ipl-logo

Comparing Social Classes In The Necklace And The Rocking Horse

808 Words4 Pages

The pressure to display wealth in society is an ongoing concern, one that has been present since social and economic classes were first introduced into society. “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence and “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant are two short stories that display what this kind of pressure can do to a person and their family. Both Authors lived around the same time, only a few years after socioeconomic classes were first introduced into Europe.The financial situation of Mathilde Loisel from “The necklace” ends up leading to more hardships. Their biggest problem is that Mathilde and Hester (from “The Rocking Horse Winner”) put their social appearance above other people in their families. They both end up succumbing to the stereotype …show more content…

She cares more about money than the comfort of her family, shown by her inability to hide her financial distress in front of her children. Proper convention says that it is inappropriate for children to be exposed to such topics at such a young age. The cognitive ability of a child is lesser than one of an adult, and, therefore, should not be overloaded with things like parental financial distress.
“Because we’re the poor members of the family,” said the mother. “But why are we, mother? ” “Well- I suppose,” she said slowly and bitterly, “it’s because your father has no luck.” (Lawrence 217)
Hester is so concerned with buying more, and more things and having more, and more money that she is unable to judge what is and isn’t appropriate. She speaks to her child in such a way that causes him to permanently be obsessed with money in the same way as her. Ultimately, this causes the death of her son. Despite this, Hester remains obsessed with money and there is no character development seen where she is swayed from her ways by the death of her son. Fortuitously, her son leaves her with all of his winnings, which; despite not being not being enough for her was enough most likely to maintain her

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Hester Prynne The Unknown Feminist Of Her Time

    1280 Words  | 6 Pages

    She realizes that she does not need the validation of the others around her to be content and happy with her life. Self-care is not the only thing Hester learned while being shunned by her community; she also learned her own strength and

    Read More

  • Summary Of Rachel Sherman's A Very Expensive Ordinary Life: Conflicted Consumption

    776 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Rachel Sherman’s “A Very Expensive Ordinary Life: Conflicted Consumption,” the argument centres around the “legitimization” of wealth by the New York’s upper class in order to be seen as not only rich, but morally worthy. The possession of great wealth alongside their less fortunate peers could be uncomfortable also for those that hold the city’s riches. Hence, New York’s affluent has “legitimized” their wealth and consumption, or on a more macro level, the inequality between the social classes in the city in order to feel more comfortable in their spending, and to manage the impression of the wealthy in the eyes of the greater public in the much morally contested behaviour of lavish spending in an unequal society. This is supported throughout the reading by the justification of excessive spending and consumption by the claim that the rich live an “ordinary” life. The need that they feel towards justifying their spending comes to show that their amount of spending is excessive in the eyes of the ordinary person, in which they also acknowledge themselves as well.

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Role Model Essay

    592 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hester changed in the book from being an adulteress to being “Able” (158). A way that she became known as able to the town was by helping others out and making them little things. In the book it mentions Hester being a woman who helps, “ It is Hester-the town’s own Hester-who is so kind too the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted” (159). This is a dramatic change in Hester’s personality. In the beginning of the book Hester was portrayed to the gossiping woman as shameful and a disgrace.

    Read More

  • The Semplica Girl Diaries

    478 Words  | 2 Pages

    Looking back through history, one can find faults with virtually every culture. Whether it’s the ancient cultures that practiced human sacrifice, or Nazi Germany that tried to exterminate the Jewish people, we can always look back and find something that was amiss. What we often fail to realize, however, is that the people living in those societies weren’t aware of their wrongdoings any more than we are. “The Semplica Girl Diaries”, a short story by George Saunders, illustrates how every culture is oblivious to its own faults, and Saunders is trying to show Americans their own fault, namely, how our fondness of materialism changes the way we look at people.

    Read More

  • Chillingworth's Loss Of Innocence In Scarlet Letter

    557 Words  | 3 Pages

    They both left the town and years later Hester went back and it is said that she did, amazingly, get her happy ending, which she did indeed deserve. This story written by Hawthorne is without doubt, a tragically, amazing story. It revolves around love and judgment and embodies the way judgement affects a human being. Even though all the characters that were being constantly tortured by guilt, at the end, got released of it. This story makes you realize that we should keep secrets because it could basically eat alive.

    Read More

  • Hester Prynne Is The Worst Sinner In The Scarlet Letter

    601 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because of this, she gets Dimmesdale involved and Chillingworth who we short after find out is Hester's husband. Everything from here begins to get even worse because of Hester and her actions. Hester never

    Read More

  • What Is The Secrecy In The Scarlet Letter

    725 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hester’s character is formed and shown as she goes through great ignominy from wearing the scarlet letter A to having her the reminder of her sin by her side. Hester has promised both of these men not to share their secrets with the world and throughout the novel she stays true. Since she keeps the identity of her

    Read More

  • Prynne And Dimmesdale's Downfall

    831 Words  | 4 Pages

    She is filled with thoughts and experiences that other women of her time did not even think about. Hester is described as morbid on several occasions; for example in chapter 2, “It had the effect of a spell, taking

    Read More

  • Movie Essay: The Scarlet Letter Vs. Easy A

    634 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the other hand Hester doesn’t want or try getting attention through her actions. Also she becomes an outcast of the Puritan community and she slowly finds her way back through hard work and showing she cares. Secondly the way the two characters

    Read More

  • Redemption In Mean Girls And The Scarlet Letter

    1150 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hester gains redemption from the townspeople through acting philanthropically upon the poor of her town and the government officials that

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Right Or Wrong

    213 Words  | 1 Pages

    All of the people in the community suddenly saw her as this horrible person that should ought to die. Hester almost loses her child, Pearl, and basically her freedom to live and do whatever. What people fail to realize about Hester, or

    Read More

  • Hypocrisy Of The Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

    936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the novel, Hester is fraught by the Puritan society and her suffering is an effect of how evil society is. Hester continues to believe that the crime she committed was not wrong and she should not be punished for it. Her desire to protect and love Dimmesdale, turn her into a stronger person and become a heroine in the book. Although society still views her as a “naughty baggage” (Hawthorne 73) and is punished for her wrongdoing, Hester never thought to take revenge on them, yet she gives everything she has to the unfortunate and leaves herself with very little. She continues to stay positive no matter what society has for her.

    Read More

  • Social Hierarchy In Edith Wharton's House Of Mirth

    1478 Words  | 6 Pages

    The novel, House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, documents the struggles of beautiful Lily Barton as she attempts to both find suitable husband and be accepted into New York City’s elite class during the turn of the nineteenth century. Being a part of this class herself, Wharton uses this novel to comment on the true nature of the rigid social hierarchy that dictated one’s survival during this time period. Using her plethora of different characters as examples, Wharton states that one’s place in this social hierarchy is dictated by the amount of money one has and in order to be accepted into the elite class, one must bend morals to succeed; furthermore, Wharton reveals that despite its innocent and revered exterior, the upper class is made up of

    Read More

  • Hester Prynne: A Romantic Hero

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hester proves that she has a higher understanding for people and life, also a sense of honor based on her own principles not society’s. This perfectly fits the mold for a romantic hero. Towards the end of the novel, we learn that Pearl became a great women and Hester could have lived a great life with her wealthy daughter, yet she chose to return to Boston and live out her punishment. Now the book describes Hester’s final resting place, “It bore a device, a herald's wording of which might serve for a motto and brief description of our now concluded legend; so somber is it, and relieved only by one ever-glowing point of light gloomier than the shadow:—"On a field, sable, the letter A, gules”(Hawthorne 259).

    Read More

  • Theme Of Suffering In The Scarlet Letter

    1662 Words  | 7 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne explores recurring themes of suffering surrounding the main characters, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale both commit adultery with each other, and, as a result of this, both experience gruesome and occasionally unbearable forms of suffering. Though they undergo different forms of pain, both of their experiences are highly reliant on how the Puritan society treats them. Hester 's pain stems from the shame and estrangement she receives from the community, while Dimmesdale’s is due to the reverence with which the community regards him. Although, in spite of the fact that both Hester and Dimmesdale receive harsh penalty for their sin, by the end of the book, Hawthorne shows how their suffering is, in fact, the key to their salvation.

    Read More

More about Comparing Social Classes In The Necklace And The Rocking Horse

Open Document