Setting - The Chrysanthemums

You can tell that the story was written a long time ago. It takes place near Salinas Valley in California. The story is about a woman named Elisa and her husband Henry. Elisa is working in a crop area where she is trimming down chrysanthemums with a pair of scissors. Her work is interrupted by a meeting with her husband. They take a moment to talk about going into town later in the day after their work is done. Once they finish discussing their future plans, they part ways and Elisa notices a traveler come through. He said he is from Seattle. He takes this trip every year in his wagon all the way to San Diego. This gives you another indication of where the story takes place. It takes place in the 1900s.There's fog. It's December. The air is cold alongside a light wind. Elisa is working in the garden. She's wearing an apron. The traveler is in a wagon. People don’t generally use wagons to travel in this day and age. From what I'm getting, Elisa thinks more independently than she lets off. It appears from the context of the story and maybe even from the context of the setting as well that women are supposed to go to their husbands for everything. For example, when a traveler – who happens to be a big man – comes through the area where she lives, she is helping in the garden, cutting down chrysanthemums. He first asked her for directions. Then he asks if she has any scissors she would like sharpened.He says his clients are happy with him, because he does his work well and for a cheap price. He keeps insisting on helping her as a way to keep interacting with her. As he continues to push her boundaries, she gets progressively more frustrated. She keeps declining his offer in the most respectful way she can. Afterwards, the man sees the chrysanthemums and mentions that he knows a lady from down the road who has this nice garden but doesn't have chrysanthemums. Eliza is now interested and feels eager to assist a lady she doesn’t know. She wants to share her passion, because that’s who she is as a person. She goes through all the steps and explains to the man on how to take care of the sprouts. 

In spite of how Elisa was trying to just to share her passion for chrysanthemums because she thought that there was someone else out there that liked them; the man did not come there looking for directions. He wanted to start a conversation with a pretty woman. That's why he came there. I just don't think it's coincidental. He even said himself he does this every year. So how come all of the sudden, he doesn't know where he’s going? Suddenly he's lost his way. It's like…no.There are subtle indications that he's not a trustworthy person, but you don't necessarily realize that until the very end, and even Eliza doesn't realize that until later on either. The reason that I know Eliza is pretty is because there's this specific part of the story where gets dressed, and there are other details about her dark hair for example.

Once she's done in the garden, she uses the water from the stove to clean herself off. She's scrubbing herself with hot water.  There are specific details in here that indicate the violation of what that man had done and not in a physical sense of violation but he had violated her autonomy by continuing to stay there and make reasons to stay there when he really didn't even need help in the first place. She scrubs her skin where it becomes scratched and red.That already seems a bit alarming. After she dried herself off, she stood in the front of a mirror in her bathroom and looked at her body. She then gets dressed and puts on pretty clothes and makeup and then joins her husband.

When they are on the road and they are headed to a place to go eat dinner, she notices the pot she had given the traveler from earlier. The one she had put the sprouts in. It was on the side of the road left there and as you can imagine, she cared so much about her craft and just how much effort she put into telling this man what to do so that the other woman would know how to take care of the chrysanthemum. It appears that the guy just kind of threw it to the ground. She is probably in a dissociated and numb state now. She then asks Henry if they can have wine tonight. As they continue in conversation, Elisa begins to talk about prize fights and what happens at similar events. Then her husband responds that he didn’t think she knew about that kind of stuff.

There’s almost this idea that is centered around women in that they are only allowed to see certain things. It’s almost weirdly okay when a woman can have her autonomy violated over and over again emotionally but it's different when it’s physical. Suddenly, it's too much. Even though they are two different kinds of major conflict. Elisa started crying, and as you can imagine, this story didn't seem as deep until I had actually looked into it and realized that this is just one of billions of experiences that women have. Just for being a woman. I know this as a woman myself, but when you read it in fiction, it's heartbreaking to watch even though this is only a short story. It's heartbreaking because it's so subtle. All of the heartbreak is so subtle. I think the most haunting line is probably when she asked him if he could sleep in the wagon, and he said he would be dry no matter what the weather. She further emphasizes that it must be nice to be free like that. Women don't even have the freedom to just sleep wherever they want without the fear of somebody basically coming to take advantage of them, and in the worst of cases – but nonetheless realistic – for sexual reasons.

 This story is only the beginning of what it means to really be a woman. It’s probably way more prevalent in that specific society and time in which the story is told because the two are married. This is only one of billions of examples of how women are treated and how they're not treated as people. Her interest in these chrysanthemums was taken advantage of. This man – a man she didn't know – took advantage of her interest in chrysanthemums just so he could get to talk to her more. I know she feels defeated. I get her. I actually understand.