Odour of Chrysanthemums: observations Essay -- English Literature

Odour of Chrysanthemums: observations ‘‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’’ was written between the end of the Victorian period in 1901, and the beginning of World War I in 1914. It was a time when England was still a powerful international force, and the head of a huge empire that extended from India to Nigeria, which demonstrated England’s political power and also provided a vast market for its manufactured goods. During the nineteenth century, England’s industrial machine had developed the factory system, which produced surplus goods for export. ‘‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’’ focuses on a dramatic moment in the life of Mrs. Elizabeth Bates, the accidental death of her husband, Walter Bates. The story develops in three major stages. The story begins with a description of the sights and sounds of a bleak mining village at the end of the mine’s afternoon shift. Mrs. Bates calls her son, John, in for the evening meal and provides a light snack for her father, a train driver, while chiding her daughter, Annie, about being late from school. She is also upset because her husband ...