His most famous book was Of Mice and Men.
Most of his books took place in the Salinas River Valley, California during the Great Depression.
Steinbeck didn't believe in the American dream which is the idea that if you work hard enough your
dream will come true. John Steinbeck uses George, Curley's wife and Crooks to show the failure of
the American dream. To begin, John Steinbeck uses George to show the failure of the American
dream. George is a small guy and somewhat rude. He truly cares about his companion Lennie, but
he doesn't like to show it. He's very serious and determined. In the book George and Lennie had to
run away from a very difficult situation that Lennie caused. Now they're ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The workers on the ranch see her as a tart because she tries to talk to them. She talks to them
because she feels lonely. She feels lonely because she's the only female on the ranch. One evening
Curley's wife went into the barn where Lennie was. She realized Lennie was mournful because he
accidentally killed the puppy that hid in the hay so she began to comfort him. Afterwards she began
to tell Lennie about how much she wanted to be an actress, famous and about how soft and curly her
hair was. She said "Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes – all them nice clothes like they
wear. An' I coulda sat in them big hotels, an' had pitchers took of me. When they had them previews
I coulda went to them, an' spoke in the radio..." (Steinbeck 89). She picked up Lennie's hand, to set
it on her head so he could feel the softness of her hair. She asked Lennie to stop, but he continued
petting her hair, she began to panic because Lennie wouldn't let go and she screamed and fought
Lennie's hands off her body but Lennie didn't let go. Then Lennie snapped her neck... Curley's wife
and her dream died forever. Her dream dies because she dies and because Lennie killed her. This
proves that Steinbeck uses Curley's wife to show the failure of the American

East Of Eden Theme Essay
East of Eden, By John Steinbeck, is a classical novel set in the post civil war and mid World War 1
era. The novel centers on two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, living in the Salinas valley in
California. The main protagonist is Adam Trask, a passive man who marries the main antagonist,
Cathy, a cruel and evil woman who manipulates others for her own gain. Cathy gives birth to two
sons, Caleb and Aron, and chooses to leave Adam after his usefulness to her is through. Adam,
heartbroken, moves to the town of Salinas with his sons hoping to start a new life. Several years
later when the two boys are men, Caleb vindictively reveals who their mother is to his brother Aron,
resulting in Aron's death and Adam's choice to Caleb to repent for his crimes or to succumb to them.
The novel touches many topics, issues, and themes that are still prevalent in today's society. It deals
with the societal issues of the battle between good and evil, the power we have as humans to choose
between wrong and right, and the struggle of finding our character. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He writes, "We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never–ending contest in
ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while
virtue, is immortal." (Steinbeck 413). Steinbeck is conveying that everything is essentially about the
fight between good and evil and that evil needs to have a reason to keep it that way, but good needs
nothing to remain good. As a society we all have a reason behind our evil deeds, sometimes that
reason is an emotional anger or what someone said, but our good deeds we perform out of own
kindness, not from any specific reason but out of a hardwired sense of kindness we have in our

The American Dream In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
John Steinbeck was born on February,27,1902 and died on December,20,1968 from Heart failure.
John Steinbeck made his career writing he published 27 Books and his first book he published "Cup
Of Gold" had a great story to the Great Depression like many of his other books. John Steinbeck
fought in World War Two and survived he hailed from English,Irish and German race . When he
died he left two children and a wife behind and his great career he won a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel
a prize before he died as well. The American Dream was to be successful in life white picket fence
nice job good house (etc). Now over time that has changed from having a nice life nothing to
glamorous to wanting to become famous.
The way that you'd have to achieve ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Jim Crow laws segregated black and white people because It would benefit white people such
as white business owners may only want to hire white people so black people became unemployed
very easily or they may only serve white peoples or how black people had to sit in the back of the
bus.
Jim Crow laws started in the 1870's 20 years after southern states starting using Jim Crow laws.
In 1906 the Atlanta Georgia at least 25 African Americans were killed because the true number was
never truly known then in 1921 the Tulsa riot 300 African Americans were killed.
1955 Rosa Parks protested against the Jim Crow laws by not giving up her seat on a bus to a white
person then in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr "I have a dream speech" helped in 1965 with the
abolishment of Jim Crow Laws In the early 1930's the Great Depression was starting to form and the
unemployment rate Is steadily going up and the dust bowl is destroying our agriculture and many
Midwest Americans were starting to lose there homes and profit and became and that's when
Americans had to migrate in there own country and there were migrants coming into America at the
same

Real Life Influences In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
East of Eden is a novel with many real life influences. One of the biggest influences in East of Eden
is religion, it parallels stories from the bible and it is the inspiration for some of the characters. It
also works to help illustrate an important life lesson that is the ultimate goal of the novel.
FFFFFFFFFFFF To truly understand the religious themes and influences in the book, it is best to see
how religion played into the author John Steinbeck's life. John Steinbeck was born in the Salinas
Valley of California (which is where narrator of the novel is born). He was born to John Ernst
Steinbeck and Olive Hamilton (also a character in the book) who were both of Episcopalian faith.
Not much can be said about Steinbeck's religious beliefs ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
The greatest lesson that the novel teaches and the lesson that should be picked up is one that is hard
to swallow. Ultimately every human being is like Cain and every human being inherits his sin but
ultimately like Caleb does in the novel, human beings all have the potential to redeem themselves
for timshel. Steinbeck uses the Hebrew word in a unique way to sum up his story. The word he uses
appears in a passage in which God discusses sin with Cain. The word timshel means "Thou mayest
rule over him" which ultimately represents the idea of

Response To John Steinbeck's 'East Of Eden'
East of Eden Response
1. Adam proves that he thinks his own personal greif is more important than his sons. He neglects
them and Lee takes care of them even though he is their father. Adam is motivated by what he wants
in life instead of what is right. He is unable to see through Cathy's acting due to his love for her and
he trusts Cyrus soley because he is his father. Adam trusts everyone regardless of how honest they
are or what their intentions are and he makes a lot of mistakes in the story but seems to realize his
mistakes by the end of the book.
Charles values his father's love greatly and loves his brother also but due to the fact that Cyrus
appears to love Adam more, Charles develops a love/hate relationship with his brother. He is
motivated by violence and tries to earn his fathers love. Charles, unlike Adam, assesses the idea that
his father could in fact be a fraud, and as a result spends none of his father's money. He can also be
manipulative like Cathy. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She plays people like cards and uses them to do her bidding and creates tradegy and pain for other
characters in the story. When she is not able to do this to a select few, it horrifies and destroys her.
Sam Hamilton does not view getting rich as important but instead values family, hard work, and
good relationships. He is motivated by his kindness and what is right. He hits Adam to help him on
the right path even though he does not believe in violence. Sam is not manipulated like other
characters and can see the true characteristics of

East Of Eden Title Analysis
Many novels have titles with a meaning that is not obvious until the reader has completed a large
portion of the book. The novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck has a meaning that only becomes
apparent as the reader completes part of the book. The title is referring to the biblical story of Cain
and Abel, two brothers who fought for God's admiration after their parents were banished from
Eden. This story took place east of Eden and is the clear inspiration for the title. Through the sibling
rivalries of Adam and Charles and of Aron and Caleb the title's meaning becomes obvious to the
reader. This technique effectively causes the reader to search for the meaning of the title and be
more interested in the story. The first story that resembles ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Steinbeck cements the idea of sibling rivalry and biblical allusion through the similarities between
both the story of Cain and Abel and the story of Adam and Charles. Again, there is one brother that
is well liked and the other that is not as favored. Aron is intelligent, charismatic, and overall a well–
liked person, Cal is abnormal, unloved, and unfortunately similar to his mother. Throughout their
relationship as brothers Cal became Jealous just as Charles and Cain before, this feeling is very
relatable for anyone who wished to gain their parent's favor. While Cal was contemplating his
jealousy for Aron he said, " Nearly everyone preferred Aron with his golden hair and the openness
that allowed his affection to plunge like a puppy. Cal's emotions hid deep in him and peered out,
ready to retreat or attack. He was starting to punish Abra for liking his brother, and this was nothing
new either. (27.4.61)" This clear understanding that you are less liked than your brother can take an
emotional toll on a person and cause one to do things they regret. Cal was jealous of his brother just
as many brothers had been before him and will be

East Of Eden Transformation
In John Steinbeck's East of Eden, the reader is introduced to a wealth of unforgettable characters
through an extensive period of time and across the United States. The novel begins in Connecticut
and mostly takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. It spans from the American Civil War to
post–WWI. Over the several generations, the characters change and adapt to their situations
extensively to create some of the most lively characters in literature. The Trasks and the Hamiltons
are introduced as the main families of the story and never cease to amaze. The characters are not
contained to these families though as several integral side figures take the spotlight and work to
move the plot. The coming of age tale that last three generations ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In the Cain and Abel story, where former kills the ladder, Cain is exiled to East of Eden. From the
title of the story, you can already tell the allusion will be heavy. Not only do Cal and Aron play to
the stereotype of the Bible story, their father and uncle, Adam and Charles, do as well. Adam and
Aron play the part of the innocent Abel, whereas Charles and Cal play the part of the rebellious and
wrongful Cain. All four characters do take large strides away from their associated character from
the Bible, however, all remain true in the end to their respective stereotypes. A key example of this
is how both generations react to their father's picking of favoritism. The Bible sees God, the father
in the case of the book, rejecting Cain's gift and then the subsequent killing of the brother. In the
case of East of Eden Steinbeck has them reenact this nearly identically. Cyrus Trask chooses the pet
Adam found rather than the knife Charles bought. This leads Charles to beat Adam to near death
before Adam escapes. One generation later, Adam rejects Cal's money saying that living an honest
life like Aron is better. This leads Cal to unravel and reveal to his brother that his mother is evil.
Though it is not the same as killing him, it sets him on the path to the military which gets him killed.
The entire narrative can be summed up by one quote from Adam. "What chance did we have? We
are the children of our father. It means we aren't the first." (page 267). This could be interpreted as
just a call back to how their father was unhonest, however, it can be better understood as saying
Cain and Abel were the first and everyone after them relived their mistakes and jealousy. All in all,
the stereotypes of the novel serve the purpose of moving the plot along and creating the setting and
atmosphere. Unforgettable characters are created and last in the reader's

What Does The Chrysanthemums Symbolize
"The Chrysanthemums" is a story written by John Steinbeck. In the story, the main character is Elisa
Allen. Elisa is a married woman living in a valley with her husband. Her life in the valley has
become limited to housewife duties and spends the most of her time in her chrysanthemum garden.
In the story, the chrysanthemum is mentioned in the most part of the story. Steinbeck uses
chrysanthemum to symbolize Elisa's children, femininity, and sexuality in the story. First, the
chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa's "children." Although, Elisa does not have any children, she tends
her garden and handles the chrysanthemums with love and care, just as she would handle her own
children. Like a mother is protective of her children, Elisa is protective of her flowers and places a
fence around. She makes sure that there are no snow bugs, snails, and cutworms. ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through the beginning of the story, her masculine image is portrayed. She wears heavy gardening
costumes, man's hat, and clodhopper shoes. However, after the tinker expresses an interest in Elisa's
flowers, her masculine image gets replaced with a feminine one. She tears off the battered hat and
shakes out her dark pretty hair. While transplanting the stems in a pot for the tinker, Elisa almost
touches Tinkers leg, but quickly recoils in shame. She spends a good amount of time talking to him
about proper care of the plants, as though the flowers themselves were women in need of attention.
Therefore, the chrysanthemums symbolizes her femininity in the

John Steinbeck's East of Eden
East of Eden: A Biblical Allegory
In East of Eden (1952) John Steinbeck creates a powerful novel using biblical allegories. By doing
this, he can deliver a clear message by describing something unfamiliar to his audience and
comparing it to something more familiar. Set in modern times, East of Eden retells the famous story
of the downfall of Adam and Eve, and the jealous rivalry between Cain and Able. Steinbeck also
creates many other characters throug his novel, that capture a biblical sense and help portray an
image of the vast confusion of life.
One character that resembles a biblical character is Cathy Ames. Throughout the entirety of the
novel, her character portrays that of a monstrous almost inhuman creature. "... ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
During her labor a look of murderous, unforgiving hatred comes over her. So much in fact, that she
bit and mangled the hand that helped her during the birth. Wanting nothing to do with the newly
born twins, Cathy flees her home, husband and the two infants she has bore. Her manipulation of
sex now becomes even more prevalent. Having nowhere to go, Cathy known now as Kate, takes
shelter in a whore house. She quickly begins work and in almost no time has made a name for
herself. Gradually she works her way up through the ranks and is soon running the house on her
own. Her sense of power clearly comes from hurting and destroying others through sex. During one
of Adams two visits to Kate, he discovers just how devious she truly is. "She took out a photograph.
'Look there. That's the State Senator. He thinks he's going to run for Congress. He likes whips. That
streak there–that's a whip mark. ... In a few years I'll be going away. And when I do–those pictures
will be dropped in the mail ....'" (322–23). Her scheme of blackmail displays her lack of a conscious.
Because of this, Steinbeck has created a powerful character that provokes disillusion, or an emotion
felt when one's self patterns are distorted. As seen thougout the novel, Cathy's own evilness arouses
the devil within her.
One of Steinbeck's most compelling characters in East of Eden is Adam Trask. In the beginning of
the story he searches long for his Eve, and a sense of happiness he knows exists somewhere.

How History Affected Steinbeck
How History Affected Steinbeck Like many authors, Steinbeck's writing was influenced by the
world around him. The Great Depression, World War I, the dust bowl, and some feminist
movements are all important events that influenced Steinbeck's writing. These events often inspired
Steinbeck to write many of his prize winning novels and short stories. Many of his stories are based
off of his time spent in the fields with the migrant workers and his experiences in World War II.
Through his works and fictional characters, Steinbeck demonstrated the important events that were
going on throughout the world. Steinbeck's book, Of Mice and Men, was strongly influenced by the
dust bowl in the 1930's. In the 1930's, there was a drought in the western region of the United States.
This lead to farmers and workers migrating from place to place to find work. This constant
migration is what earned them the name "migrant workers." In Of Mice and Men, George and
Lennie were migrant workers who dreamed of owning their own farm one day, but they had to work
various jobs to earn the money for it. In hopes of achieving their dream, they land a job in Salinas
Valley, which is also Steinbeck's hometown. Lennie, who was mentally handicapped, always got
himself into some sort of trouble; in the end all of their ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The book shows the struggle of an Oklahoma family when they moved to California during the
Great Depression. (John Steinbeck). In the beginning, Steinbeck wrote a long, detailed description,
as with all of his novels, about the setting. He wrote about how acres, upon acres of land was
destroyed and how many had to move in order to survive (Sanna). The dust bowl affected thousands
of Americans in the 1930s forcing them to migrate to other places. This novel was based off of two
historical time periods and is often referred to as Steinbeck's most anticipated

Elisa In The Chrysanthemums By John Steinbeck
In John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums," we are introduced to Elisa, an intelligent, talented
woman living on a ranch in the Salinas Valley with her husband. She is thirty–five years old with no
children and no real human interaction with anyone other than her husband, who is mostly
dismissive of her in all matters other than her gardening. The ranch is located in a remote area of the
Salinas Valley with no real neighbors to speak of. The story mostly consists of Elisa's encounter with
a traveling tinker man in search of work repairing kitchen utensils and blades of all sorts. The
encounter with the tinker man brings out a side of Elisa that contradicts her everyday androgynous
appearance and brings her desire to be noticed as a woman to the ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
While working in her garden, the covered wagon of a traveling tinker man pulls onto the ranch
property. At first, Elisa stands her ground and refuses the man's offers. After some observation, the
tinker man realizes that there is a way to connive his way into her world. He starts to talk with her
about her gardening. When he mentions her chrysanthemums, he has her full attention. He uses
flattery to engage her in conversation regarding something about which she is passionate. She gets
involved in describing the feeling with which she tends to her flowers and begins to feel like
someone in whom another man might be interested. She has gone so long with no real interest from
her husband and here is this man who seems genuinely interested in what she does. He feigns an
interest in the flowers and even convinces her that he has a customer who would love to be able to
grow chrysanthemums as spectacular as hers. She loses herself in her description of how to care for
these flowers and, as a reader, one can sense the substitution these flowers represent for the children
that she does not have in her life. She gives this man some of her sprouts to deliver to his customer
and instructs him to tell the alleged customer how to care for them. After this interaction, she feels
renewed as a woman. She has opened herself to feel desire and

Fear In The Chrysanthemums
The Touch of Fear
"The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck is telling the reader the story of Elisa Allen. Elisa is on
her 35 years old and throughout parts of her life in a Garden. She feels in her garden strong and she
believes she had the potential to change her life base of her garden, but beside her garden she had a
weak personality. Elisa is like a cat because she is tender and hides herself of her reality and what is
happening around her. She is a kind person who is believes if she is going to change how she likes,
but at the end of everything she would go back at the same person that she was in the beginning.
Elisa does not change at all in the story because she thought that a man she knew for hours would
change her life. Elisa is a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When Elisa was working in her garden suddenly look up to see who was coming on the road and it
was an old wagon with a man. This man is called the tinker. The tinker begins to interact with Elisa.
He tells Elisa about all his adventure on the road and he experience of lot excited things. We noticed
that Elisa would not change her attitude is when she began to act pleasant with him. The narrator
states "Elisa took off her gloves and stuffed them in the apron pocket with the scissors" (Steinbeck
4). Then, Elisa was changing her voice tone and she was demonstrating to the tinker that she needs
someone to love her. However, she demonstrates her weakness because she was acting confidently
with someone who did not know at all. They were having a comfortable conversation until he begins
to talk bad about her flower smell. When he states a bad comment of her flowers, she quickly reacts
and had the potential to deal with him. Elisa states '"It's a good bitter smell," she retorted, "not nasty
at all"' (Steinbeck 5). After all he tried to solve the problem that he had with Elisa and told her of a
woman he knew on the road who likes chrysanthemums too. He began to explain that she had a
flower garden; but she didn't know how to grow chrysanthemum flowers. Then he convinced her to
give some chrysanthemum flowers to him. Elisa does not have the potential of changed because the
tinker manipulated her with the story of the woman of the chrysanthemum. However, he
manipulated her because he wanted something to fix because he wanted money or something to eat.
Elisa found two pans in the back of the house. And she gave the two pans to him for fix it and the
tinker begins fixed in a professional way. However, Elisa gifts the two pans to the tinker with some
flowers planting. Now, it was time to say Good–Bye. Elisa sways herself

Good And Evil In John Steinbeck's East Of Eden
As the reader embarks on the journey through part one of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden", they
shall find underlying secrets which point to the struggles between good and evil, that resides within
every human being that comes into the world since the time of Adam and Eve. Steinbeck starts out
by describing the land surrounding Salinas Valley. In his description of Salinas Valley, he defines
what is good and evil, which allows the reader to unlock the secrets or twists that are being told if
one is looking for them. John Steinbeck himself said about East of Eden that Your literate and
understanding man will take joy of finding the secrets hidden in this book almost as though he
searched for treasure, but we must never tell anyone they are here. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Charles gives Cyrus a pocket knife that cost him money and feels that it is the better of the two gifts.
Still, Cyrus never uses or looks at the pocket knife, causing Charles to develop a deep jealousy of
his brother. Subsequently, Charles becomes enraged one day and tries to kill Adam. The twist to this
part of the story is that Charles did not kill Adam, showing he is not all evil. While Adam is
recovering from the beating, Cyrus enlists Adam in the military. Adam has no desire at all to go and
feels that it should be Charles as he is the strongest and more aggressive of the two brothers.
Meanwhile, having no choice, once he heals from the beating he accepts his lot and goes off to war.
When Adam finally gets out, he does not wish to return home and signs up for re–enlistment,
returning to his old regiment for another five years. Once his second term is complete, he still has
the struggle within himself about returning to the ranch. Consequently, he becomes a wanderer
joining up with a band of hobos. The police catch Adam and send him to prison twice; the second
time he breaks out of jail and becomes a fugitive. In this reference in East of Eden, it shows that
Adam has a part of Cain, as Cain, in the biblical story is the fugitive and a

John Steinbeck Accomplishments
John Emst Steinbeck was bom on Febmary 27, 1902, in Salinas,
Califomia. The time and place of his birth are important because
Steinbeck matured as an artist in his early thirties and during the darkest days of the Depression, and
his most important fictions are set in his beloved Salinas Valley. In one sense, Steinbeck's location in
time and place may have made him a particularly American artist. Bom just after the closing of the
frontier, Steinbeck grew up with a fmstrated modem
America and witnessed the most notable failure of the American
Dream with the Great Depression. He was a writer who inherited the great tradition of the American
Renaissance of the nineteenth century and who was forced to reshape it in terms of the historical and
literary ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Like his first divorce, this one was bitter and expensive. In the same year, his mentor,
Ed Ricketts, was killed in a car accident. Steinbeck traveled extensively, devofing himself to film
and nonfiction projects. In 1950, he married Elaine Scott, establishing a supportive relationship that
allowed him to finish his epic Salinas Valley novel East of Eden.
Steinbeck tried again and again to write his way back to the artistic success of his earlier years,
notably in The Wayward Bus, but his commercial success kept getting in the way. East of Eden, his
major postwar novel, was an attempt at another Califomia epic to match the grandeur of The Grapes
of Wrath. Although the book was a blockbuster best seller, it was an artistic and critical failure.
Steinbeck himself seemed to recognize his own decline, and in his last years he virtually abandoned
ficfion for joumalism.
Of his last novels, only The Winter of Our Discontent transcends mere entertainment, and it does not
have the literary stmcture necessary to support its serious themes. Despite the popularity of
Steinbeck's nonfiction, such as Travels with Charley, despite awards such as the Nobel Prize and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, and despite

Summary & Character Descriptions of East of Eden
East of Eden Summary & Character Descriptions
Because East of Eden is a novel woven together of many people and many stories, it is an especially
difficult novel to summarize. It is impossible to draw character sketches without interweaving them
with the storyline, thus, I have combined the characters descriptions and plot summary. The book
opens by describing the lives of two very different families in very different parts of America. First
the Hamiltons, a patriarch built around the wise but impractical Samuel, who emigrated from Ireland
in the early 1900's to start a new life in America in the Salinas Valley. He owns a poor farm where
he and his wife Liza raise a family of nine children supported by his blacksmithing ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Charles has fathered fraternal twins, but Cathy bites Samuel while he is delivering her children. As
if her behavior to Samuel was not odd enough, as soon as she is able to get out of bed Cathy tries to
leave Adam. When Adam tries to stop her, she shoots him in the shoulder with his own gun. Cathy
runs away and Adam sinks further and further into a depression. A Chinese servant raises the boys
for Adam but they remain unnamed. The Chinese servant, Lee, is the character Steinbeck uses to
initiate philosophical discussions in the novel. While Lee pretends around most people to be unable
to speak or understand English, he was actually raised in a Presbyterian home and is an
accomplished scholar. When, at 15 months, Samuel Hamilton learns the twins have not been named,
he goes to the ranch Adam once dreamed could be an Eden and literally knocks sense into Adam.
After Samuel's visit Adam begins to come out of his daze. Samuel, Adam, and Lee, the Chinese
servant, begin to discuss names for the twins. The men discuss the story of Cain and Abel and by
dusk the boys are named Caleb (known as Cal) and Aaron (who later changes his name to Aron).
Note again the symbolism of

Who Is Caleb Trask In East Of Eden
The author John Steinbeck is known for his many great novels, for example East of Eden. East of
Eden is a novel based off of the bible story of Cain and Abel. The main character, Caleb Trask also
known as Cal, represents Cain in the bible and his brother, Aaron Trask, represents Abel. This novel
takes place in Salinas Valley, California where Adam Trask, father of Caleb and Aaron, moves for a
better life. Adam marries Cathy Ames, who beneath her charming face, is a evil woman who
manipulates people for her own amusement. Cathy leaves the twins as soon as they are born, and
they grow up not knowing about their mother. Aaron is known to be the good one and Cal as the evil
one, causing Cal to feel unloved and feel jealous of Aaron. This jealously leads to a series of events
that builds up the novel immensely. Caleb Trask's most important traits include being afraid, raging
and unhappy, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He struggles with the trying to overcome temptations and tries to live a good moral life. Cal's cook
tells him about timshell, showing him he shouldn't be afraid because he is the one who ultimately
chooses his own moral path in life. After living so many years with this fear, this acceptance enables
him to overcome his fear of his mother's evil being passed down to him. Cal represents Cain in the
bible from the second generation of the Trask family, Charles, his uncle, being the first one. Just like
Charles, Cal's jealousy leads him to immense rage many times throughout the novel, one being
towards the end when his father rejects his gift. Cal's rage leads him to take it out on his brother. His
jealousy indirectly kills his brother by sending him to the army after telling him the truth about their
mother. Cal constantly battles with himself to lose the rage he has, finally does after losing more
than one family

How Does Steinbeck Use Symbols In The Chrysanthemums

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