Feminist Criticism of Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums .
Steinbeck's short story "The Chrysanthemums" can be read as a feminist diatribe against women's commonly misplaced self-worth. The paper discusses critics who hold this view, and how it comes through in the story itself. Feminist interpretations of Steinbeck rely on a dualism that puts woman away from the labor of the land, but closer to the purity of art and society. This is an artifact of the era in which Steinbeck wrote, but also provides the inner conflict for the character of Elisa in the short story. 5 pgs. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
