Elisa’s sense of beauty causes her to become defenseless against the peddler’s beguilement. When the peddler asks about her chrysanthemums, she describes them as being “beautiful,… so beautiful”. She then progresses into to telling him of how to care for the flowers and does so very excitedly. This happens again when she starts talking about how it would be so nice to live in a covered wagon, spending the nights under “sharp-pointed stars”. …showed first 75 words of 678 total…

…showed last 75 words of 678 total…clue what was happening and allowed the peddler to swindle her. Both are at fault, the peddler for being deceptive and Elisa for being naïve. But the truth is it was Elisa that was hurt and the peddler who got away with it. He wrongfully used her. To the peddler the chrysanthemums were only worth fifty cents, but to Elisa they were priceless. In the end it was the peddler that won the battle.