The destructive nature of Greed
It is funny how some stories are similar. When reading "The Rocking Horse Winner" (1926) by D.H Lawrence and "The Necklace" (1884) by Guy de Maupassant, one can immediately realize that they share a very strong theme: greed. As can be noted, both stories were published when the Industrial Revolution was happening and, at the same time, the middle class was being created. The middle class had different levels but a common goal: acquiring money, social status, and power, which in other words, restates the theme of these two stories. Both authors use exposition, foreshadowing, and symbolism to emphasize the destructive nature of greed. First, exposition is used to emphasize the theme in both stories. In "The Necklace," the protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, is described as an unsatisfied person. She is not content with her life, as can be seen in this statement: "She suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born for all delicacies and all the luxuries. She suffered from the poverty of her dwelling, from the wretched look of the walls, from the worn-out chairs, from the ugliness of the curtains" (Maupassant 345). Mme. Loisel was not happy with her life style, she felt like she married a man which made her go
But differently than fairy tales where "they lived happily ever after", Paul dies trying to satisfy his mother's wishes, a woman with an eagerness for money and status that will never be pleased. ] this story [The Rocking Horse Winner] criticizes those who equate love with money, luck with happiness. Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton, who wrote "Short Stories for Students" (1997), says: "[. Finally, when she asked to get all the money at once, Paul agreed. (Lawrence 324)The horse was Paul's instrument that led him to where his luck was. Also, many people may notice that the title makes the reader wonder what is going to happen with this necklace. And he realized that her greed would never end. An attentive reader could have guessed that the fancy box was just holding a fake necklace. As can be seen in the text "The Technical Struggle: on Subject" (1951) by Sean O'Faolain: "she can make do with her best frock, but she has no jewels, and she fears that without them she will look just as poor as she is" (177).
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
