In “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa faces a struggle of self-identity. The way her husband Henry and the tinker treat Elisa amplifies this struggle of confusing traditional gender roles. In a traditional gender role, the woman is the house keeper and allows the man to do the harder work around the house and on the farm. The males she interacts with challenge her and spark determination. In three scenes throughout “The Chrysanthemums”, Elisa’s gender role and self-identity is challenged. Elisa’s first interaction with Henry concerning her work, conversation with the stranger about his work and her flowers, and conversation with Henry at the end challenge her role.

Elisa’s first encounter with her husband Henry reveals a lot about their relationship. There is almost no sense of intimation between them. Instead, competition arises in conversation about their jobs around the house. Upon Henry’s approach, Steinbeck writes that “in her tone and on her face there was a little smugness” (1). Elisa takes great pride in her garden and the work she has done which is commonly associated with a woman’s role. Henry flatters Elisa by his admiration for her work done with the flowers. Henry then goes on to say, “I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big” (2). Her husband challenges her in her point of view as her eyes sharpen. She claims that she can do it out in the field and that she has a gift. As shown in Elisa’s eyes, Henry creates a sense of determination to show that she can do the work that a man can do. Elisa experiences the switching back and forth of masculinity and femininity in this short conversation with Henry creating a struggle of self-identity. 

The tinker’s treatment of Elisa creates a struggle of identity and confusion of gender roles as well. They begin talking about his work and he offers his services yet she continually refuses. He then strikes up conversation with Elisa about her chrysanthemums and that sets her off. She becomes weak and explains to him her work with the flowers showing femininity and passion traditionally found in a woman. Her love for the flowers and garden reveal the feminine side of her. The tinker spots this weakness in her and takes advantage of it by saying a woman down the street needs chrysanthemums and she gets to work. Steinbeck says she has a face “tight with eagerness” (4). She loves his “interest” in her flowers and her feministic ways begin to show. Her sympathy and weakness shows later in their conversation after he tells her he doesn’t always eat dinner. A stereotypical view of a woman sees them as more emotional. Her willingness to sympathize with the tinker and his lack of wealth displays these emotions. Later in their conversation upon talking about living in his wagon, the man claims “it ain’t the right kind of a life for a woman” (5). Elisa takes some offense to this and her teeth begin to show. After paying the man Elisa claims that he might “have a rival sometime,” and that she can do whatever he can stating, “I could show you what a woman might do” (5). Elisa is once again going back and forth between femininity and masculinity. She first demonstrates passion and weakness talking and showing the man what she can do with flowers and falling to her knees. Yet soon he says his life isn’t right for a woman, and she feels challenged and comes back at him. She feels a power struggle and is determined to prove women are equally powerful. She wants to show she can survive his lifestyle just as well as a man could. Elisa displays traits of a woman yet feels challenged to show she is capable of doing a man’s work once again. Despite her joy in the tinker taking interest in her gardening, he undermines her ability to do other things shortly after.  

Last, Elisa’s bathing scene and interaction with Henry is evidence of her lack of identity and personal feelings. Elisa bathes herself “until her skin was scratched and red” with pumice (6). This is symbolic of her almost recognizing her indecisiveness that day and to cleanse herself of her attempts to cross over gender roles. The scratches are symbolic of punishment to herself for doing so. She then begins to dress up and put on her nicest dress to feel completely like a woman once again. Once Henry sees her, he describes her as looking “nice” and “different” (6). He says it as though he has never seen Elisa dressed up like this before and she responds as though she is offended and was looking for a greater compliment. He then calls her strong and “strong enough to break a calf over [her] knee” (7). The word strong in a traditional sense would be more flattering to a man as opposed to a woman. Women traditionally want to be referred to as pretty or beautiful. On the contrary, men desire the traits strength and power more. Even after Elisa tried to rid herself of masculinity and look beautiful and pretty for her husband, he refers to her as strong further complicating thoughts in her head. Further along in the ride to dinner that they were taking Elisa inquiries about the fights in town questioning whether women attend them. This scene shows Elisa trying to revert back to feminine ways by dressing up to look nice for her husband, yet her describes her with a quality usually used to describe men and changed her mind once again leading her to ask about attending a fight. This scene between Elisa and Henry demonstrates her lack of self-identity and decisiveness. 

Elisa’s interactions with men throughout “The Chrysanthemums” create a personal struggle for Elisa. She cannot make up her mind and continually fights between her traditional female role and that of a man. The way she is treated sparks a competitiveness inside her to show that she is capable of doing everything a man can do and is interested in trying to assume that role. This struggle plagues Elisa throughout the story as it is though she never seems to be happy with who she is. She flips back and forth between feminine traits and her desire to show her male counterparts her abilities. Elisa’s struggle to create a personal identity is affected ultimately by her interactions with her husband Henry and the stranger on the wagon, she cannot decide which role to assume based on the way she is treated by these men causing much frustration and irritation. 