Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Comparison and Contrast of The Destructors and The Rocking Horse Winner
Comparison and Contrast of ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠, by Graham Greene and ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠, by D.H. Lawrence This comparison and contrast of ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠, by Graham Greene and ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠, by D.H. Lawrence will center on selected parts of stories from the opening through the conclusion. I will seek to compare and contrast both authorsââ¬â¢ choices of characters, themes, techniques of suspense, moral statements, and conclusions. ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠were both written in the third person by British authors and set in post war Great Britain. ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠was written post World War II and ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠was written post World War I. Misery caused by poverty is the underlying theme of each story. The significance of the period each story was penned can easily be understood when considering the miserable living conditions of the people of post war Great Britain. The characters in ââ¬Å"The characters in ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠are not as fully developed as those in ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠. In ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠the characters are bound together as a distinct unit or a gang. Their overall interaction is based primarily on the destruction of Old Miseryââ¬â¢s house. Dialogue between the gang members is limited to a great extent on the houseââ¬â¢s destruction. In contrast, ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠characters, Paul, his mother, his uncle, and Bassett, are in constant conflict over poverty and bad luck as opposed to wealth and good luck. ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠is a story about the gang-style activities of young boys living in the inner-city poverty of post-war London and their conspiracy toward destroying an old manââ¬â¢s house. The opening of ââ¬Å"The Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠sets the tone, moo... ...which in turn led him to seek games of chance. The conclusion of both stories is sad. In ââ¬Å"The Destructorsâ⬠, not only is Old Miseryââ¬â¢s house destroyed, but also during the latter part of the demolition, the gang holds him captive in the out-house. The final humiliation appears when the lorry driver is an unknowing accomplice but still finds humor in Old Miseryââ¬â¢s house being razed. In the ââ¬Å"Rocking Horse Winnerâ⬠, tragically although Paul selects the winning horse of the derby and brings wealth to his family, he dies in the end. Paulââ¬â¢s last words to his mother were ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m luckyâ⬠. In conclusion, the two short stories as compared and contrasted above, depict the degradation of social norms caused by poverty. The two sets of charactersââ¬â¢ reactions to this abasement are different, and both prove ineffective attempts to overcome or cope with the situation.
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