Shining Houses" And "Rocking Horse Winner

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Vlad Giurca Mrs. Koppeser ENG4U1-02 30 Sept. 2011 Struggles are part of everyday life. It may be a man trying to find a cure for cancer or a student having trouble with homework. It may be a character within a novel or an actor within a play. Many different types of struggles are seen today, of which many struggle to free themselves from the power of someone or something else. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence and "The Shining Houses" by Alice Munro portray characters who struggle to escape the power of their suppressors due to economic wealth, minority of age groups, as well as intentions and wishes of characters. First off, economic power or wealth causes problems for characters within “The Rocking-Horse Winner” as well as “The Shining Houses”. Within the story “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, the little boy, Paul, begins to understand that although his family has material items, they are not very wealthy. Soon enough, Paul begins to see the effects this has on his household and family. He sees his mother is unhappy and hears the house whisper, “There must be more money!” (Lawrence 19). This frightens Paul and as a result, he tries to find a solution to end the whispers once and for all. Similarly, Mrs. Fullerton, a character from the short story, “The Shining Houses”, is also troubled as she attempts to make a living in her old age. Mrs. Fullerton sells things one would typically buy on a farm such as eggs, chickens, cherries, etc.. Although Mrs. Fullerton is the only one who lives in a rural type home and sells such goods, she is forced to compete with supermarket prices. She is not very fond of the supermarket as, “Mrs. Fullerton already [hates] the supermarket for lowering the price of eggs,” (Munro 66). It is possible that the only reason why people may want to keep
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