The symbols as the reflection of the major character`s life in John Steinbeck`s `The Chrysanthemums` - USD Repository

  THE SYMBOLS AS THE REFLECTION OF THE MAJOR CHARACTER’S LIFE IN JOHN STEINBECK’S “THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS” AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

SILVIA GALUH OKTAVIANI

  Student Number: 084214037

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2013

  i

  THE SYMBOLS AS THE REFLECTION OF THE MAJOR CHARACTER’S LIFE IN JOHN STEINBECK’S “THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS” AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

SILVIA GALUH OKTAVIANI

  Student Number: 084214037

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2013

  ii iii

  

"YOU WERE GIVEN LIFE. IT IS YOUR DUTY TO FIND

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL WITHIN LIFE, NO MATTER

HOW SLIGHT"

• -Elizabeth Gilbert-

  “LIFE IS ABOUT MAKING SOME THINGS HAPPEN, AND

NOT WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN”

• Anonymous -

  "I MAY NOT BE SMART ENOUGH TO DO EVERYTHING,

BUT I AM DUMB ENOUGH TO TRY ANYTHING"

• Geoff Johns-

  iv v

  THIS UNDERGRADUATE THESIS IS DEDICATED TO My Almighty Lord, Jesus Christ My Beloved Parents My Little Sister And My Dearest Amo vi

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First of all, I would really like to express my greatest gratitude to my lovely Jesus Christ, for all His blessings and strength for making this thesis, so I can through it all well. I cannot do this all without Him.

  I would like to thank my beloved parents and my little sister for their supports that they give me. I would like to thank them; my father Henri Gunawan, my mother Yohana Harmiati, my little sister Angelina Ganis, and my big family. Thanks for a great supports and prays. It is a great thing that I have in my imperfect life. I love them so much.

  I would like to thank my advisor Mr. Hirmawan Wijanarka and my co- advisor Mrs. Elisa Dwi Wardani for his and her time, guidance, understanding and patience in the process of making this undergraduate thesis, so I was able to finish this well. I would also like to express my great gratitude to all of the lecturers who have taught and given me useful knowledge during my study in Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.

  Thanks to my best crazy friends: Lita, Astu, Dewi, Lany, and Yulita for the best friendship ever. They are super best friends ever! Thanks for making my life more colorful with our everlasting friendship in love and crazy. Thanks for their support and prayers in finishing this undergraduate thesis. My super special thank goes to my beloved amo, Andreas Bayu Wicaksono, for his love, patience, time and support that always reminds me to finish my thesis and cheers me up vii and downs, amo.

  I would like to thank all people who I cannot mention one by one for all of their supports in making this thesis. There are many people who has not mentioned yet. I thank them so much. I love them so much. Thanks for being beautiful things in my life.

  Silvia Galuh Oktaviani viii ix

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................. i

APPROVAL PAGE ....................................................................................... ii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE .................................................................................. iii

MOTTO PAGE .............................................................................................. iv

DEDICATION PAGE .................................................................................... v

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI .......................... vi

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................... vii

STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ............................................................. ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................... x

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... xi

ABSTRAK ........................................................................................................ xii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ..................................................................

  1 A.

  1 Background of the Study ......................................................................

  B.

  4 Problem Formulation ............................................................................

  C.

  5 Objectives of the Study ........................................................................

  D.

  5 Definition of Terms ..............................................................................

  CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW .................................................

  7 A.

  7 Review of Related Studies ...................................................................

  B.

  Review of Related Theories ................................................................. 11 1.

  Theory of Character and Characterization ..................................... 11 2. Theory of Symbol .......................................................................... 13 C. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................ 17 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY .............................................................

  19 A.

  Object of the Study ............................................................................... 19 B. Approach of the Study .......................................................................... 21 C. Method of the Study ............................................................................. 22 CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS...........................................................................

  24 A.

  The Description of the Major Character............................................... 24 B. The Symbols Used in the Short Story .................................................. 29 C. The Symbols As the Reflection to the Major Character‟s Life ............ 31 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION .....................................................................

  45 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................

  48 APPENDIX .....................................................................................................

  50

  x

  

ABSTRACT

  SILVIA GALUH OKTAVIANI (2012). The Symbols As the Reflection of the

Major Character’s Life in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”.

Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

  “The Chrysanthemums” is a short story written by John Steinbeck which was first published in 1937. The short story tells about a woman named Elisa Allen who feels frustrated with her present life. Her frustration stems from not having a child and from her husband's failure to treats her romantically as a woman. She cares for the house and cares for her garden, but she has a desolate life. The only outlet for her frustration is her flower garden where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums. Elisa's flowers mean everything to her and she cares for them as if they are her children.

  This thesis writing has some purposes. First, to describe the major character ‟s characterization. Second, to explain the symbols used by the author to give refl ections about the major character‟s life. Third, to find out the reflections which are shown by the usage of the symbols in describing the major character‟s life.

  To accomplish this study, the writer applies library research method and formalistic approac

h. The writer takes the primary data from “The

  Chrysanthemums ”. The secondary data are taken from some theories related to the topic of the study, such as theory of character and characterization, and also theory of simbol.

  The writer finds that the major character in this short story is described as a frustated woman because of her unhappiness in her life, marital life. She is not happy because her husband does not fulfill her needs as a woman. She has no child even. She feels trapped with the situation at that time, male-dominated society. The writer finds out that the flower she cares for and the place where she lived are the things that symbolizes herself. From the that two things, the writer finds out that the flower is symbolize her beauty, her careness and her needs of having a child. And the place where she lived is symbolize her role as a woman which is trapped by the role of male-dominated at that time. xi

  

ABSTRAK

  SILVIA GALUH OKTAVIANI (2012). The Symbols As the Reflection of the

Major Character’s Life in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”.

Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

  “The Chrysanthemums” adalah cerita pendek yang ditulis oleh John Steinbeck yang pertama kali diterbitkan pada tahun 1937. Cerita pendek ini mengisahkan tentang wanita bernama Elisa, yang merasa putus asa dalam hidupnya. Keputusasaannya disebabkan karena ia tidak memiliki anak dan kegagalan suaminya dalam memperlakukannya sebagaimana layaknya seorang wanita. Ia merawat kebun bunga dan rumahnya dengan baik, tetapi ia merasa kesepian. Satu-satunya jalan keluar dari keputusasaannya adalah kebun bunga yang ia miliki dimana ia bisa menanam bunga krisan kesayangannya.

  Tujuan dari studi ini adalah, pertama untuk mendeskripsikan karakteristik si karakter utama. Kedua, untuk menjelaskan simbol apa saja yang digunakan oleh pengarang untuk memberikan cerminan tentang kehidupan karakter utama. Ketiga, untuk menemukan cerminan dan gambaran yang dapat dilihat dari penggunaan simbol dalam menggambarkan kehidupan karakter utama.

  Untuk menyempurnakan studi ini, penulis melakukan studi pustaka dan menggunakan pendekatan formalistik. Penulis mengambil data pokok dari cerita pendek “ The Chrysanthemums” dan beberapa teori yang bersangkutan dgn topik studi ini, seperti teori tokoh dan penokohan dari teori tentang simbol.

  Penulis menemukan bahwa karakter utama dalam cerita pendek ini digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang putus asa karena dia tidak bahagia dalam kehidupan pernikahannya. Dia tidak memiliki anak dan suaminya tidak mampu memenuhi kebutuhannya sebagai seorang wanita. Dia merasa terjebak dalam situasi pada waktu itu, dimana peran laki-laki lebih mendominasi. Penulis menemukan bahwa bunga yang ia rawat dan tempat ia tinggal adalah hal-hal yang mencerminkan dirinya. Dari dua hal tersebut, penulis menemukan bahwa bunga yang ia rawat itu merupakan simbol dari keindahan, kepedulian, dan kebutuhannya akan hadirnya seorang anak. Dan tempat di mana ia tinggal menyimbolkan perannya sebagai wanita yang terjebak oleh peran laki-laki yang mendominasi saat itu. xii

INTRODUCTION A.

   Background of the Study

  Symbol has a certain power. Many things in this world symbolize meanings. People can find any symbol in any circumstances, places, occasions, religion, work of art, etc. Flag symbolizes freedom and is a symbolic of the nation‟s ability to feed the countrymen and the ability to protect them against all odds and crisis.

  As the example can be seen in “For a man to kiss a lady's hand is very old-fashioned politeness in some societies; in other situations it may be a discrete indication of affection. In Britain a new prime minister kisses the Queen's hand on appointment: this is a formal token of appreciation of her trust in him.

  ” . It is also said that a hug is a universal symbol.

  The cross is one of the earliest and most widely usedIn the broadest sense it symbolizes the religion of Christianity. There are numerous variations of the cross as a Christian symbol, but the two main themes are crosses with or without a depiction of Christ hanging on it. The reason for this is that some focus on the fact that he died on a cross to pay for our sins as seen in “More specifically, it represents and memorializes Christ's death. A great variety of crosses has developed, some with specific symbolic meaning and others that have simply become culturally associated with certain groups.

  ”

  

It is also said that red color symbolizes intense

passion, aggression and courage.

  2 not a favorite color for negotiations or meetings and is great for drawing attention to things.

  When looking at literary work, it is impossible to see it all in a literal form. There is always some sort of symbolism that occurs within the body of the text. It can be defined differently by many people. It is because symbolism is created by the author. However, it can be contradicted or have a completely obscure meaning to the reader. Symbolism can be used to describe any mode of expression, which refers to something indirectly through the medium of something else. Symbolism used to suggest ideas or thought directly. The writers depicted reality through the symbols and they expressed atmosphere effects, suggestions of feeling etc., the creation and use of symbols is a way of expressing abstractions in a work of literature. Symbols have widely been used for different purposes, in logic, semantics, theology, fine arts and letters. Symbol is applied only to a word or set of words that signify an object or event which itself signifies something else. Symbolism means what the author wants people to feel or know as a reader by including a key phrase or something that represents something else.

  Symbols are important element to get an easy understanding in discussing literature. A symbol is something that stands for something else. It can represent feeling, ideas, experience, object, etc. symbols are so powerful in discussing literature.

  Symbol has certain power in literary work. When people discussing the work of literature or fiction, symbol is a good start to find out what the work is

  3 Semantics, use symbol for to designate what other writers call a sign. A symbol is a sign which has further layers of meaning. In other words, a symbol means more than it literally says. According to Evangelous Christos, in interpreting literature, it is important to remember that a poem or a short story means more than the writer consciously intended. Many images (signs) in a work of literature will have personal, cultural, and universal association of both reader and writer.

  

  One of the well known literary works with a symbolic journey is Robert Frost‟s “The Road Not Taken.” In the poem there is a man who has come to a crossroad in his life. One path is traveled on frequently while the other path is not. He has to make a decision as to what path he should take. No matter what, he knows that he cannot turn back once he has made the choice, but it is implied. He chooses the path less traveled and, in turn, it happens to be the best choice he had ever made. Many people have analyzed this poem and they have different interpretation and ideas what this poem means. Some people say it is about suicide. Some people say it is about life changes. There is no something wrong about what people say about the meaning of this poem. Therefore, the interpretation of a literary work actually merges itself with the reader. To analyze the literary work there needs to be a beginning. And the writer used „symbol‟ to begin her research study.

  In this study, the writer wants to share the topic, the use of symbolism in a short story entitled “The Chrysanthemums” written by John Steinbeck. A red

  4 chrysanthemum means love “is not returned”. This flower also symbolizes "hope for the future”. The word chrysanthemum comes from the Greek words “chrysos” (which means gold) and “anthos” (which means flower).

  The writer wants to find out why the author uses the chrysanthemums as the symbol rather than another flower and also to find out the power of using the chrysanthemums as the symbol in the story related to what happened in the major character‟s life. According to the writer, this sort story is appropriate in doing this research study because in the short story there are so many symbols and their power as symbols. In John Steinbeck‟s short story, “The Chrysanthemums,” he uses the flower to symbolize his main character‟s thoughts and ideas. The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck is about a frustrated w oman Elisa who feels a strong sense of feminism and loneliness in her life. She seems to be oppressed by a male-driven society. The title itself depicts as a symbol of the nature of Elisa. The author compares Elisa's character with the Chrysanthemums who both have a strong and rough exterior but deep inside have a compelling sense of beauty. The Chrysanthemums represent her repressed feelings and desires.

B. Problem Formulation

  After describing the background, the writer formulates the problems as follows:

  5 How is the major character described in the story? 2. What are the symbols used in the short story? 3. How do the symbols reflect the major character‟s life in the short story?

  C. Objectives of the Study

  The writer formulates three objectives here. The writer is going to describe the major character ‟s characteristic and personality to understand deeply about the character itself. Then, the writer will find out the symbols that are used in the story and how do the symbols reflect the major character‟s life in the story.

  D. Definition of Terms

  In this research study, the writer shares two specific terms that will be the focus of the research; symbols and major character.

  Symbol (sim-bol): a symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The object or word can be seen with the eye or not visible. For example a dove stands for Peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot. The word is from the Greek word symbolom. All language is symbolizing one thing or another. Symbol may sometimes remain within the work, as it were; but it is the nature of symbols to have extensional possibilities to open out to the world beyond the work and engage the world of value outside the work. (Guerin, 2004: 106)

  6 story is about; the - this character is often called the "main character". There is usually one single major character, though it is possible for there to be multiple major characters (for example, in the TV series Friends, the six friends [Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, Ross] are all major characters). Minor character is a person of less importance than the major character, but who is necessary for the story to develop. Dorie from Finding Nemo is a minor character; she is important, but the story is not about her.

  Major character is a presentation of the author of personality traits that a complex rather than a simple character emerges. As a rule, the major character in a fiction need such three dimensional treatment, while minor characters are often handled two-dimensionally. To be fully convincing, a character ought to involve some deep division and contradiction (Guerin, 2004: 82).

THEORETICAL REVIEW

  In this chapter the writer is going to discuss about three parts of discussion. The first discussion is about related studies to the author and the short story

  , John Steinbeck and “The Chrysanthemum”. The second discussion is about what theories are used by the writer in analyzing the short story. Some theories will be used for solving the problem. The writer is going to discuss about the main character; Elisa Allen, and the chrysanthemum as a symbol of her life. The last discussion will be about theoretical framework to give quick understanding to the readers about what will the writer analyzed in the next chapter.

A. Review of Related Studies 1). “The Chrysanthemums: A Study of Woman’s Sexuality” by E Elizabeth

  

McMahan-Universal Journal the Association of Young Journalists and

Writers.

  In finding the topic related to this research, the symbols in John Steinbeck‟s “The Chrysanthemum”, the writer has found the related studies by Elizabeth McMahan

  . Her study entitled “John Steinbeck‟s “The Chrysanthemum: A Study of Woman‟s Sexuality”.

  In her study, she tries to analyze the description that Steinbeck used in describing the major character; Elisa Allen. She starts analyze the charactes of the story, major and minor characters;

  8 desire as a woman does not fulfilled well by her husband. According to McMahan, “The Chrysanthemums” is a form of woman‟s frustation from her unfulfilled needs. Because of her husband treatments towards her, she feels like she did not get what she really needed as a woman and as a wife.

  As Elizabeth E. McMahan asserts in her essay “„The Chrysanthemums‟: Study of a Woman‟s Sexuality,” Elisa is prompted to contain this energy because of a “distinct lack of rapport” between the couple, a rapport that should go beyond the “mutual respect” they have for each other in their business of maintaining a farm. Sexual tension is especially evident as Henry struggles to compliment his wife on her appearance. He stammers as if he is unsure of how to react to Elisa‟s efforts to enhance her femininity, for she takes time to methodically apply her make-up and select the dress that is “the symbol of her prettiness”. Unfortunately, the only word Henry can muster is “nice,” a comment he defines in terms of Elisa‟s apparent “strength” and “happiness”—not her beauty: “You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon” (Steinbeck 11). Most women would not consider this statement flattering; and, according McMahan, it isn‟t surprising that

  Elisa yearns for romance and has a profound hunger to be admired as a woman. (McMahan, 1968: 453-458)

  2). “The Chrysanthemums: A Woman Bound by Society” by Stanley Renner (1985).

  The other related studies that the writer find is the article written by Stanley Renner entitled

  John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums: A Woman Bound by Society” which is published by Harper‟s Magazine, October 1937.

  In his article , Stanley Renner begins with the meaning of the short story‟s title; “The Chrysanthemum”. He said that “The Chrysanthemum” is a struggle for equality is portrayed through Steinbeck's character Elisa Allen.

  9 personal, social, and sexual fulfillment by the prevailing conception of a woman's role in a world dominated by men". Elisa's appearance, actions, and speech depict the frustration women felt in Steinbeck's masculine world of the 1930's. (Renner, 1985: 306-307) Elisa figure is described as "blocked and heavy" because she is wearing heavy gloves, heavy shoes, a "man's black hat," and a big apron that hides her printed dress. Elisa is bored with her husband and with her life. Elisa is unhappy with the traditional female role. When her husband, Henry, comments about her "strong" chrysanthemum crop, Elisa is pleased by the manliness the word implies, but her husband reminds her of her femininity by offering her an evening on the town. After this conversation with her husband, she goes back to her masculine role of transplanting the flowers.

  3). “The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck” by Jonathan Schoonmaker (2011).

  The next related study is more related to the role of major and minor character; Elisa Allen and Henry Allen. This study was written by Jonathan Schoonmaker entitled

  . In his study,

  “The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck”

  Schoonmaker tries to analyze and described the relationship between Elisa and her husband, Henry Allen. The writer begins with the conflicts of major character and minor character.

  In the short story Elisa has a few conflicts. There is a conflict with herself and her husband. Her husband is a normal man in that time period, hard works, and rough. As Elisa was working in her garden of her garden of Chrysanthemums, her husband comes to the fence of her flower garden. That shows that he won‟t

  10 straightens her back, pulls her glove back on and continues back to work. I think that she‟s trying to show that can work as diligently as a man but she is a woman.

  He then says to her, I wish you work out in the orchard and raise some apples. She replies, Maybe I could do that too. I believe that she doesn‟t want to work out in his orchards. She says that line because she doesn‟t want to say no but she doesn‟t want to work in them. She wants to work in her own area. Where her own creations are that no man has helped her with. (schoolsucks.com, 2011)

  

4). “Symbolism in John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums” by Vanna

Kazarian (2011).

  The last related studies entitled “ Symbolism in John Steinbeck‟s The

  Chrysanthe mums” written by Vanna Kazarian. In this study, she focuses on the

symbol which is described in the story. She begins her study by analyzing the

meaning of the symbol, and then she relates it with the title of the story; “The

  The next explanation of her study is about the major character; Chrysanthemum”. Elisa Allen. She analyzed the relation between the title and the character. She analyzed what the symbol reflects to the major character.

  “The Chrysanthemums” gives the reader acumen into the main character Elisa Allen. The story opens in the Salinas valley, which is described as “the high grey flannel fog of winter closed off Salinas‟s valley from the rest of the world.” The valley is also described as a “closed pot”. This description can be used to symbolize Elisa‟s lonely and

  11 isolated feelings. She is 35, married without children and the “closed pot” can be interpreted as unhappiness.

  Elisa is not given much of a chance to be taken seriously. An example of this is during a conversation she has with her husband Henry about her flowers, where Henry tells her “I wish you would work out in the orchards and raise some apples”. Elisa perks up for a moment and makes a suggestion that she could accomplish working out in the orchards, only to have Henry shut her down by saying “well it sure works with the flowers”. I believe Steinbeck uses Henry‟s rejection of her work in this conversation to illustrate the way society has rejected women as nothing more than mothers and housekeepers. Elisa‟s garden is surrounded by a wire fence, which would suggest to the reader,

  Elisa‟s isolation not only from her husband, but also from the rest of world. (antiessay.com, 2011) (conclusion) B.

   Review of Related Theories In this study, the writer is going to used some theories that are connected

to each other in order to solve and gives answer from the problem formulation that

are formulated in previous chapter. The writer is going to used theory of character

and characterization, and theory of symbol.

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

  In a work of literature, character is a person or creature that interacts with

  others within a Character is an important element that is used by the author

  

to help the readers understand his/ her work. And also, H.L. Yelland, S.C. Jones

  and K.S.W. Easton in their book A Handbook of Literary Terms, explained that a

  

character is a person who is getting involves in literary work; novel, short story,

play, etc.

  12 Major character is the most important character in the story; the one the story is about; This character is often called the "main character". There is usually one single major character. While minor character is a person of less importance than the major character, but who is necessary for the story to develop.

  It is said that character is a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. Characters are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every character has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood. The different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances of characters can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work, such as theme, setting and tone. With this understanding of the character, a reader can become more aware of other aspects of literature, such as symbolism, giving the reader a more complete understanding of the work. The character is one of the most important tools available to the author.

  Another important element is called characterization. An author use characterization to create the characters. Characterization

  refers to a character‟s personality or the method by which the writer reveals this personality.

  Characterization is the creation of the image of imaginary persons in drama, narrative poetry, the novel, and the short story. Characterization generates plot and is revealed by actions, speech, thoughts, physical appearance, and the other characters' thoughts or words about him. Characterization provides a distinct

  

description and depiction of each character‟s appearance, personality, and impact

within the story. There are some ways in which the author develops

  13

  the dialogue, the character‟s actions.

  Karen Bernardo wrote at storybites.com: What does characterization do for a story? In a nutshell, it allows us to empathize with the protagonist and secondary characters, and thus feel that what is happening to these people in the story is vicariously happening to us; and it also gives us a sense of verisimilitude, or the semblance of living reality. An important part of characterization is dialogue for it is both spoken and inward dialogue that affords us to the opportunity to see into the characters' hearts and examines their motivation. In the best of stories, it is actually characterization that moves the story along, because a compelling character in a difficult situation creates his own plot. Characterization is one of the most difficult aspects of creative writing to master, because authors tend to naturally fall into the fatal trap of creating two-dimensional, cardboard characters.

2. Theory of Symbol

  A word, place, character, or object that means something beyond what it is on a literal level called as a symbol. An object, a setting, or even a character can represent another more general idea.

  Deeper still, people form a great part of how they talk to themselves, that is, how they think, process and summarize their ideas and experiences. Symbol means what the author wants the people to feel or know as a reader by including a key phrase. A symbol is the use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea.

  A symbol may appear in a work of literature in a number of different ways to suggest a number of different things. Most commonly, a symbol will present itself in the form of a word, a figure of speech, an event, the total action, or a character.

  14

  Literary Terms , explained that symbol is a thing that represents something else. It

  can be in form of object, idea, etc. Symbolism in literature is the use of expressions which represent or recall certain ideas. A concrete symbol is found to be a convenient substitute for ideas, particularly abstraction.

  In general terms, symbol is anything that stands for something else. For examples; flags, which symbolize a nation; the cross is a symbol for Christianity; Uncle Sam a symbol for the United States. In literature, a symbol is expected to have significance. Keats starts his ode with a real nightingale, but quickly it becomes a symbol, standing for a life of pure, unmixed joy; then before the end of the poem it becomes only a bird again. (academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu, 2012)

  Symbol is a person, object, image, word, or event that evokes a range of additional meaning beyond and usually more abstract than its literal significance.

  Symbols are educational devices for evoking complex ideas without having to resort to painstaking explanations that would make a story more like an essay than an experience. Conventional symbols have meanings that are widely recognized by a society or culture. Some conventional symbols are the Christian cross, the Star of David, a swastika, or a nation‟s flag. Writers use conventional symbols to reinforce meanings. Kate Chopin, for example, emphasizes the spring setting in "The Story of an Hour" as a way of suggesting the renewed sense of life that Mrs. Mallard feels when she thinks herself free from her husband. A literary or contextual symbol can be a setting, character, action, object, name, or anything else in a work that maintains its literal significance while suggesting other

  15 symbolic meaning within the context of a specific story. For example, the white whale in Melville‟s Moby-Dick takes on multiple symbolic meanings in the work, but these meanings do not automatically carry over into other stories about whales. The meanings sug gested by Melville‟s whale are specific to that text; therefore, it becomes a contextual symbol.

  Alfred North Whitehead, mathematician turned philosopher put forth this thought in his lecture, Symbolism: Its Meaning and Effect, and who can disagree.

  Symbolism has seeped into the arts in such a way that it has become an integral part of most literary works and even general communication. A mere sight of a skull and crossbones figure and you know that there is something that you are being warned against. Roses and images of hearts have become synonymous with love. Different colors have come to symbolize different emotions, for example purple for royalty, green for envy and red for jealousy. But before symbolism penetrated everyday language the way it has, it became a mainstay in the literary world. Symbolism has been a writing method of choice for many authors and writers due to the allowance of subtlety that this literary device enables you with.

  According to etymology, symbol literally means something that has been put together. The source of the word is the Greek word sumballein, which refers to the idea of putting things together to contrast them and ultimately became a word that was used for compare. From the word symbol came the concept of symbolism where one object is used to refer to something else. So, when an author or a poet uses one object to refer to a completely different idea, then he or

  16 work meaning that goes beyond what is evident to the reader. Symbolism helps in giving the piece of writing feeling and mood without the writer having to actually spell out the same. By giving certain things human like characteristics and also defining them with certain qualities, the writer can manage to give the novel another level that may refer to things that are completely alien from what is mentioned in the piece of writing.

  In literature, symbolism is an important device for writers. Literary symbols extend meaning beyond the prosaic representation of realities afforded by literal description or extracted through analysis and exposition. According to Barton and Hudson, a literary symbol designates an object or a process that not only serves as an image itself but also refers to a concept or abstract idea that is important to the theme of a work. Harmon notes that there are two broad types of symbol. First, there are symbols that carry a universal meaning. In this case, a sunrise may represent a new beginning or a stream the passage of time. With the second type, an object or process is invested with a particular meaning by an author (Barton and Hudson, 1997: 491-493).

  Frye, Baker, and Perkins also distinguish between different kinds of symbols, but they identify three types. First, there are natural symbols that present things not for themselves, but for the ideas people commonly associate with them. Examples are a star to represent hope, a mountain to represent a barrier, or a sun set to represent an ending.

  17 meanings people within a particular group have agreed to give them. For example, a national flag may represent patriotism and a badge civil authority. The third kind are literary and are sometimes built upon natural or conventional symbols, adding meanings appropriate primarily with the work at hand, and like the symbols with invested meaning which Harmon identifies, these symbols may sometimes create meanings within a work for things that have no natural or conventional meaning outside it”

  There are several ways to recognize symbolism in literature. One is the frequency an object or character is mentioned in a piece of literature--if it is mentioned often, it is probably important. Another way to find a symbol is to look at how much detail is used in describing an object. These two methods give clues that the writer wants the readers to infer something about a particular object. According to most definitions, a symbol is an object/person/idea that represents another idea through association or resemblance. When reading, the reader should pay attention to any items, locations, or people that are described with extended details. The author is using these descriptions as a sign. If the author repeats the object or idea, then there is significance to it.

C. Theoretical Framework

  After mentioning those theories which related one another, the writer

decided to use those theories because they are needed in analyzing the meaning of

symbol related to the major character in “The Chrysanthemums” short story. It is

  18

  racter‟s looks like and her characteristics described in the story.

  Characterization is also the way to identify the characters through physical description of the character , the dialogue, the character‟s actions, the

character‟s thoughts, and the ways in which he or she get in touch with other

characters in the story. Theory of character is also needed because to understand a

story, character is the first thing to know; characters are the engine which drive a

short story. The character who is going to be characterized here is Elisa Allen, the

major character.

  Theory of symbol is needed because symbolism is also a key part of

  poetry with many poets using symbols to express emotions like love, grief, death, anger, jealousy, etc. Understanding symbolism can be difficult because while some writers use very simple imagery to put forward their views, there are authors, playwrights and poets who believe in using multiple symbols and several contexts to play on the symbols they have used. And also, symbolism is what makes literary works more enchanting to read.

  By seeing that theory we can identify easily what the symbol that represents something valuable in the story.

METHODOLOGY A.

   Object of the Study

  First published in the October, 1937 issue of Harper's, ''The Chrysanthemums'' was included in John Steinbeck's 1938 short story collection,

  

The Long Valley . In several significant ways, this story of an unhappy marriage is

  typical of Steinbeck's fiction. It takes place in the Salinas Valley of California, the ''Long Valley'' named in the title of his first short story collection. It concerns a married couple and examines the psychology of the unhappiness their marriage causes. Finally, it contains many vivid images of the seasons, weather, plants, and animals, all of which fascinated the writer his entire life. One of Steinbeck's most accomplished short stories, “The Chrysanthemums” is about an intelligent, creative woman coerced into a stifling existence on her husband's ranch. The story appeared in Harper's Magazine in 1937; a revised version, which contained less sexual imagery, was published in the 1938 collection The Long Valley. Many critics believe the story reflected Steinbeck's own sense of frustration, rejection, and loneliness at the time the story was written. Some scholars also have speculated that the female protagonist of “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa Allen, was inspired by Steinbeck's first wife, Carol Henning.

  The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck is about a frustrated woman Elisa who feels a strong sense of feminism and loneliness in her life.

  20 symbol of the nature of Elisa. It is a story about a marriage which has its limitations. This story gained popularity among the critics and different opinions and views were commented on it.

  In his short story "The Chrysanthemums,"

  However, it is not simply the tale of an individual woman's oppression, but a commentary on the limitations that faced all women in early twentieth century America. Steinbeck uses both symbolism and setting to create a mood of isolation and longing. The reader is able to understand how a woman comes to feel trapped within her own life, and begins to resist the constraints that are forced upon her. In the end, Steinbeck conveys a sense of hopeless about his main character's plight,

  er position, reality will always intrude and

  and though she may try to rise beyond h

  keep her entrenched in a suppressed role. (lotsofessays.com, 2012) The story tells about a proud, strong woman named Elisa Allen who feels

  frustrated with her present life. Her frustration stems from not having a child and from her husband's failure to admire her romantically as a woman. The only outlet for her frustration is her flower garden where she cultivates beautiful chrysanthemums. Steinbeck uses chrysanthemums as symbols of the inner-self of Elisa and of every woman. In the second part of the story, the chrysanthemums come to symbolize Elisa's femininity and sexuality. The portrait of Elisa caring for the flowers as though they are her children is clearly a feminine image, but her

  21 This image is carried over into her relationship with her husband. Elisa feels that Henry doesn't recognize or appreciate her femininity, and this feeling causes her to be antagonistic towards him.