Symbols and symbolic

In John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”, he uses the chrysanthemums (flowers), fence, and garden to symbolize Elisa’s thoughts and feelings throughout his story. He uses these symbols to show love, neglect, loneliness, protection, and passion for his characters.
Steinbeck introduces Elisa, the main character, as a masculine young woman with a “face was lean and strong” (Steinbeck 5th paragraph 2nd line) and “Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes.” (Steinbeck 5th paragraph 2nd – 4th line) He lets the chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa’s true beauty. She feels that her husband does not see her as beautiful woman. All he can see is a house wife and a gardener. He shows little interest in the chrysanthemums. When Henry says, “You’ve got gift with things,” Henry observed. “Some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across. I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big” (Steinbeck 11th paragraph) it is almost like he is making a joke. He knows that he would never let her work outside of the garden and because of Henry’s neglect she turns to her chrysanthemums. She nourishes them as a mother would her children.