The Chrysanthemums

“The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot.”

This is the first line of the story and sets the stage both physically and emotionally. It establishes a gloomy tone for the story, showing the reader that Elisa’s world is grey and isolated. It also contains the first mention of pots, which become an important symbol.

“It was a time of quiet and waiting.”

This line has two meanings. First, it was winter, so farmers were literally waiting for the rain to come and water their crops. It was also a time of waiting for Elisa and all women who were waiting for a time of social justice and equality.

“Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked.”

This is the first description of Elisa in the story, and Steinbeck chooses to emphasize her masculinity. The apron hides her printed dress, and the hat hides her pretty hair. She is carrying heavy and sharp tools. This passage is a stark contrast to the way Steinbeck describes her later in the story.