Paul and Elisa's Runnings

In Paul's Case and The Chrysanthemums both protagonists are trying to run away from social struggle in life. Whether its running away for sex equality or to be accepted from society they both had different approaches towards them. Paul felt unaccepted in society. He felt that no one loved him and he couldn't achieve anything in life. So Paul ran away to live in New York. Paul was successful with the running away in the beginning, but in the end it was a failure. Once he found out his dad was coming to get him he knew he had no way out. Due to this mind set Paul killed himself. The author was trying to say that no matter what Paul did he could never run away from the darkness of society. On the other hand Elisa is trying to run away from order. Every time a situation comes up about men doing something she always thinks she can do it. For example, when the tinker comes to their farm he lives in a wagon all the time. Elisa claims that she could do it but the tinkerer says that is is to though and scary for a lady. Rather than fighting back and attempting to live in a wagon like the tinker she stays and continues on with her chrysanthemums. The narrator is showing that Elisa continues to try to escape the daily life of being a woman but in the end goes right back to her chrysanthemums.