The Rocking Horse Winner, By D. H. Lawrence

Literature that is contemporary sometimes share themes rooted with literature that is not modern. The literature may not always teach the same lesson or present the same message, but it shows a connection between the old and the new. It can be shown in the analysis of the three chosen pieces of modern literature. All three pieces share a theme common with piece of older literature. Not all of those themes bring out the similarities between them, some of them bring out the differences. In “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence, Paul and his sister grow up in a challenging family situation where money seems to be tight but their parents insist on living elegantly. In the poem, Paul’s father is never at home and doesn't make enough money
In the “Canterbury Tales”, money seems to play a big role as well. There are descriptions throughout the story of the clothes worn and trinkets bought by several characters, exemplifying the importance of money and wealth. In “The Rocking Horse Winner”, the mother is so concern with monetary issues that it creates a stressful situation for her children. Her son, Paul, turns to betting on horses in order to try to fulfill his mother’s want for money but it isn't enough and eventually the stress from becoming so obsessed with horse racing, kills him. In the same way “The Canterbury Tales” show a similar situation. Particularly in the “Pardoner’s Tale”, the three rioters become so greedy about the gold and who gets it, that they find, that it becomes the reason for their downfall. “Paul's mother is clearly the villain of the story, guilty of neglect if not malice. By withholding her love and by obsessing over their perceived poverty, she has created stresses too intense and complex for the boy to resist”. (The Rocking Horse) Paul's mother is the villain in “The Rocking Horse Winner” just like the three rioters in “The Pardoner’s Tale”. Unlike the rioters, the greed had no effect on the mother herself, but it affected her son, leading to his
In particular “The Wife of Bath Prologue” is different than “Sailing to Byzantium.” In both stories there is an overall them about old age. The old man in “ Sailing to Byzantium” really is an older man. He’s had a lot more years to experience life in the way that the Wife of Bath has and in multiple more ways.He uses old age as a way to connect spiritually to the natural world. He uses old age as a way to reflect on his life. “The well-known opening lines ("That is no country for old men. The young / In one another's arms, birds in the trees") announce one of its themes—age reflecting on youth.” (Sailing to Byzantium). On the other hand, the wife of Bath is a middle aged woman whose beauty is starting to deteriorate due to her age. This means it's getting harder for her to get men to find her attractive. The Wife also links it to a wisdom gained from life experience. The wife of Bath uses old age to reminisce about her youth and all of her experiences. Both, the wife of Bath and the old man are concerned about their aging but they deal with it