In the short story the chrysanthemums by john steinbeck the author describes the salinas valley as a closed pot. how does this phrase best connect to elisa’s character a. separated from the outside world

As Steinbeck in his short story “Chrysanthemums” describes the Salinas valley as a closed pot, this phrase describes Elisa Allen’s character the best as it signifies that Elisa too like a closed pot is totally separated from the outside world.

Explanation:

In John Steinbeck's “Chrysanthemums”, Steinbeck describes the setting which is the Salinas Valley as a closed pot. This is because the valley lies between two towering mountains and the dense fog sits over the mountains giving an imagery of a closed pot. The closed pot is also a symbol of isolation and exclusion.

This is what describes the life of the protagonist Elisa Allen best. She lives with a mental estrangement from her husband and lives all separated and cut off from the outside world just like a closed pot.  

jim mohr

explanation:

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the miracle worker themeswilliam gibson

themes and meanings

(comprehensive guide to drama)

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there are two central themes in  the miracle worker: that the human spirit can triumph over even the most daunting of disabilities and that a dedicated teacher can transform the lives of those with whom he or she comes into contact. these inspirational themes have long been personified in the widely known true-life relationship between helen keller and annie sullivan, but  the miracle worker  also dramatizes collateral issues that extend beyond the particular case. underlying helen’s process of learning basic principles of what annie terms “obedience” (decorum, etiquette, and hygiene), there are more universal lessons of self-governance—the inculcation of self-restraint instead of willfulness, the development of self-discipline instead of self-indulgence. only when these lessons have been mastered can helen begin to acquire language—which, annie says, “is to the mind more than light is to the eye.”