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What Is The Conflict In The Horse Dealer's Daughter

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“The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,” written by D.H. Lawrence, takes place in strictly divided society. In this society, a person moving throughout classes is basically impossible. The life of a person is essentially predestined with the only factor being which class you were born into affecting the options they had. With a clear distinction between the classes, it is expected for any relationship between two separate classes to be strictly professional, preventing social mobility that way. For Mabel and her brothers and their current situation, this leaves them with essentially no options at all. The options they do have are further limited by a lack of education offered to them, keeping them trapped in the lower class. Being stuck in this tiny bubble of opportunity that they have also means that they are …show more content…

With minimal career options and a society clearly divided in class, the theme of “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” is most people are oppressed by society. The conflict in “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” reveals that the theme of the story is most people are oppressed by society. An example of this conflict occurs when Mabel’s brothers barrage her with questions about where she intends to go and what they believe to be best for her. The ideas for what Mabel could do are very limited to not much more than becoming a nurse or a maid (Lawrence 453-455). This is an example of man vs. society conflict because the options for what a woman could do are very restricted during this time. For Mabel, none of the suggestions made by her brothers really interests her, and she doesn’t give much attention to them. These suggestions, however, are her only options in her society and she realizes this. Another example

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