Coping with Reality

A detailed Summary of Coping with Reality

Man's Inability to Cope with Reality

Like many pieces of art, it is difficult to interpret and analyze short stories. The plot and theme in short stories are often undeveloped and not very detailed, therefore the true meaning of the story can easily go unnoticed by the reader. D.H. Lawrence's The Rocking Horse Winner and Willa Cather's Paul's Case are both short stories, which on the surface seem very one-dimensional yet through proper analysis acquire a deeper meaning. The Rocking Horse Winner is the story of a young boy Paul who rides his rocking horse in search of luck. Paul does this so that his mother would value him and to quiet the voices that are heard coming from the house. Cather's story Paul's Case is also a story that incorporates the characteristics of a quest. It too is a selfish expedition as Cather's Paul is in pursuit of a fantasy lifestyle, which is restricted by reality. Both stories leave the reader with a sense of incompleteness. It is not until one analyzes the plot and the predominant theme similar in both stories that one can actually derive any meaning from them. Through these stories both Lawrence and Cather express a message about how people's inability to live realistically can result in t

Once one analyzes the stories and looks past their surface it is easy to find the true theme and lesson within them. This theme of appearance vs. reality is unquestionably evident in both Lawrence's and Cather's stories. The reader needs to look past the exterior, past the print on the page. Once one appreciates the progression of the plot and develops an understanding for the theme, then the true essence of the story is revealed. It is easy to live a fantasy life. However, once the awareness of reality is identified ones ability or inability to cope with the truth will greatly influence their end result.

Forced to look deeper into both stories one can find the common thread between them in the theme. The main theme in both stories is that of appearance vs. reality. In The Rocking Horse Winner, many aspects are truly not what they actually seem to be. Lawrence's Paul is confused about a lot of undertakings in his life. The first is the lack of understanding of what luck truly is. His mother tells him that one is lucky when they have money. Paul's perception of luck is entirely altered, as he believes his mother. His quest to find luck (money) begins with the riding of his rocking horse. This is his means to obtaining the name of the winning horse in the upcoming horse race. These horse names that he searches for come to him from an unexplainable source. They are the foundation of the supernatural. Considering the boys age and the confusing state of mind that he is in it is hard fo

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Approximate Word count = 1018
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous