In effect, he is throwing her away carelessly, just as he threw the flowers away on the side of the road. Therefore, they represent Elisa herself too, and the wants and dreams that have already died in her own life. She is not a happy person, she has many desires and dreams that are unfulfilled, and her husband really does not recognize that. The chrysanthemums are also a symbol of her longing for freedom and what might happen if she actually broke away. She gives the chrysanthemums their freedom when she shares them with the tinsmith. Steinbeck writes, "Her lips moved silently, forming the words 'Good-bye -- good-bye'" (Steinbeck), and this shows how much she cares about her flowers and the life they symbolize. The tinsmith just throws them away, and so he is saying that what she shared is not important. It was extremely important to her, and she...
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