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.