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“The Chrysanthemums” and Its Symbolism John Steinbeck uses symbolism to give alternate meanings to his short story “Chrysanthemums.” A symbol is a device used to suggest more than its literary meaning. He uses these symbols to look further into the chara ....

Middle of Essay
.... the nurturer for the chrysanthemums, a mother almost to them. When the tinkerer comes to her home and into her garden he shows interest in her chrysanthemums. She takes this also as an interest in her as well. The garden in other words is a symbol for her femininity and womanhood. The chrysanthemums are also seen as a symbol for her heart. Her existence seemed drab, dull and inevitable. She wanted to travel the world but she knew that she should not leave her husband. She felt that her husband wasn’t taken enough care of her personally so she took care of herself in the form of her chrysanthemums. She meticulously trimmed them and transpl ....