...Compare and Contrast Essay Liberty University Character/Plot/Structure Outline I. Introduction to the Conflict/Plot/Structure II. Destructors a. Conflict of Trever vs himself b. How did the conflict unfold and the characters affected. c. How are the conflicts concluded? d. The effects of the reader III. The Rocking-Horse Winner e. Conflict of Paul vs his mother f. How did the conflict unfold and the characters affected. g. How are the conflicts resolved? Does the protagonist succeed in achieving their goals? h. The effects of the reader IV. Conclusion The conflict of The Destructors by Graham Greene and that of The Rocking-Horse Winner had some similarities and differences in regards to the conflict, plot, and structure. Both display a very invigorating tale and a mystery regarding the conclusion of each story. These shorts stories were both about children who did not have an understanding and were naïve to the ways of the world. Each displayed a very disturbing outcome and some more than others. The conflict lead to a surprising turn of events displayed itself as the stories were depicted. The Destructors by Graham title clearly described and assisted the reader in the series of events to come. One is lead to assume that in some way or form destruction will take place. The conflict that leads to the destruction is the internal turmoil going on with (T) Trevor. He was upset about his...
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...APA Thesis Statement / Outline Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ and D.H. Lawrence‘s ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’ use personification, characterization, and symbolism, to develop the different themes contained in their short stories. I. Introduction a. A brief summary of the “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson b. A brief summary of the “The Rocking Horse Winner”, by D.H. Lawrence II. Overview of the use of, Personification, Characterization and Symbolism a. “The Rocking Horse Winner”, by D.H. Lawrence i. The personification employed in ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’ has a profound effect on the readers 1. The whispering house is the focus of the theme and plot i. Characterization of Paul and his obsession to gain his Mother’s love and fulfill her wish for more money that eventually leads to his death 1. The money hungry character traits that is passed down from Mother to child 2. Paul’s obsession has sexual overtones between him and his Mother i. Symbolism in developing the plot in “The Rocking-Horse Winner’ 1. The Mother’s insatiable need for wealth symbolizes superiority 2. Materialism replaces Love a. “The Lottery”, by Shirley Jackson i. Personification is omitted from this story ii. The Characters in “The Lottery” is developed through description 1. Every day people conducting life...
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...Name Professor Course 3/1/2015 The rocking-horse winner D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is a short, tense story with a morbid ending. Throughout the piece, Lawrence often paints his characters as two-dimensional and unlikeable. Hester is portrayed in the story as hard, cold and lacking the ability to show love to her children. She speaks to the children with a certain bitterness that Lawrence never explains; we do not understand why Hester acts the way that she does, so we do not empathize with her. These characteristics make one to distaste Hester more. With an unlikeable mother and growing tension in the family’s house, it is easy for a reader to feel removed from the text. However, Lawrence skillfully uses contradictions within the personalities of the characters in the story and personifies inanimate objects in the text to keep readers engaged in the story. By subverting our first impressions of almost all the characters and the storylines, Lawrence captivates his audience by keeping us guessing and hoping for a resolution until the last sentence of the story. Although the main narrative of the story follows young Paul through his demise, Lawrence inserts the most contradictions in Hester’s character arc depicting her as a complex and dark woman. These contradictions add layers of complexity to their relationship and keep the reader questioning the direction of the story. Using a decidedly fairytale-like style, Lawrence introduces Hester, describing...
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...The Rocking Horse Winner The dramatic short story "The rocking horse winner," is about a young boy who desires to be loved by his mother. The author, D.H. Lawrence develops a theme that states, the desire for money and social status is a destructive force. The story is about a young boy named Paul who tries to win his mothers love by gambling for money. Paul has a supernatural power which he can commute with his rocking horse to find out the winning races. However, in the end Paul tries too hard to win his mothers love and dies. The moral theme is revealed through Paul, who is the protagonist, and his relationships with the characters. The relationships which result in conflict is between Paul's mother and father, between mother and Paul, Oscar and Paul and Paul and himself. The standard of living in their society is very important to Paul's family but it becomes a destructive force. The symbolism unrolls the theme by Paul's wooden rocking horse, his wild eyes and the whispering within the house. Thus, the theme is revealed by the use of relationships, and symbolism which in the end leads Paul to his awful death. D.H. Lawrence accomplishes the theme by using dramatic relationships with the characters. Paul's mother, Hester is determined to fit in with society but she does not notice that her desires are ruining her family. A conversation with Hester and Paul displays how she feels about Paul. Hester believes that being lucky is the key to becoming rich, but her belief has...
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...Lynnette BollingerCohort AA34ABProfessor Cynthia M. Howell, Ph.D.September 20, 2010 | The Rocking-Horse Winner | Lust for materials objects, a stylish living, and money can become an obsession in life if one chooses this lifestyle. D.H. Lawrence’s story, “The Rocking-Horse Winner” possesses lust of things throughout the story. The obsessions in the story affects a woman named Hester and then she passes the obsession on to her son, Paul. Part of their obsession is to know if they are lucky people in life or if they are unlucky. Being lucky is just the beginning of Paul’s obsession. Hester is a beautiful woman who was blessed with the opportunity to marry a handsome man but their love eventually runs dry for each other. She has three children, a boy and two girls. However her behavior around people was not the same as when she was around the children. Around people Hester portrayed her love for her children, and they would say that she was a wonderful mother. She may have been able to fool people but she was not able to fool her own children, because they know she does not love them like a mother should. The children can see this in their mother’s eyes but they know of her obsessions with other things in life. This causes her to be neglectful towards her children by not showing the love that children need from their parents. However, their parents provide a nice house with “discreet” servants to help tend to the children and the house. But the mother and father...
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...Critical Analysis Paper “The Rocking Horse Winner” and “The Destructors” English 102 Spring 2010 Debbie Thompson 23066932 PO Box 3057 Lilburn, GA 30048 In D.H. Lawrence’s short story, “The Rocking Horse Winner”, and Graham Greene’s “The Destructors”, there are many truths to consider. Although these two stories are considerably different, the message is the same. Whether in a real life-like story “The Destructors” or a fantasy like “The Rocking Horse Winner”, one must scrutinize the various aspects of each story. When comparing the themes of each story, surprising similarities arise. Both are developed around the lives of children. In “The Destructors”, a group of boys in the Wormsley Gang have the same view of the world around them. They have grown up together and shared stories about the bombs that destroyed their town. They also challenge each other to accomplish various tasks. The house that the boys ultimately destroy represents the greediness of Mr. Thomas (known as “Old Misery”), an architect who owns the tattered home. In “The Rocking Horse Winner”, the story’s plot is thickened by a young boy’s obsessive desire to “become lucky”. This young boy, Paul, believes that his house is continually whispering, “there must be more money, there must be more money”. Paul is able to relate to the self-proclaimed dissatisfaction of his mother’s life with the off mood of his house. Paul knows that although his mother appears...
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...| The Rocking-Horse Winner | Lust for materials objects, a stylish living, and money can become an obsession in life if one chooses this lifestyle. D.H. Lawrence’s story, “The Rocking-Horse Winner” possesses lust of things throughout the story. The obsessions in the story affects a woman named Hester and then she passes the obsession on to her son, Paul. Part of their obsession is to know if they are lucky people in life or if they are unlucky. Being lucky is just the beginning of Paul’s obsession. Hester is a beautiful woman who was blessed with the opportunity to marry a handsome man but their love eventually runs dry for each other. She has three children, a boy and two girls. However her behavior around people was not the same as when she was around the children. Around people Hester portrayed her love for her children, and they would say that she was a wonderful mother. She may have been able to fool people but she was not able to fool her own children, because they know she does not love them like a mother should. The children can see this in their mother’s eyes but they know of her obsessions with other things in life. This causes her to be neglectful towards her children by not showing the love that children need from their parents. However, their parents provide a nice house with “discreet” servants to help tend to the children and the house. But the mother and father never seem to have enough money to support their lifestyle even though they both...
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...There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck. She married for love, and the love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them. They looked at her coldly, as if they were finding fault with her. And hurriedly she felt she must cover up some fault in herself. Yet what it was that she must cover up she never knew. Nevertheless, when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard. This troubled her, and in her manner she was all the more gentle and anxious for her children, as if she loved them very much. Only she herself knew that at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: "She is such a good mother. She adores her children." Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They read it in each other's eyes. There were a boy and two little girls. They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighbourhood. Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money. The mother had a small income, and the father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these prospects never materialised. There...
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...The Rocking Horse Winner Direct Characterization Essay Block 1 4/25/12 “The Rocking Horse Winning” Characterizing a character is basically observing a characters speech, thoughts, actions (during certain events), and looks. This is called indirect characterization, but direct characterization deals the characters personality in a story. Doing this will give you a better sense of how the character is intertwined into the story and how they are related to the other characters. In this essay I will be characterizing the character Paul in the short story, “The Rocking Horse Winner”. Basically focusing on his characteristics and going in debt with what they actually mean and how they connect to the story. In the beginning of the story the author provides information, and characteristics of Pual’s family. The physical and personal connection between them. The athor Lawrence tells us that the family is not originated from a family of means, meaning they don’t have a lot of money because of bad events that to place in past times a dreadfully unlucky family. Lauwrence revelealed Pauls character through indirect characterization. Through this information gained I recodnized that Pual is a extremely positive, timid and a calm person. He deals with events calmly and he relys on luck with what ever he does. Lastly he talks only if he needs to but in a calm tone. Akwardly he hears the house wispering things like,“There must be more money...
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..."The rocking horse winner" by D.H. Lawrence is a striking story about a 1. little boy, Paul who secretly rides his rocking horse to pick the winning horse in the various horse races that took place. After the beginning of the story, there is a short conversation between Paul and his mother about luck, and it was the conversation that started the whole dramatic episode which lead to Paul's death. The conversation between Paul and his mother, the phrase that is constantly heard in the house and the rocking horse itself are the main ideas covered in the scope of this paper. The dialogue between Paul and his mother is mainly about luck and how a person can get money if such a person is lucky. From the story, the reader should be aware of Hester's crave for money and her expensive taste, therefore, it is not surprising when she talks her son into believing that luck brings money. We could also establish at this point that the family is at least living comfortably, meaning they were not very poor; "They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants." Paul's mother tells him that his father is not lucky and because of this, she is no longer a lucky woman. The conversation ends with Paul believing that he is a lucky boy, and the action he takes in finding this luck is what brings his demise in the end. The phrase "there must be more money" was mentioned in the story over ten times. The phrase symbolizes the insatiable desire the family has for money...
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...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 shows this through character motivation and symbolism. He furthers 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 believes 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. Paul desire his mother’s love more than anything. However he believes he needs to prove he is lucky. He struggles to prove that he is to make his mother happy. Paul wants his mother to love him more than anything. For Paul’s...
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...The Rocking-Horse Winner D.H. Lawrence There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck. She married for love, and the love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them. They looked at her coldly, as if they were finding fault with her. And hurriedly she felt she must cover up some fault in herself. Yet what it was that she must cover up she never knew. Nevertheless, when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard. This troubled her, and in her manner she was all the more gentle and anxious for her children, as if she loved them very much. Only she herself knew that at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: "She is such a good mother. She adores her children." Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They read it in each other's eyes. There were a boy and two little girls. They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighbourhood. Although they lived in style, they felt always an anxiety in the house. There was never enough money. The mother had a small income, and the father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these...
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...Fatal Catastrophe Three Messages from the Rocking Horse Winner The story, The Rocking Horse Winner, is about a little boy whose mother wants more money, so he starts to bet of horse racing to give his mother money, and ends with his death. The story begins with a young boy’s mother always saying they are not lucky, that there dad is not lucky. And if it wasn’t for the dad they could be lucky. The young boy says that he is lucky, but the mother does not realize it till it’s too late. Because the boy has a special gift; he can guess the winner of horse racing, and he is almost always correct. In the story, the boy ends up winning a lot of money, and secretly gives the money to his mother, so she can start believing she is lucky. Even though the mother never really appreciates it, she just keeps asking for more and more money. The overall three main messages in the story would be: money can’t buy happiness, parents can often wound their children without trying to, and you can only be lucky for a short period of time. First, would be that money can’t buy happiness. In the beginning of the story the little boy says, “Our house! I hate our house for whispering.” He says this because all he hears...
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...the sight of what life really is through material things and then attempt to find it in material objects or through someone else or their defeat. Unfortunately at times, it comes to late or for the ultimate price, death, to realize what you may have or haven’t had. In “The Rocking-Horse Winner” and “The Lottery” depicts the value of life through being lucky, the lack of love and the ironic conclusion that nothing is more important than life itself. For example, Paul thought being lucky was the way that life was meant to be and the desire of others to see him at or that winning the prize was actually a misfortune for your life. Paul was showing Uncle Oscar that he could predict an outcome of a race and by doing so, winning more than enough money to make things easier. This money was then used to secretively attempt to buy the love of his mother, Hester. Hester has told Paul that, “It’s what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money”. (Lawrence 236) But in the end, it was Paul’s misfortune when he told his mother “I am lucky!” (Lawrence 245). Due to his unhealthy ambitions, his life was cut short and he never got to experience life at its fullest. Then you have Tessie as the big winner of the “lottery”. At first she was eagerly anticipating the start as she was hurrying to the gathering with her fellow villagers. But then, she changed her tone after she noticed Bill, her husband, had drawn the black dot. She even tried to make a justification as to why...
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...Meaningless Tradition and Family Relationships Ashley von der Burg Lauer ENG 102 September 8, 2014 Both “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” demonstrate how social pressures and meaningless customs obscure values and destroy relationships within the family however, in “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” familial bonds are dissolved over a long period of time whereas the relationships in “The Lottery” are disregarded for only a short while once a year. Both stories are similar in that family relationships must submit to the customs of society though such customs have become meaningless over time. However, in “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, family relationships are disregarded and never reestablished. There is no sign of any intent to reestablish or build relationships in the first place. In contrast, the relationships in “The Lottery” are disregarded but reestablished shortly after and reestablished with intent to do so. In Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, Hester is a member of an upper class society and in maintaining her perceived superior position, she fosters and insatiable desire for money. However, the upper class custom of keeping up a lavish lifestyle has become meaningless for Hester for when she comes upon more money, it fails to satisfy her and only sharpens her cravings. The relationships she has with her children suffer as a result. Hester is so consumed with greed that she is unable to feel love in her...
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