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Elisa Allen
The husband of Elisa Allen, Henry is a farmer living in the Salinas Valley of California during the 1930’s. Henry provides Elisa with a comfortable life (his farming business seems to do well, as he negotiates the sale of thirty head of cattle with representatives from the Western Meat Company at the start of the story) and he appears to be a kind, if traditionally-minded, husband; nevertheless, Elisa is clearly unhappy in their marriage. Unlike Elisa, Henry is content with society’s prescribed gender roles and expects nothing from his wife outside of her responsibilities as a homemaker. In addition to ignoring Elisa’s professional capabilities, Henry also neglects Elisa emotionally and sexually, evident by their childless marriage and Elisa’s immediate attraction to the tinker as soon as he expresses the slightest attention to her personal interests and desires. In many ways, Henry’s character serves as a personification of the American patriarchy—he believes very little in Elisa and expects even less. Ironically, despite being her husband, Henry knows little about Elisa, including who she is and what she is capable of.
Henry Allen Quotes in The Chrysanthemums
The The Chrysanthemums quotes below are all either spoken by Henry Allen or refer to Henry Allen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Chrysanthemums Quotes
“You’ve got a gift with things,” Henry observed. “Some of those yellow chrysanthemums you had this year were ten inches across. I wish you’d work out in the orchard and raise some apples that big.”
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This quote occurs as Henry approaches Elisa working in the garden, startling her as he appears. While he is clearly complimenting Elisa’s ability to grow large and beautiful flowers, his praise is quite underhanded. By wishing Elisa would grow large apples instead of large flowers, Henry implies that her time would be better spent growing produce that actually contributes to their life and farm. After all, apples can be eaten and they sustain life, whereas Elisa’s chrysanthemums are merely beautiful and do not contribute to their business of farming in any meaningful way. Henry’s compliment is condescending and reflects the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis c
Her eyes sharpened. “Maybe I could do it, too. I’ve a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow. She said it was having planters’ hands that knew how to do it.”
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This passage is Elisa’s response to Henry’s remark about her gift with growing chrysanthemums and his wish that she would grow apples that large instead. The sharpening of Elisa’s eyes suggests that she is both up to the challenge and a bit irritated with Henry’s remark. Elisa knows that Henry will never allow her to grow apples in the orchard and contribute more directly to their farm and life, and she is resentful of the role that society and Henry have chosen for her. Yet, she is convinced that she could grow apples if given a chance. The “planters’ hands” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut a
She relaxed limply in the seat. “Oh, no. No. I don’t want to go. I’m sure I don’t.” Her face was turned away from him. “It will be enough if we can have wine. It will be plenty.” She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly – like an old woman.
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After the disappointment of seeing her chrysanthemum sprouts thrown out on the road, Elisa suddenly asks Henry if they can attend the fights in town after dinner. Attending the prize fights is a traditionally masculine activity, yet it is clear that Elisa has an interest in this violent form of entertainment. The empowerment that Elisa feels after her meeting with the tinker and the courage she gains to pursue her true interests suddenly fades. This loss is reflected in her lifeless position as she sits in the car next to Henry. She becomes despondent and is no longer interested in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro p
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Henry Allen Character Timeline in The Chrysanthemums
The timeline below shows where the character Henry Allen appears in The Chrysanthemums. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Chrysanthemums
...a slight southwestern breeze suggests rain despite the heavy fog. The valley is home to Henry and Elisa Allen’s farm, which has entered a period of “quiet and waiting.”
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While Henry is across the field talking to two men in business suits, Elisa busies herself in...
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As Henry approaches the garden, Elisa is startled by his sudden appearance. He compliments Elisa’s ability to...
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Henry suggests dinner in Salinas and perhaps a picture show. He even suggests that they attend...
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Elisa runs hurriedly into the house to ready herself for her date with Henry. She checks the water tank for hot water and scrubs herself clean with a pumice...
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As Henry takes a bath, Elisa sets his dark suit out on the bed, including his shirt,...
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As Henry loudly exits the house, he is caught off-guard by Elisa’s appearance, remarking, “Why—why, Elisa. You...
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Elisa hears Henry drive to the gate, yet she takes a long time putting on her hat. She...
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As Elisa and Henry drive into Salinas, Elisa notices a small speck in the road and instantly knows what...
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Elisa loudly tells Henry that it will be nice to have a good dinner out. Noticing the change in...
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...she really doesn’t want to go to the fights and turns her face away from Henry. Hiding behind her coat collar so that he cannot see her, Elisa cries “weakly—like an...
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