Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. In literature we find symbols as a means to better understand a story. Symbols allow you to understand the story as a whole on a deeper level. In John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums,” symbols play a key role in understanding the story. John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California, the third of four brothers. He studied at Stanford University where he majored in English between 1919 and 1925. Although he devoted six years to college, he never earned his degree. As she began writing fiction, Steinbeck worked as a laboratory assistant and fruit picker to make ends meet ("The Chrysanthemums" 1). In "The Chrysanthemums", Elisa Allen is a strong, independent woman who is unhappy and feels trapped in the current life she lives. The first great symbol is the chrysanthemums which are Elisa Allen's pride and joy. The chrysanthemums represent her children even though she has none. She is tender and caring towards her chrysanthemums as a mother is towards her children. Elisa guards the flowers like a mother protecting her son or daughter. He goes so far as to surround his chrysanthemums with a wire fence (“Kassim” 1). During the day, Elisa should keep the area clean. He also makes an effort to keep the chrysanthemums clean and tidy. “His terrier fingers destroy these parasites before they can get started,” this means he is cleaning the area around his precious “babies.” Like a mother protecting her child from an unknown force, she fights nature so that it does not harm her precious flowers ("Kassim" 1). Elisa treats these flowers as her pride and joy only for them to go unnoticed. She feels unappreciated by her husband Henry Allen, who believes he should use her as a… medium of paper… she is heading straight for what she has known, which is loneliness. When on the way to dinner he sees the chrysanthemums, he so happily gave it to the tinker in the hope that he would use them. Even though they were neglected and thrown away as if they were useless, the feeling that Elisa feels in her life. There is a direct correlation between Elisa and chrysanthemums which are both kept in pots. Elisa sees her hopes dashed and begins to cry like an old woman, a revelation within herself when she sees that this is her life now and in the future. Works Cited Kassim, Elizabeth. “Symbolism in “The Chrysanthemums”” Symbolism in “The Chrysanthemums” Lone Star College, n.d. Web. February 11, 2014. Shmoop Editorial Staff. “Vases in Chrysanthemums.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. February 11, 2014."The Chrysanthemums." SparkNote. SparkNotes and Web. February 11. 2014.