The Rocking Horse Winner and the Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas
The Rocking Horse Winner and The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas
By: Kaylan Kelsey
While reading and researching the two stories, “The Rocking Horse Winner” and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, there are various similarities and differences. “The Rocking Horse Winner” is a fantasy short story written by D.H. Lawrence about a middle class family in need for more money so they depend on the son, Paul’s, luck to get what they want. “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is a short allegorical tale written by Ursula K. Le Guin about a utopian society in which happiness is made possible by the sacrifice of one child. An interesting similarity about the two stories is that, they were both first published in magazines.
“The Rocking-Horse Winner” is the story of a boy’ s gift for picking the winners of horse races. The boy, Paul, comes from a family that is always short of money. His mother seems to be more obsessed with the status that material things can provide than the environment of a loving home. Paul sees his mother’s desire for money, so he decides to take action.(Wilson) The symbolism in this story is very sexually oriented. Paul’s visciuos riding of the rocking horse expresses his desire to make money for his mother and his own sexuality. The rocking horse is his “mount” which is “forced” onwards in a “furious ride” towards “frenzy.” These descriptions are very suggestive of sexual activity. However, this is disturbing because Paul is very young yet he is participating in such acts. (Wilson)
In the utopian society of Omelas we learn all about their perfect town with ideal health, music and intelligence. Everyone is always happy and can do whatever they want with no consequence, besides the child that must lie in agony. The child, whose existence is revealed toward the end of the story, is abused and mistreated so the other citizens of Omelas can live in prosperity and happiness. Locked in a small room or closet with no windows, the child is dirty,
By: Kaylan Kelsey
While reading and researching the two stories, “The Rocking Horse Winner” and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”, there are various similarities and differences. “The Rocking Horse Winner” is a fantasy short story written by D.H. Lawrence about a middle class family in need for more money so they depend on the son, Paul’s, luck to get what they want. “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is a short allegorical tale written by Ursula K. Le Guin about a utopian society in which happiness is made possible by the sacrifice of one child. An interesting similarity about the two stories is that, they were both first published in magazines.
“The Rocking-Horse Winner” is the story of a boy’ s gift for picking the winners of horse races. The boy, Paul, comes from a family that is always short of money. His mother seems to be more obsessed with the status that material things can provide than the environment of a loving home. Paul sees his mother’s desire for money, so he decides to take action.(Wilson) The symbolism in this story is very sexually oriented. Paul’s visciuos riding of the rocking horse expresses his desire to make money for his mother and his own sexuality. The rocking horse is his “mount” which is “forced” onwards in a “furious ride” towards “frenzy.” These descriptions are very suggestive of sexual activity. However, this is disturbing because Paul is very young yet he is participating in such acts. (Wilson)
In the utopian society of Omelas we learn all about their perfect town with ideal health, music and intelligence. Everyone is always happy and can do whatever they want with no consequence, besides the child that must lie in agony. The child, whose existence is revealed toward the end of the story, is abused and mistreated so the other citizens of Omelas can live in prosperity and happiness. Locked in a small room or closet with no windows, the child is dirty,
Cited: Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. P174-191. From Gale Virtual Reference Library. Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. P230-244. From Gale Virtual Reference Library.