“Odour of Chrysanthemums” is set in the early 20th century in the mining town of Underwood in Nottinghamshire, England. In order to make his story as realistic as possible, Lawrence has his character Walter work at an actual mine that existed in Underwood called Brinsley Colliery. Lawrence knew this particular mine well, as his father worked there along with two of his uncles, one of whom died in an accident (as Walter does in the story). Coal mining was a very unsafe occupation at the time, with workers regularly dying in all kinds of mishaps.
It is notable that almost the entire plot takes place in (and around) Walter and Elizabeth’s decaying house. Here, the narrator describes the house at the beginning of the story:
At the edge of the ribbed level of sidings squat a low cottage, three steps down from the cinder track. A large, bony vine clutched at the house, as if to claw down the tiled roof […] There were some twiggy apple trees, winter-crack trees, and ragged cabbages. Beside the path hung dishevelled pink chrysanthemums, like cloths hung on bushes.
The description of the house is notable for a few reasons. First, it establishes that Walter and Elizabeth’s cottage is right next to the railroad track. This is important as, throughout the story, the sounds of the hourly trains going by the house build suspense as readers wonder if Walter will finally come home on one such train or not.
The language that the narrator uses in this passage is also notable—the vine that wraps around the house “clutche[s]” and “claw[s]” at it, the trees are “twiggy,” the cabbages are “ragged,” and the chrysanthemums are “disheveled.” All of these descriptions paint a picture of a home very much in disarray, both literally and also metaphorically (as Walter and Elizabeth’s relationship is quite strained).
