Conformity in The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence Essay

In The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence, the family was unable to see what they really had going for them. Corrupted Conformity Many times, people believe that they must achieve a certain social status within a community due to the need of acceptance, or perhaps, simply the fear of being rejected. Communities normally demonstrate a positive atmosphere. They are supposed to be places where everyone knows and is kind to one another; one where people feel comfortable with each other. Although the idea of community and solidarity is usually something to be looked at in a positive way, as illustrated in â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner†, â€Å"The Lottery†, and â€Å"The Shining Houses†, certain individuals suffer greatly when they are†¦show more content†¦The uncle concludes the story by saying: â€Å"But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner† (Lawrence 34). In other words, he was already a winner, but no one saw that, the mother was blinded because of her greater desire for wealth. When people are used to something and have done it for so long, they are very reluctant to change. â€Å"The Lottery† is a perfect example of this. The word ‘lottery’ in this story is very ironic; it normally represents a positive aspect, but in this case, whoever wins the lottery, dies. It goes to show that there is definitely something wrong with the community. The people have been involved with this so-called lottery for years, â€Å"Listening to the young folks, nothing’s good enough for them†¦There’s always been a lottery† (Jackson 5), and believe that without it, they would have an unsuccessful harvest season. They are so against change, and while most of the people of the town know that what they are doing is wrong, no one will change it, because it has been tradition for so long. Consequently, Tessie dies at the end because of people’s fear of change. The third and final story, â€Å"The Shining Houses†, deals with people who are so adamant that they must live a certain way, the same way as everyone else, and are in opposition to anyone who decides differently. Mrs. Fullerton is an uncomplicated old woman. Her husbands’ absenceShow MoreRelated Analysis of The Rocking Horse Winner Essay1482 Words   |  6 PagesCertain individuals have a drive that can lead them to achieve what they desire most. In the Short story â€Å"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 becomesRead MoreHow to Read Lit Like a Prof Notes3608 Words   |  15 Pagestext. 13. It’s All Political a. Literature tends to be written by people interested in the problems of the world, so most works have a political element in them b. Issues: i. Individualism and self-determination against the needs of society for conformity and stability. ii. Power structures iii. Relations among classes iv. issues of justice and rights v. interactions between the sexes and among various racial and ethnic constituencies. 14. Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too a. Characteristics of a ChristRead MoreHorace Gregory s Short ( But Perfectly Formed D. H. Lawrence : Pilgrim Of The Apocalypse10205 Words   |  41 PagesCHAPTER TWO Inquisitive D. H. Lawrence versus Anally Retentive Mr. Freud Horace Gregory’s short (but perfectly formed) D. H. Lawrence: Pilgrim of the Apocalypse (1933) explains how Lawrence’s two essays on psychoanalysis were motivated by his desire to understand. What he needed to understand was why he was as he was; how the development of masculinity and gender identity were influenced and how obstacles such as an over-possessive mother might impair these developments. Hence, his works onRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pageslower rate of growth, use relatively little. Because of the SBU‘s position in the market, economies of scale are often considerable and profit margins high. Two further groups of SBUs have been identified by Barksdale and Harris (1982). These are war horses (high market share and negative growth) and dodos (low share, negative growth). Figure 9.3 The Boston Consulting Group’s SBU classification 370 S T R AT E G I C M A R K E T I N G M A N A G E M E N T 2 Hold. The primary objective in this