complete femininity. She scrubs her Whitaker 3body until her skin turns red, as if she is rinsing away the masculine way about her. Elisa then dries herself off, and studies her body in the mirror. She has become comfortable with being a woman just by receiving attention from a male who is interested in her “life.” After studying herself, Elisa applies her makeup and puts on her newest under-clothing. Henry then comes home and they leave to go to town. As the Allen’s are on their way to town, Elisa spots a dark speck in the road. She knows this speck is her prize chrysanthemums. As they pass the chrysanthemums lying in the road, Elisa cannot bear to look. The tinker appears in the road next. For this situation, Elisa has to turn her entire body so she does not have to face the tinker. This is the lowest point for Elisa’s sexuality. She retreats back to her weak, unconfident, feminine nature for the final time. She is not strong enough to face the truth, so instead she avoids the scenario. Elisa attempts to capture her strength again after they pass the tinker, but her attempt fails. She, without warning, brings up the fights to Henry. As she speaks vividly about the fights, Henry crushes her attempt to regain her strength. “I don’t think you’d like it,” Henry says to Elisa (227). After this final unsuccessful attempt to become content with her sexuality, Elisa relaxes “limply in the seat” and cries “weakly” at the truth that she will always be reminded that she is a “weak” woman. Throughout “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa Allen changes her actions from masculine to feminine and from feminine to masculine. Elisa Allen depicts the life of a woman trying to gain meaning in her boring life during the 1930’s. Her continuous transformation of masculine and feminine characteristics shows how difficult life was for woman in the 1930’s. ...
