A Tale of Gambling Addiction

1 Major: Paul, Oscar Geswell, Hester, Basset Minor: Joan, Nurse, The Gardener, Miss Wilmot, Paul’s Father, Paul’s Tutor

2. 1920’s,

Clue: World War I,

Places: Hester’s house in England

- Specific

3. (a)Yes, the antecedent action was that the family had been gambling but as the mother explains the father has been unlucky so the family has suffered a lot of harm

(b) yes, this story begins in media res. This is because the incidents as they appear are attached to the gambling experiences of the family that happened earlier

(C) the main type of conflict is Gambling Addiction

Gambling is the main type of conflict since it was gambling that made Paul’s family become poor. The fact that the family owns its own house is clear indication that at one point they were rich yet the fact that at the moment they cannot afford basic needs is a testimony of the amount of harm that gambling has brought to them. Again, by considering that it’s the same gambling that has made Paul die, then it is surely the main conflict

Another type of conflict present is Self-rejection. Rejection of self is seen when Paul’s mother throughout the story since from the beginning Paul’s mother is not accepting her children as hers and feels they were imposed on her. Also, the family is in rejection of the reality that they are poor at the moment although at one point earlier they were rich. On the other hand, Paul’s death occurs as a result of gambling in an effort to prove to his mother that he is lucky.

(d) It occurs when Hester’s husband used much of his time and much of the family resources to gamble and ended up losing almost everything except the family house.

(e) It occurs where Paul’s mother came into his room and found him riding a wooden-horse (rocking horse) to find the winner of a horse racing derby. After he is found he falls down and becomes unconscious and although his prediction wins, he fails to recover from his situation and dies.

(f)

Significance: The ending is proof to the fact that Paul’s mother actually did not get any chills from the death of Paul her son.

Significance: shows that Hester is more concerned about the money Paul won and cares less that he had to die to acquire the money

3.

The theme of the story: Sometimes it’s better to die than to have a troubled life

4. The significance of the title is to show the ultimate destiny of the story where a winner of rocking horse should be lifeless since a rocking horse is non-living

5. rocking-horse:

Represents- Paul

Reason- he ends up dead

Whispering house

Represents- poverty in the family

Reason- after the bet was won there was enough money for the family and no more whispering could be heard

Oscar

Represents - Truth

Reason- he is not happy with the act of Paul of riding a rocking horse in order to win a bet

Luck to Paul means winning money in gambling

Luck to Uncle Oscar means being just in your means to luck

Luck to Hester means remaining lucky through-out one’s life

Symbolism

(a) This symbolism represents the last bet of eighty thousand Paul won and died

(b) Paul made it remain a secret that the rocking horse was the one which made him win the bets. Being removed from his bedroom represents his death

(c) The surging of Paul on the rocking horse symbolized his death while the lighting up of her mother symbolized the luck of eighty thousand was won and given to her

6.  (a) Hester – She is static because never changes her perspective with respect to her lack of love for her children or anyone in her life. At the beginning of the story, this is the case while even in Paul’s death she is not moved at all.

(b) Uncle Oscar – He is dynamic because at the same point he liked the idea of gambling and loved winning huge but when Paul dies in an effort to win a gambling he sounds sarcastic and withdrawn from it.

(c) Basset -  He is dynamic because at the beginning he is winning gambling through justifiable means but when it turns out that Paul has some way of getting the prediction right he is carried by this and rides on his bandwagon to win big.

(d) Paul- He is static because at some point he thought he was lucky but his mother never believed him so he goes on to try his best to prove this out. Even at the point of death, he does not fear death rather he is determined to prove to his mother that he is lucky.  

7. (a) Situational irony – the fact that Hester appears to people to love her children yet she does not

(b) Situational Irony – the fact that Paul’s family owns a big house yet they are poor

Dramatic irony- the fact Paul has made efforts to prove to Hester that is lucky and wins eighty thousand  does not move her to believe he is lucky

8

The title of the story foreshadows the death of Paul. This is because he ends up winning a bid bet but dies at the same. His becoming dead is foreshadowed by having a wooden horse which is lifeless.

9. Yes, there were flashbacks in the story. When

10. The point of view is callousness since the advancement of the events in the story unfold in an unsympathetic form where the acts that deserve one sympathy attract none from the writer.

Quotes

1 (a)  The significance of this quote is to show that Hester is not sure about her surrounding environment and although she shows dislike to her children they also harbor some form of dislike for their mother

(b) This quote shows the amount of harm that gambling had inflicted in Hester and even at point of Paul’s death she was not moved at all.

(c) This quote signifies the high poverty level that Paul’s family lived in as well as the dire need for money they are in

(d) This quote signifies that Oscar is not supportive of the unjust means Paul is using to predict the bets and to him the means are filthy.

(e) This quote signifies the fact that at one point the family was rich but lost money in gambling due to their being unlucky and may be used to show that despite the fact that the family has been a lot of money by Paul, he has lost his life at the same time.

The Painted Door

1. Major characters: Ann, John

Minor characters: Steven, John’s father

2(a) Time (s): Winter

Clues: In the second sentence of the story the name “Winter” has been mentioned, it’s a cold season, appearance of frost and falling of storm.

This is chronological

(b) Place: In a small house upon the hills

Clues: hills have been mentioned in the first and the second sentences of the story

This is Specific

3. (a)No, there was no antecedent action present in the story. The story is developed from the start to the end and events roll over from beginning to the end in a chronological order.

(b) No, this story does not begin in medias res. The order of events in the story flows progressively from the beginning of the story to the last part where the last event unfolds.

( c) the main type of conflict seen in the story is foreshadowing or foretelling. Ann has a constant feeling at the beginning of the story that John should not travel to the father’s place and leave her lonely because she feels tense and full of fear of the unknown.

Yes, the other type of conflict evident is battle with self as experienced by Ann concerning her lack of contentment with marriage between her and John. Ann constantly feels that John is not sufficient in giving her all the love and happiness in marriage she wants. Lack of contentment in love with John makes her admire Steven and consider her handsome as opposed to John.

(d)  It occurs when John leaves to visit his father and heavy storm starts

(e) It occurs when John is found frozen on the fence of the compound the next morning of the storm

(f) This story has an ambiguous ending. While it was unhappy for Ann to realize that John died while trying his effort to come home to her to keep her assurance, on the other hand, it could be a happy one for Ann now she may begin a new love life since its clear that she is in love with Steven and that John’s love has never fulfilled what she wants in love and marriage.

3. the themes of the story is:

ü Sometimes one has to sacrifice their life’s for love

ü People should not be blind in love to keep off from other aspects of life that may make it happier

ü Sometimes love has to bear some patient and understanding

4. Title significance: The painted door represents Ann’s desire for both control and excitement in her life. She wishes that she could have new, pretty things and live a more exciting life, but she feels unable to do anything to make that happen.

5. (a)

Represents- the tragedy that awaits John

Reason- the window is frosted and dim such that it’s not possible to see through it. By being unclear this is a likely indicating doom and tragedy of John’s death

(b)

Represents- the end of love between Ann and John the new found love with Steven

Reason- because in the night of the double moon, Ann made love with Steven while John froze in the fields due to frost

(C)

Represents – lack of hope for John

Reason- while John is struggling his way in the frost trying to reach home, he is overcome by the frost and dies half a mile from home

(d)

Represents- a new love for Ann

Reason- because during the night Ann had a love affair with John is the same night John died

(e)

Represents- the kind of love and marriage that Ann longed for

Reason- A comparison between what John is doing to her and what she yearns for is shown

(f)

Represents- A memory for John

Reason- it’s the last thing that Ann and John talked about

(g)

Represents- The coming death of John

Reason- John’s death occurred in the same night

(h)

Represents – the death of John

Reason- it was the next day when John was found frozen and dead in frost

(i)

Represents- Rough and disorder leading to a bad omen

Reason- caused the death of John

6.

(a) Ann- She is dynamic because when John fails to come back home, she makes love to Steven

(b) John- He is static because despite the heavy snow, wind, and storm he dies while persisting to get home instead of staying back

(c) Steven- He is dynamic because while usually comes to John and Ann’s family and be genuine about his visit, this night when John fails to show up he makes love to Ann.

7.

(a) Steven made his way through the frost and storm and reached Johns home while John could not make his way through yet he is described as more strong

(b) It is not expected that Ann could dare have a love affair in a night when she is very disturbed about her husband’s whereabouts  

8.

Foreshadowing - Ann gets moody when John decides to visit his father and she insists that John should not leave her alone. Leaving of John to visit his father foreshadowed permanent separation between Ann and John

9. Flashbacks – the smear of paint on John’s death, is a flashback to the painting that John told Ann to do

10. The point of view of the story is resentment since events of love and love affair as well as death involving people in the same circle take place at the same time.

Significance of Quotations

1. The quote signifies the desire for Ann to have a committed love partner

2. (a) Signifies the diminishing life of John that ends up in death

3. Signifies the loneliness Ann is suffering from

4. Signifies that Ann is determined to lead a life without John

5. Signifies the undying determination John had to make his wife Ann happy