Similarities Between The Lottery And The Rocking Horse Winner

In Shirley Jackson’s, “The Lottery” and D. H. Lawrence’s, “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” both authors use symbolism to aid the reader in comprehending the theme of the stories. The basic premises of “The Lottery” and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” are almost definitely symbolic, and nearly every component of the stories signifies an idea that the author wants to explore. It is the examination of these symbols which makes the story so stimulating and yet challenging because the authors do not give all the answers. This lack of answers forces the reader to find their own answers to the meaning of each story. The words “lottery” and “rocking horse” normally represent pleasure or delight. The reader would generally picture a joyful ending or an optimistic outcome. However, the reader of these two

The black box is the manifestation of such conformity. It is described as old and worn, but the villagers do not want to “upset events as tradition as was represented by the black box.” (The Lottery, pg. 222) It was long used, and the villagers believed that some of the pieces from the original lottery box were used to create that one. The symbolism Jackson uses is relative to life while the symbolism that D. H. Lawrence uses in “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” is purely fictional. In “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” Lawrence uses a whispering house and a rocking horse to symbolize that greed will get you nowhere in life. In “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” the house hauntingly whispers, “There must be more money.” (The Rocking-Horse Winner, pg. 174) The whispering is a personification of the stress and dissatisfaction found in the house. The rocking horse is a multi-purpose symbol representing childhood and an interest in horses and possibly horse racing. The young character, Paul, fervent rocking on the horse could also represent his need for his mother’s love and