The Horse Dealer's Daughter

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“The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” is a short story written by D.H. Lawrence. This story takes place in a small town in the 1920’s in a rural area of England. It deals with a family’s total loss of wealth and a mother and how one character, Mabel, is not so quick to accept. Lawrence uses various symbols to emphasize his theme of death and rebirth into a world of passion. Lawrence uses dog and horse imagery to describe the family members. Joe stands in "horsey fashion," Fred Henry is an "animal which controls," and Malcolm has a "jaunty museau."Lawrence describes the brothers in terms of horses to emphasize the importance of the horses in their lives; once the horses are gone, life as they know it will be over. Mabel feels this way especially. The first symbol the reader’s see that shows this theme of death and rebirth is in the graveyard when Mabel is visiting her mother’s grave. Her grave and the ones around it symbolize Mabel’s dead soul that she has at this point in her life. Because of this deadness inside of her she is able to connect with her mother this way. She feels secure and comfortable in the churchyard because she feels the same way as that atmosphere; dead. The churchyard is the first place that Mabel and Dr. Ferguson “meet”. As he walks he is struck by Mabel’s eyes. He describes them to be “distinct” and that “it seemed to mesmerize him” (2501). This is the first instance where Jack is truly taken back by Mabel and makes the reader aware of the unconscious love that he has for her. The next major symbol of death and rebirth is the pond. Lawrence describes the pond, clay and water repeatedly to be cold, dead and dark which strongly implies death. The whole evening is filled with these symbols of death as well. It is here that Mabel decides to end her life. Ironically it is in the pond that Jack saves Mabel and brings them both “back” mentally. Going

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