John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums and D.H. Lawrences The Odour of Ch

bath Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums and D.H. Lawrences The Odour of ChrysanthemumsWomen in the 1900s were given short attention. John Steinbeck and D.HLawrence however have chosen to base their short stories on a singlewoman character and around a quality of flower, which is thechrysanthemum. Though written by male writers, both stories give an shrewdness of the olfactionings and actions of a female character in that timeperiod and how chrysanthemums cornerstone mean an entirely different obsessiontowards the two main characters.John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums is ab place a tinker who confrontsElisa Allen objet dart she was working on her prized chrysanthemums. Elisawas impressed of the tinkers freedom and his way of life. The tinkeroffers his service, repairing pots and pans, to Elisa, however she refusesat first. However, the tinker does not give up and tells Elisa about acustomer that would be interested in her chrysanthemums. Elisasattitude instantly changed and aft(pren ominal) her discussion with tinker shefinds some work for the tinker to work on. Elisas husband, Henry,takes her out later to the city for dinner. To her dismay she findsher lovely chrysanthemums dumped by the roadside by the tinker.D.H Lawrence, however, writes about Elizabeth Bates and her childrenwho wait for the return of Walter, husband and father, who is late inhis homecoming. Elizabeth has a brief meeting with her father. Notwaiting any longer, Elizabeth and her children have dinner. Elizabethputs her children to kip and then goes out to look for her husband.It turns out that the husband had an accident and is directly dead.Elizabeths mother in law visits her and together they clean the deadWalter, while reminiscing the past.... ...not be offered to strangers.However, in Odour of Chrysanthemums, Elizabeth realises she hasnever really known Walter and is ashamed to wait him. Sheexperiences fear for she is aware that she has no control over herdestiny and that she cannot h edge death.Both stories do not have a happy ending, but instead deal withdifferent aspects of life. The Chrysanthemums with society and hope, whereas Odour of Chrysanthemums with fate and death. I feelthat John Steinbeck offers a better ending because it teaches us notto trust strangers with ease and gives us the message that we shouldbe happy with what we have, not to look up to others. Then again, the endingin Odour of chrysanthemums is also true but I feel that it is tooharsh. It is a fact that every creature will encounter death but deathshould not be Elizabeths or anyones ultimate master.