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Central theme of the rocking horse winner
Central theme of the rocking horse winner
The rocking-horse winner summary essay
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D.H. Lawrence’s 1926 short story The Rocking-Horse Winner is one that defies the test of time. The story of Paul trying to save his family from money issues is still being read in literature classes today. One reason the short story is such a masterpiece is Lawrence’s ability to use the author of the tale to manipulate the reader and portray certain information. The stylistic features of the author in this short story portrays to the reader that the theme of the tale is the morale lesson, that money doesn’t fix life or character problems. The first indication Lawrence is writing a moral based short story is the demonstration by the author that the story is a fairy tale like telling. To begin with, the author of this short story is speaking in 3rd person. This short story is written in 3rd person, in a past tense, and in a time period which is relatively unknown besides of the date that the story was written. The author is using the tactic to employ a more mystical tone about the piece, creating an environment that is multi-generational instead of only necessary for a given time period. Also, the author begins the tale in a “Once upon a time” fashion. The author starts the story with, “There was a woman…” (137). This opening tells the reader immediately that this is a fairy tale like story, with a strong morale attached to the end of the piece. By the author of The Rocking-Horse Winner using a fairy tale retelling style, the author can conclude that the story is morale based. An obvious conclusion the author can ascertain from a fairy tale author style of this short story is that the author will focus on a central theme rather than the in-depth description building of a story. The author does not give back stories to character... ... middle of paper ... ...ntire life on attaining more money, still required more even after the son won an enormous amount mid-way through the short story. Uncle Oscar even knew the hardship Paul was in, yet still required more money for the family. On top of this, simply because the mother acquired a gigantic fund from Paul at the end of the story, the mother still couldn’t remember that Paul told her that he was lucky, clearly showing money couldn’t fix her mothering deficiencies. Uncle Oscar, possibly most heinous of them all, still only cared about money after he won a large amount at the end of the short story. After Oscar won the money, he didn’t give a second thought to Paul. “My God, Hester, you’re eight-odd thousand to the good, and a poor devil of a son to the bad. But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking horse to find a winner” (149).
The Power of an Author Authors have the ability justify the worst actions. Authors have a way of romanticizing certain situations in order to convey a specific message. A good author has power to influence the reader into believing whatever it is the author wants. When it comes to the story of Hannah Dustan, authors such as John Greenleaf Whittier have romanticized her captivity story along with the actions she took throughout her journey. Introducing a character that will be seen in the story is one of the most vital parts when creating a piece of literature.
The setting in the stories The Lottery and The Rocking-Horse Winner create an atmosphere where the readers can be easily drawn in by the contrasting features of each short story. This short essay will tell of very important contrasting aspects of settings in that while both stories are different, both hold the same aspects.
Overall, in these fairy tales Carter succeeds in delivering a feminist message and provides a counter argument for the moral message of traditional fairy tales in which young women were encouraged to remain obedient and pure. Unlike in earlier fairy tales, in these stories it is the straying from the path that results in transformation and releases women from the subjugation that women over history have been subjected to.
In both “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the authors take critical aim at two staples of mainstream values, materialism and tradition respectively. Both authors approach these themes through several different literary devices such as personification and symbolism; however, it is the authors' use of characterization that most develop their themes. We'll be taking a look at the parallel passages in the stories that advance their themes particularly when those passages involve both of the authors' subtle character descriptions, and why this method of character development is so powerful in conveying the authors' messages.
D.H Lawrence’s The Rocking Horse Winner and William Golding’s Lord of the Flies view children as easily manipulated figures. D.H. Lawrence’s short story demonstrates how easily children, Paul, can be influenced into believing that money and luck indicate one’s level of happiness. William Golding’s novel tries to show that all children are evil and have savage impulses. A common theme in both of these works is that children create their own downfall and loss of innocence. In D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking Horse Winner, Paul is searching for identity and love.
Certain individuals have a drive that can lead them to achieve what they desire most. In the Short story “The Rocking Horse Winner”, D.H Lawrence showcases this through character motivation and symbolism. He further this using pursuit of desire, and how if you take it to a certain extent it can result in tragedy if the individual chooses not to conform. Paul wants to please his mother because his mother feels that there family has no luck, but Paul proclaims that he is lucky. Paul suddenly becomes consumed with this sudden spree of good luck and feels this is the only way he will be able to gain to the affection of his mother. D.H Lawrence reveals that Paul has a certain flaw that turns him to believe that the only way he will be able to gain his mothers love and affection is by winning money in the horse races. He leads this pursuit of desire to the standards he thought he wanted to, but not to the standards that would have achieved what he wanted, which leads to his down fall. When individuals desire love from another, they may choose to conform their beliefs and actions to that person. At first they may feel successful, however if they sacrifice everything, in pursuing this kind of goal, they may pay a heavy price instead of gaining there hearts desire.
Fairytales share similar themes in the manner in which they approach storytelling for the individual. In “The Great Fairy Tale Tradition”, Jack Zipes has selected and edited stories and categorized them by their respective themes, illustrating the different thematic elements found in each story. Every chapter includes a short introduction to the literary history of the selected stories and their themes. In the “Three Brother’s Who Become Wealthy Wandering the World”, “The Three Brothers”, and “The Four Skillful Brothers” each story explores the adventures and pursuits of brothers who venture into the outside world and are later faced with a test of skills in which they must prove their worth and courage. Although the three tales are incorporated into the thematic chapter of “Competitive Brothers” and share similar characteristics, there are contrasts between their respective stories.
...es held by many fairy tales are conventional and represent the basic morality for many societies', which is perhaps why they quickly to gained acceptance by both children and adults throughout the nineteenth century after the Romantic Movement. During this period of time, a highly warlike society was formed by men who attended war and fighting against other countries while women were relegated to subordinate and subservient positions. The social convention formed during nineteenth century is reflected in the gender bias of the children's literature in which men were casted in predetermined and leading roles. Female heroes were portrayed as rather helpless creatures whose futures depended on the kindness of capable men, whom the women must need in order to be saved. Consequently, this pattern is displayed on the quests done by both female and male heroes respectively.
In "The Rocking Horse Winner" D. H. Lawrence tells us about the traumatic downfall of an upper middle class family struggling to maintain appearances through habitual overspending. Both the parents with common jobs and "expensive tastes" (pg.646) exploit all their resources to give their family the best; however, it was only to retain their high status in the society. "The Rocking Horse Winner" depicts a common demon we all face; greed, society's need for more possessions and money often drives people to do drastic things.The magnificently decorated house had always been haunted by the unspoken phrase, "there must be more money" (pg.646). "Nobody said it aloud. Just as no one says: We are breathing! In spite of the fact that breath is coming and going all the time." (pg.647) "They heard it at Christmas, when the expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery. Behind the shinning modern rocking-horse, behind the smart dolls house, a voice would start whispering: There must be more money!"(pg.646).The house cried with pain as it pitie...
“I've told her and I've told her: daughter, you have to teach that child the facts of life before it's too late” (Hopkinson 1). These are the first three lines of Nalo Hopkinson's fairy tale “Riding the Red”, a modern adaptation of Charles Perrault's “Little Red Riding Hood”. Perrault provided a moral to his fairy tales, the one from this one is to prevent girls from men's nature. In Hopkinson's adaptation, the goal remains the same: through the grandmother biographic narration, the author advances a revisited but still effective moral: beware of wolfs even though they seem innocent.
In conclusion, "The Rocking-Horse Winner," written by D. H. Lawrence is a story about the family and the feelings of shame that we acquire from our parents that could have disastrous consequences for the whole family. We saw the effects of a mother's obsession with money, a son's plan to please his mother, and the prices the family paid for their obsession with money.
Within the story entitled The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence, the audience is divulged into the sordid family life of a adolescent boy named Paul, where there are three obvious morals told through the story’s style and symbolism. Also present within The Rocking Horse Winner are elements of supernaturalism and cold harsh reality.
Fairy Tale Text & Motif. Prod. Distribution Access. Distribution Access, 2001.Discovery Education. Web. 1 December 2001. .
Gandhi once said, “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” “The Rocking Horse Winner” written by D.H. Lawrence is a perfect example of how a mindset that is filled with twisted moral values will lead to a bad destiny. Lawrence created many instances where actions that are based off of anxiety, greed, and selfishness, ultimately lead a family to having a terrible destiny.
The Rocking-Horse Winner is a tragic story that demonstrates how materialism is very destructive in people’s lives. D.H. Lawrence uses one of the main characters, Hester, to symbolize how greed heavily affects the idea of materialism. Hester’s need for money develops the idea that happiness and love is destroyed by the need for money. Lawrence uses money in her short story to convey the idea of how neglect from a mother destroys an innocent, young child such as Paul. Lawrence’s symbolism reveals that children like Paul need love and compassion from their elders. Hester, Paul’s rocking horse and the whispering of the house represent greed, selfishness, and love. They also reveal the character’s real feelings and thoughts of neglect, detachment, greed and selfishness.