摘要

二十世纪三十年代的经济危机是美国历史上最严重的经济危机。在这个被称作大萧条时期的年代，美国社会发生了很大变化。人民生活穷困潦倒，大量人口失业。就在这样一个背景下，已婚妇女的家庭生活也有很大改变。男人失业造成他们的沮丧心情也导致了家庭里的压抑气氛。在家庭里，丈夫的失业威胁了他一家之主的尊严和权威。家庭矛盾也增加了很多。总的来说，在大萧条时期，家庭里气氛压抑，夫妻不和是常见现象。斯坦贝克的《菊花》正是写于这个时期。其中很多内容都反映了这个时期的家庭生活和已婚妇女的家庭生活的状况。
本文以《菊花》为例，着重研究大萧条时期已婚妇女的家庭生活状况。文章首先介绍了《菊花》的主要内容和写作背景，然后研究了妇女在大萧条时期的社会地位和角色，其次分析了大萧条时期的家庭里夫妻的关系，然后讨论了那个时期妇女对男性世界的渴望，最后总结了本文的主要内容。

关键词：《菊花》，大萧条，美国妇女，婚姻生活

Abstract

The economic crisis in 1930s is the most severe one in American history. In this age called the Great Depression, many changes happened in American society. People were living a poor life, and massive population became unemployed. In such a society, married women’s life changed as well. The unemployment led to men’s frustration, which created depressed atmosphere in a family. A husband’s unemployment threatened to his dignity and authority of householder. Conflicts in a family also raised a lot. In a word, the depressive atmosphere in a family, discordant relationship between husbands and wives were often seen during the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” was written at this age. Many contents in this short story mirror the family life of married women in the Great Depression.
This thesis takes “The Chrysanthemums” as an example, and focuses on the marriage life of American women during the Great Depression. It first introduces the main idea and writing background of “The Chrysanthemums”, and then talks about women’s position and role during the Great Depression. After that it analyzes the husband-wife relationship in a family at that age, and then talks about women’s yearning for men’s world. Finally it gives a brief conclusion.

Key words: “The Chrysanthemums”, the Great Depression, American women, marriage life

1 Introduction

1.1 John Steinbeck and “The Chrysanthemums”
John Ernst Steinbeck (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937). In 1962, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His works are often about the lives of the working class and migrant workers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
“The Chrysanthemums” is a short story collected in The Long Valley. Elisa and her husband Henry were living in a farm. She was good at growing chrysanthemums. One day her husband was out and she was planting her chrysanthemums in the garden. A tinker came to her garden to ask his way. Besides, he asked if she has something for him to fix. Elisa refused at first. Later the tinker told her that some lady living down the road wanted chrysanthemums.