Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

We learn a lot about Elizabeth from how she behaves, which is sometimes at odds with what she's saying. For example, after reprimanding her son for tearing at the chrysanthemums, "she, suddenly pitiful, broke off a twig with three or four wan flowers and held them against her face" (1.15). Despite later claiming not to like chrysanthemums or the memories that they bring up for her, she clearly feels some kind of connection to or affection for the flower, suggesting that she is a bit more sentimental than she likes to let on.

Family Life

Despite the fact that we never meet Walt, we sure know a lot about him from the family dynamics we witness in his home. Elizabeth is clearly out of patience with her husband's tendency to stay out late drinking without letting anyone know where he is, which upsets the entire family. Looking at her kids before putting them to bed, we see that Elizabeth is seething at her husband's behavior:

The mother looked down at them, at the brown silken bush of intertwining curls in the nape of the girl's neck, at the little black head of the lad, and her heart burst with anger at their father who caused all three such distress. (1.89)

Walt never gets a chance to speak for himself (and of course, he's off the hook for his absence on that particular evening), but the family relationships definitely paint a picture of him as troubled and absentee.

Speech and Dialogue

We can always tell a lot about the characters by what they say. In "The Odour of Chrysanthemums," dialogue is key to perceiving social/class distinctions that are never really talked about outright. When Elizabeth goes to visit the Rigleys to try to get some information about her husband's whereabouts, for example, Mrs. Rigley's dialect (in concert with her apparent awe at talking to Mrs. Bates) suggest there is a class difference between the two:

"Is it Mrs Bates?" she asked in a tone tinged with respect.

"Yes. I wondered if your Master was at home. Mine hasn't come yet."

"Asn't 'e! Oh, Jack's been 'ome an 'ad 'is dinner an' gone out. E's just gone for 'alf an hour afore bedtime. Did you call at the 'Prince of Wales'?" (2.5-7)

By having Elizabeth speak in more standard English and Mrs. Rigley in dialect, Lawrence highlights how different the two women are without having to say much else.