Depression Lit Steinbeck\'s \"The Chrysanthemums\"

Depression Lit

Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums"

Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" begins as Elisa tends her flower garden. She works as she watches the world around her, paying attention to her husband's business dealings. Dressed in overalls and described as "handsome," Elisa's energy and strength far exceed the delicate work of tending flowers. However, Elisa truly enjoys her work and besides, chrysanthemums are all she has.

The rising action takes place as a wagon pulls up, driven by a man Elisa has never before met. She is attracted to him, and talks about her flowers. He is only concerned with finding work or food. The two talk about chrysanthemums, veiling sexual symbolism and innuendo. Elisa takes pity on the man, giving him fifty cents to fix broken pots before she sends him off with a few of her flower clippings.

The climax of the story occurs as Elisa and her husband drive on the road towards Salinas and she sees the flowers she gave to the man dumped carelessly on the side of the road. The chrysanthemums are extensions of herself, as Elisa feels herslef to be "one" with the flowers. They also represent her hard work.

Falling action occurs as Elisa and her husband eat dinner and drink wine together. They make small talk, and Elisa asks about the prize fights. The story resolves with Elisa sadly cloaking her tears.

2. Elie Wiesel's "The Watch."

Elie Wiesel's "The Watch" is a moving memoir about the holocaust. The watch symbolizes the passage of time. Wiesel buried the watch in his yard when the Nazis came and retrieves it decades later, as an old man. In addition to being a symbol of the passage of time, the watch also represents Wiesel's heritage because the item was given to him on his bar mitzvah. The fact that the watch remains where he buried it suggests hope for the future, and yet it also signals the stability of trauma in human life. If some things change and some things stay the same, then racism and genocide could continue to characterize the human experience. At the same time, Wiesel suggests that the persistence of hope prevails, and that holding onto positive memories and traditions can help the human spirit conquer all the evil in the world. "The Watch" is chosen as a passage in a high school literature book because doing so reflects the author's ultimate goal: illustrating how history repeats itself unless we remain vigilant and always cognizant of the past. To remind high school students of the holocaust is to encourage dialogue. The audience for "The Watch" is universal.

3. Randall Jarrell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner"