The comparison of theme in the Rocking Horse Winner and in The Scarlet Ibis
THE COMPARISON OF THEME IN “THE ROCKING
HORSE-WINNER” AND IN “THE SCARLET IBIS”
Ciko Permana Sidiq
103026027647
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
“ADAB” AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
“SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH”
JAKARTA
2008
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THE COMPARISON OF THEME IN “THE ROCKING
HORSE-WINNER” AND IN “THE SCARLET IBIS”
A Thesis
Submitted to “Adab” and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of “Sarjana Sastra”
Ciko Permana Sidiq
103026027647
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
“ADAB” AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
“SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH”
JAKARTA
2008
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ABSTRACT
Ciko Permana Sidiq. The Comparison of theme in “The Rocking Horse Winner” and ”The Scarlet Ibis”. Thesis. English Letters Department. Adab and Humanity Faculty. State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2008.
In this research, the writer analyzes about the comparison of theme in the short story and the writer uses method of comparison in analyses those short stories. There are two short stories that would be analyzed by the writer; they are The Rocking Horse Winner by D H Lawrence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. Those stories tell about conflict in family relationship. In the rocking horse winner, D H Lawrence explore the struggle boy to get gain love from his materials’ mother and the scarlet Ibis, James Hurst describe about conflict between two brother, the younger one is a crippled boy. The other felt ashamed to have an invalid brother. The results of this thesis explain the similarities and difference of theme that are found in both short stories. The similarities of theme that often occurred are the dissatisfaction that lead disharmony in family and both are also about the journey of two boys in pursuing the standard of the person they love in family. While, the difference that is found in the rocking Horse Winner is that money could lead problem and drive conflict in a family and in the scarlet ibis living beyond limit could lead destruction.
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APPROVEMENT
THE COMPARISON OF THEME IN “THE ROCKING HORSE-WINNER”
AND IN “THE SCARLET IBIS”
A Thesis
Submitted to “Adab” and Humanities Faculty
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Degree of “Sarjana Sastra”
Ciko Permana Sidiq
103026027647
Approved by:
Advisor
Drs. A. Saefuddin, M. Pd,
NIP. 150 261 902
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
“ADAB” AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
“SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH”
JAKARTA
2008
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LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “The Comparison of Theme in “The Rocking Horse-Winner” and in “The Scarlet Ibis” has been defended before the Letters and Humanities Faculty’s Examination Committee on August 21, 2008. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the “Sarjana Sastra” degree in English Letters Department.
Jakarta, August 21, 2008
Examination Committee
Chair Person, Secretary,
Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M. Pd. Drs. A. Saefudin, M. Pd. NIP. 150 299 480 NIP.150 261 901
Members
Examiner I Examiner II
Drs. Zaenal Arifin Toy, M.L.S. Moh. Supardi, SS. NIP. 150 031 215
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.
Jakarta, August 21 2008
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praises are due to
Allah, the Almighty, and the Lord of all that exist. May Allah’s peace and blessing
be upon His final Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad, his family and his
companions
This
thesis
is presented to the English Letters Department of the Faculty
of “Adab” and Humanities, UIN “Syarif Hidayatullah” Jakarta as a partial
fulfillment of the requirements for sarjana degree (S1).
It is a great honor for the writer to make acknowledgment of indebtedness to convey his sincere gratitude to Drs. A. Saefudin, M. Pd., who has patiently given valuable advice and guidance to accomplish this thesis.
The writer also would like to convey his sincere gratitude particularly to:
1. Drs. H. Abd. Chair, MA, as The Dean of “Adab” and Humanities Faculty.
2. Drs. H. M. Farkhan, M. Pd., as the Head of English Letter Department.
3. Drs. A. Saefudin, M. Pd., as the Secretary of English Letters Department.
4. All the lecture of English Letters Department for their encouragement to the writer
5. The writer’s beloved parents, Bibin Zaenudin and Mimah.
6. His beloved brothers and sisters, Lina Idamayanti, Dian Hartono, Ade Shinta
7. His beloved girl friend, Indah Pratiwi for the love
8. All Librarians of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Library, University of Atmajaya Library, University of Indonesia Library, and Library of UNJ., for having helpe him to obtain some useful books in relation to his thesis.
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Jakarta, August 21 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ... i
APPROVEMENT ... ii
LEGALIZATION ... iii
DECLARATION ... iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. The Background of Study ... 1
B. The Focus of Study ... 3
C. Research Question ... 4
D. The Objective and Significance of Study... 4
E. The Methodology of Study ... 5
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK ... 7
A. Definition of Theme ... 7
B. The Important of a Theme in a Story ... 11
C. The Ways of the Author Use to Develop a Theme ... 13
D. The Method of Comparison ... 14
CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDING ... 20
A. Data Description……….. 20
B. Analysis……….. 27
1. The Ways the Author Use to Deliver the Theme in the two short stories ... 27
2. The Themes of the Two Short Stories ... 27
a. The Similarities of Themes ... 28
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CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION ... 52 BIBLIOGRAPY ……… 54 APPENDIXES (THE SHORT STORIES) ... 56 The Rocking Horse-Winner
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of Study
Family relationship often bears conflict because of the lacking of understanding among each other. It is a small part but essential in every body’s life. Family’s life and its various problems are mostly portrayed in a literary work such as short stories.
In this research the writer has chosen two short stories to be analyzed, because The Rocking Horse Winner by D>H Laurence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst talk about conflict family relationship, both have common issues that disorientation pursuing love make both characters in both stories died young.
The Rocking-horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is a reflection of society’s
materialism, the search for material happiness and in the some time ignoring the real matter of life. The people are looking for happiness in the wrong place The Rocking
Horse Winner tells about a family who pretends to have a life full of luxury while their
income is low and their debts are high. Paul, the older son of the family, after seeing the importance of money and luck in his mother’s life, he discovers that he is not as unlucky as the rest of his family. His luck helps him to predict the winner of horse races. For a time Paul gets money as a gambler thanks to Basset, the gardener, and later on with the complicity of his uncle, who is curious about his nephew’s abilities. The winnings were given to Paul’s mother to pay debts, but she found the money wasn’t enough to keep up their social status. Paul feels the need to win one of the three big races. He found himself worried when the two of the races came and he didn’t know the winner. Finally, Paul predicts the winner while riding his rocking horse. During the incident, Paul gets sick and dies.
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Another short story the writer will analyze is the Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. This story has been chosen by writer because It focuses on the troubled relationship between two young boys: the narrator and his mentally and physically disable brother, Doodle. It explores the conflict between love and pride and draws attention to the effect of familial and societal expectation on those who are handicapped.
In this research, the writer will analyze theme that occurs in both short stories. Stories that are written are entirely to teach a moral lesson in the relationship among the member of the family. The lesson could be the problem of life, love, or even conflict within family relationship.
There are several lessons we may gain regarding family relationship. As we know that family is the smallest unit in social life. It is the beginning of a person’s life, a place where personality, education, and attitude are formed. The relation among members of family not always goes on well. The problems always occur in everyday among them. Conflicts often appear in family relationship from mother-daughter, husband-wife, mother-son, even within brother. The problem of life and the obsession of one of the member of the family may lead the conflict in the family relationship.
The Rocking Horse Winner and the Scarlet Ibis have common that is a conflict
within family relationship. In Rocking Horse Winner, the conflict that occurs is between mother and son. The name of the son is Paul. Paul is controlled in family relationships. His mother puts great strain on him by being financially irresponsible, and living beyond what they can afford. Paul feels the strain, since he is influenced by her mother’s role in family which makes him depressed. Paul assumes that her mother does not love him the mother shows distrust on him with telling him as an unlucky son just like his father. It makes him extra hard to gain her love and prove to his mother that he is the lucky person.
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On the other hand, in The Scarlet Ibis, the conflict that occurs is within two young brothers. Brother forced his physically and mentally disabled younger brother to do cruel things. He teaches his disabled younger brother to walk, run, swim, and climb trees and fight. He does it in order to pursuit his expectation of making his brother to be just like other normal children.
The writer is interested to analyze two short stories that are The Rocking Horse
Winner by D.H. Lawrence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, because the writer
found deep and interesting issues in both short stories. Since both stories have common in conveying the values of life. Both stories picture the life of two young men. Both tell their experiences as passing from childhood to maturity. In that journey they are pursuing the standard of person they love. They put high standard that both young men struggle to achieve.
It is important for the writer to bring up the values of life revealed in both short stories. It is needed to be shared to people who read it, their relation among others. Furthermore, the writer also wants the reader to have a reflection for themselves after reading it.
B. The Focus of the Study
The research is focused on the themes in The Rocking-Horse Winner and The Scarlet Ibis that is seed of destruction in a family relationship that lead to the downfall of other family members. The themes in both stories are compared to find the similarities and the difference between both short stories. Firstly, the writer will analyze the way the authors deliver the theme in each short story. Next, the writer will compare the themes contained in both short stories through analyzing the similarities and differences between them.
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C. The Research Question
Based on the background of the research and the focus of the study above, the research questions are:
1. How do the authors deliver main theme in The Rocking Horse Winner and The Scarlet Ibis?
2. What are the similarities and the differences of sub-themes between the two short stories?
D. The Objective and Significance of Study
The objectives of study are to know about the similarities and differences of theme occurred in The Rocking-Horse Winner and The Scarlet Ibis.
The significance of study is classified into two, the academic and practical significance of study. The academic significance of study is to fulfill one of the requirements for “SI” degree to the Faculty of “Adab” and Humanities of the State Islamic University “Syarif Hidayatullah” Jakarta. The practical one is to broad up the researcher’s knowledge regarding to the comparison themes in the two short stories.
E. The Methodology of Study 1. The Method of Research
To solve the problems of research that are presented in the statement of the problems, the writer uses qualitative method in doing this research and the writer also uses the analytic descriptive to analyze the similarities and differences of themes between short stories; The Rocking-Horse Winner and The Scarlet
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Ibis. In the analytic descriptive, the writer described some facts and also the result of analysis.1 The writer will describe some quotations in the stories to support the similar themes and difference themes that have been found.
2. Instrument of the Research
In this research, the instrument of the research is the writer himself. The writer used relevant materials that related with the study. The data that related to the study collected from library.
3. The Unit of Analysis
The units of analysis in this research are two short stories, The Rocking
Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence which was published in the 1926 in Harper’s
Bazaar magazine and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst which was first published
in July 1960 by the Atlantic Monthly Magazine.
4. The Time and Place of the Research
The skripsi is accomplished in 2007/2008 in English Letters Department, “Adab” and Humanities Faculty. This skripsi is conducted at Islamic State University Jakarta Library and other university‘s library in Jakarta, which provide the information and references about the material that the writer needs, such as the Library of Catholic Atmajaya, the Library of UI, and Library of UNJ.
1
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5. The Technique of Data Analysis
The collected data will be analyzed through descriptive qualitative analysis. The data will be described in a restricted discussion and will be supported by the evidences (quotations in the story) for the writer to give the explanations. The writer conducts the research by comparing the two short stories, describing the similar themes and the difference themes that can be found by the writer and will be supported by the quotation the writer gets from both short stories, in this research, the writer compare themes revealed in the two shirt stories, The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Laurence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst to find out similarities and difference.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. The Definition of Theme
The theme of the story is basically a kind of message and ideas from the author to the people who read it. This is supported by James Pickering H. and D. Hoeper, as they said in their book “it is the author’s way of communicating and sharing ideas, perceptions and feelings with his readers”.2
In literature, a theme is abroad idea in a story, or message or lesson conveyed by a work. This message is usually about life, society or human nature.3 Theme is not just the central of a story at whole; it also contains moral lessons that can be applied in everybody’s life. The idea of a story can be a way to learn and to teach in improving someone’s attitude. The ideas bear interpretation of people’s experience as it is supported by Robert and Warren that, “the theme is what a piece of fiction stacks up to, it is the idea, the significant, the interpretation of person and events, the pervasive and unifying view of life, which is embodied in total narrative”.4
In a short fiction, theme may be found more than one as Henry Tarigan states that, “… bahwa dalam karya fiksi mungkin saja ditemukan lebih dari satu tema…”5
. As it is also stated in a site that a theme as an idea or main concept of the story in many novels or short stories, may contain more than one theme.6 It is
2
James H. Pickering and Jefeery D. Hoeper, Concise Companion to Literature, (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1981), p. 61
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28literature%29 on December.
4
Warren, Robert P., Understanding Fiction, (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1969), p. 273.
5
Henry Guntur Tarigan, Prinsip-Prinsip Dasar Sastra, (Bandung Angkasa, 1991), p. 120.
6
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now known that two or more themes can be revealed in a story. As Kennedy states “theme of the story is whatever general idea or insight the entire story reveals.”7 It has been stated also by Nurgiyantoro that “makna cerita dalam sebuah karya fiksi-novel, mungkin saja lebih dari satu, atau lebih tepatnya: lebih dari satu interpretas.”8 From this fact, the writer believes that every person reads the literary work may obtain different themes as long as his themes are still related to the entire story.
+ + + =
Figure 1.
Basic Elements in Fiction9
The figure described that other elements of short fiction like point of view, exposition, conflict, character are part of elements that supporting themes. In other words, theme is the total meaning of those elements. It revealed from those elements.
Theme is the total meaning of the story. It is the underlying significance of the experience the story relates; it is an interpretation of human life: it is the author’s
7
X J. Kennedy, An introduction to Fiction, (Boston, Toronto: Little, Brown and company, 1979), p.103
8
Burhan Nurgiyantoro, Teori Pengkajian Fiksi, (Yogyakarta: Gajah Mada University Press. 2002.), p. 82
9 Marguerite Smith Holton, English Composition Book II, (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1996), p. 62
Point of
View Exposition Conflict Character
Theme Or Total Meaning
Basic Elements in
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comments of human values; it is the sum total of all the elements in the story. It is an implicit idea with universal overtones made manifest through the lives and thoughts of the characters.10 To sustain his theme, the other select a particular point of view, inserts information, creates particular conflicts.
In literary work, either short story or novel always has a theme because theme is the center of idea in a literary work. There are various theories of themes the writer found in the book of literary.
One of them is stated by William Kenny that “theme is one of the most important elements of a novel to make the matter simple; theme is the meaning of the story. It also means something that can be derived from the story and may be defined on the central idea in a work of literature”11. As it is supported by James Pickering and D. Hoeper that “Theme is the central idea or statement about life that unifies and control the total work”12. In Kamus Istilah Sastra, it has been similarly defined that, “Tema adalah gagasan, ide atau pikiran utama di dalam karya sastra yang terungkap ataupun tidak.
Tema dapat dijabarkan dalam beberapa pokok.”13
Other theorist, Sylvan Barnet et al in their book said that “usually, a story is about something, it has a meaning, a point-theme.”14 William Kenny had some ideas about theme that “theme is the total meaning discovered by the writer in the process of writing and by the reader in the process of reading.”15
The theme is term which has various meaning for different people, “theme is also used sometimes to refer to the basic issue, problem, or subject with which the works
10
ibid
11
William Kenny, How to Analyze Fiction, (New York: Monarch Press,, 1996), p. 89
12
James H. pickering and Jefeery D Hoeper, op. cit p., p.61.
13
Panuti Sudjiman, Kamus Istilah Sastra, (Jakarta: PT. Gramedia, 1984), p. 74
14
Silvant Barnet et al, An Introduction to Literature (New York: Monarch Press, 1961), p.15.
15
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concerned”, said D. Hoeper and Pickering.16 In addition, the theme is considered as the important information taken from the literary work. The information can be the human experience, the comment on principle of individual characteristic and behavior, and the conception of the person’s experience in the world.
According to Cleant Brooks, theme is an interpretation of the story itself. He continues, it is an interpretation of the world beyond the story. So, the story may be interpreted because it has what we call a theme, as Brook defined, the governing idea implicit in the original situation of conflict that becomes the focal idea in the end of the story.”17Hence, the idea of a story could be interpreted beyond the story itself to reveal the values of life.
The writer recognizes that theme must have accordance to the kind of the story itself, whether it is comedy, horror or romantic. Theme can be built from other elements of the story. It means theme is the story and the story is the theme. According to Brook that “Only when the theme is implicit in the other elements of a play and a dynamic progression of the story can the story be said to exist at all”18. So, it can be said that “the story is the theme and theme is the story.”19
From several definitions of theme above, it can be concluded that every story does not contain only one theme. It may contain more than one. Moreover, the theme itself is every main point or the central insight revealed along the story that bring value of life that can be a moral lesson for the readers.
B. The Importance of Theme in a Story
16
James H. pickering and Jefeery D Hoeper, op. cit., p.61.
17
Cleanth Brooks, Joan Thibaut Purser, Robert Penn Warren, An Approach to Literature, (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc, Englewood Cliffs, 1964, 1967 ), p. 15
18
Ibid., p.17.
19
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The writer thinks that story must have a theme because of what has been written by X.J. Kennedy, that “theme is a center, moving force, the principle of unity.”20 In the story, therefore, by having theme, it means that story has one center, in which all the elements of stories meet. So, it has values to be shared to the people who read it. Conversely, if story doesn’t have a theme, it means that story runs in many ways and does not have one center where all the elements of the story meet. So, it would be meaningless and the readers would not get something from what they read. As it stated by Brooks and Warren that, “Themes as one essential part of short story is what is made of the topic. It is the comment on the topic that is implied in the process of the story. The theme does not easy to shown. It shall be comprehended and interpreted through other data and story”.21
It is often hard for the readers to know theme of a story by comprehending the content of the story as unity, however theme will be easier to be found. Reading the story repeatedly also helps to obtain the theme and understand the story.
Next, it is important for people to know and get a theme in a story because it is the way to make people have better awareness about anything they have understood after they read a story. The writer thinks that the elements in a story are also important. For instance characters and plot must relate to the theme.
If the author uses any piece element that is not related to the theme, it would make confusion for the readers, and as a result they will not be able to get the idea of the stories. If a theme is about the goodness versus the badness, some characters must reflect the good attitude and some reflect the bad attitudes. The good characters must describe that they really have positive sides to be against others who have negative sides. Therefore, they will support the theme. So, every element of story must relate
20
X.J. Kennedy, op. cit., p. 104. 21
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each other as stated by James Pickering H. and Jeffery D. Hoeper as they say in their book Concise Company of Literature, also said that “all parts of the piece of work should contribute to develop, or relate to the theme in some way.”22
Here are some ways to uncover the theme in a story:
1. Check out the title, sometimes it tells you a lot about the theme
2. Notice repeating patterns and symbols, sometimes these lead you to the theme
3. What allusion is made throughout the story? 4. What are the details and particulars in the story? 5. What greater meaning may they have?23
It is needed to remember that theme, plot, and structure are inseparable. All are helping to inform and reflect back on each other. Also, it needs to be aware that a theme determine from a story never completely explains the story. It is simply one of the elements that make up the whole.24
C. The Ways the Author Deliver the Theme
There are two ways that are used by the authors in conveying theme. In “Concise Companion to Literature” Pickering and Hoeper said that “the theme must be explicitly stated by one of the characters (who serves as spokesman for the author) or by the author in the guise of an omniscient narrator.25 However, they also said that people must be aware of theme in a story because without considering other elements of a story, the characters and narrators alone can be unreliable and misleading.
On the other hand, according to theme, some themes are not stated, but those are implied, revealed gradually through the treatment of characters and incidents and by the progress and movement of a story. They also gave the reason for this,“ this is particularly true of works in which theme is tied to the revelation character and/or what
22
James H. pickering and Jefeery D Hoeper, op. cit., p.19
23
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/literature/read/theme1.html Accessed on January 2008
24
Ibid
25
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that character may imply about people or life in general.”26 As it is supported by Robert and Warren that, “the theme is what is made of the topic. It is the content on the topic that is implied in the process of the story.”27
The theme may be explicitly stated by one of the characters (who serve as a spokesman for the author) or by the author in the guise of an omniscient narrator. Even though such explicit statements must be taken seriously into account, a degree of caution is also necessary, for as it is known that characters and narrators alike can be unreliable and misleading. In most cases, however, theme is not stated but implied by the work’s total rendering of experience; it is only gradually revealed through the treatment of character and incident and by the progress and movement of the story. This is particularly true of works in which theme is tied to the revelation of character and takes the form of a statement about that character and/or what that character may imply about people or life in general.
Furthermore, in one story, there may more than one theme. This statement is strengthened by X. J. Kennedy in his book, Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. He says that, “Great short story, like great symphonies frequently have more than one theme.”28 For example, in a novel or a short story, they would be several themes. It depends on how the authors present their messages or ideas.
D. The Methods of Comparison
Comparison is such a familiar everyday activity. However, it may be difficult for people to think of comparison itself as an important mental process. Furthermore, without ability to perceive the similarities, people could not classify, define, or generalize.
26
Ibid.
27
Warren, Robert, op cit, p. 272
28
X.J. Kennedy, Literature: An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry And Drama, Second Edition, (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1979), p. 91
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And without the ability to perceive differences, people could not analyze, define, or describe.
In comparing two short stories, there are two ways, the first one is “a common but inferior, way is to make your points first about one work and then do the same for the other. This method makes your paper seem like two big lumps, and it also involves much repetition because the same points must be repeated as treating the second subject. The first method is only satisfactory”29. So, in comparing themes, it would be necessary to make points of themes that could be revealed by the character of the story or in other elements of the story.
And the second one, “the superior’s method is to treat your main idea in its major aspects and to make references to the two (or more) writers as the reference illustrates and illuminates your main idea. After pointing the themes, the next steps are taking the references from the story and making them into major aspects and illuminate them.30
The comparison of theme may be used to compare and contrast different authors, two or more works by the same author, different drafts of the same wok, or characters, incidents, and ideas within the same work or in different works.31 The comparison –contrast that is not only popular in literature courses, but it is one of the commonest approaches people will find in other disciplines. The ideas of philosophers may be compared, or the approaches of two schools of psychology, or two conflicting economic theories. The possibilities for using comparison-contrast are extensive.32
Comparison and contrast are the important means to gain understanding. First when people start comparing the two short stories, however they will immediately notice things that people may not have noticed at first. Making a comparison and contrast in
29
Ibid. 30 Ibid, p. 114.
31
Ibid.
32
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this way enables people to see each short story in perspective, and therefore more clearly.33
The comparison-contrast method is similarly rewarding whenever people apply it, for perhaps the quickest way to get at the essence of an artistic work is to compare it with another work. The comparison-contrast method is closely related to the study of definition, because definition aims at the description of a particular thing by identifying its properties while also isolating it from everything else. The problem is to select the proper material-the grounds of the discussion. It is useless to try to compare dissimilar things, for then conclusions will be of limited value. It is needed to put the works or writers which are comparing onto common ground. Compare is like, idea with idea (themes with themes), characterization with characterization, imagery with imagery, point of view with point of view, problem with problem.34
There are two steps in using comparisons-contrast method. Firstly, it is needed to state what works, authors, characters, and ideas are under consideration, then to show how the basis of the comparison have been narrowed. The central idea will be a brief statement of what can be learned from a research; the general similarities and differences that have been observed from the comparison and or the superiority of one work or author over another.35
It is any point may be chosen for comparison it might be comparing two works on the basis of point of view or imagery, two authors on ideas, or two characters on
character traits. When it is comparing the ideas in two different works, the first part of
theme might be devoted to analyzing and describing the similarities and dissimilarities of the ideas as ideas. Interest here is not so much to explain the ideas of either work separately as to explain the ideas of both works in order to show points of agreement
33
Ibid, p. 112
34
Ibid.
35
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and disagreement. A second part might be given over to the influences of the ideas on the point of view of the particular works; that is, people might discuss how the ideas make the works similar or dissimilar. If we are comparing characters, our point might be to show similarities and dissimilarities of mental and spiritual qualities and of activities in which the characters engage.36
In the conclusion of comparison research, it is comparatively free to reflect on others ideas in the works that have been compared, to make observations on comparative qualities, or to summarize briefly the basis grounds of comparison. The conclusion of an extended comparison-contrast theme should represent a final bringing together of the materials. In the body of the theme people may not have referred to all the works in each paragraph; however, in the conclusion people should try to refer to them all.37
Comparison is process of examining two or more things in order to establish their similarities or differences. Both the word similarity and the word difference conjure up all sorts of interesting images in the imagination, images that reflect their widespread use in everyday thinking. Although similarity and difference are closely related, as being different mental processes.38
In actually, any relationship between two or more things will involve some degree of similarity as well as some degree of difference. In situations where there is both similarity and difference between two things, a relation known as polarity exists between them.39
In exploring a subject by using the topic of comparison, a sequence of steps would probably be followed below:
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
Frank J. D’Angelo, Process and Thought in Composition, (Cambridge: Winthrop Publisher, Inc, 1977), p. 195
39
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1. Choose subjects that are interesting enough to challenge your imagination. 2. Try, if you decide to compare two commonplace subjects, to look at them
from a fresh point view.
3. Consider your purpose and your angel of vision. What particular point of view, what particular insight you can give your readers to make them see what you see.
4. Be certain that there are enough aspects of the things to be compared to make a valid and interesting comparison. An aspect is a characteristic or feature of the thing to be compared, considered from one point of view. 5. Choose only the most significant aspects of a subject to compare40.
To compare is to show how items are alike. To contrast is to show how items are different. Thus comparison and contrast involve pointing out the similarities or differences between two (or more) items. To help make the comparison as precise as possible, the items compared are usually the same kind or class or things.
When deciding upon what to compare, it is needed to be sure that both items are in the same general category and share many points in common. People can usually compare two paintings more precisely than people can compare a novel and a painting.
Once two closely related items have been picked out, it is needed to explain as clearly as possible the ways in which the items are alike or different. In any given piece of writing, people may use comparison only- or contrast only. Or people may decide to use some of both in the same research41.
There are some various way to compare things, they are:
When the writer compares (or contrast) to object item by item, it is called the
alternating or point-by-point method. If the writer prefers second type of
organization, the block method, he or she explains all the characteristics of the first item together in a block and than explains all the characteristics of the second items in a corresponding block. Third “mixed” method is useful when the writer wants to both compare and contrast in the same paragraph. All the similarities of the two items may be explained first and then all the differences. (Of course, if the writer chooses, the differences may be explained first and then similarities).42
40
Frank J. D’Angelo, Process and Thought in Composition, (Cambridge: Winthrop Publisher, Inc, 1977), p.197
41
Mary Lou Conlin, Patterns a Short Prose Reader, ( Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1983), p. 153
42
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Comparison and contrast are such useful technique for explanation that college instructors in many differences fields like to construct research questions that call for a comparison or contrast in the answer.
The most important thing in analyzing a comparison and contrast is to make sure that author organize the short fiction around certain definite point of comparison. That is, people should always base the comparison on specific points that can be discussed about both sides of the issue. To help readers to see the differences or the similarities clearly, the researcher generally should deal with each of these points of comparison in the same order for each half of the comparison.43
Comparison is a basic procedure of explanation and analysis. A comparison presents two or more objects and describes and analyzes their similarities and differences. In other words the writer will not only explain the similarities and differences between the two (or more) works (or themes or plots or characters or other elements of fiction that have been chosen to discuss) but also explain the significance of the comparison itself.
Hence, the comparison-contrast method is a ground method very often to be appeared in any field including literature. It is an important means to gain understanding to notice things that people may not have noticed at first. Making a comparison and contrast in this way enables people to see each short story in perspective, and therefore more clearly.
43
Daniel Brown, Bill Burnet, Connections A Rhetoric/short prose reader, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984), p. 121-122
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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDING
A. DATA DESCRIPTION
To support this analysis in this research the writer uses the following data
description containing similarity and difference of themes that are found in The
Rocking Horse Winner and The Scarlet Ibis. The writer will have two tables as
data description to be analyzed then. The first table contained similarity of
themes that are found in two short stories. The other one contained difference of
themes that are conveyed in the two short stories.
TABLE I
THE SIMILARITIES OF THEMES
NO
THEMES CORPUS
LINES
Paul . . . handed over five thousand
pounds to his uncle, who deposited it with
the family lawyer, who was then to inform
Paul’s mother that a relative had put five
thousand pounds into his hands, which
sum was to be paid out a thousand
pounds at a time on the mother’s
birthday, for the next five years.
So, she’ll have a birthday present of a
thousand pounds for five successive
years.
However, “Paul’s mother had had a long
interview with the lawyer, asking if the
whole five thousand could not be
advanced at once, as she was in debt”.
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
246 -
253
1 Unending
Dissatisfaction
Leads
Disharmonious
Family
. . . “I made him swim until he turned blue
and row until he could not lift an oar…his
face turned red and his eyes become
glazed. Once he could go no further, so
he collapsed on the ground and began to
cry”
(The Scarlet Ibis)
218 -
219
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. . . Mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky!" "No, you never did," said the mother. But the boy died in the night. (The Rocking Horse Winner)
446 -
449
And even as he lay dead, his mother heard her brother's voice saying to her: "My God, Hester, you're eighty-odd thousand to the good, and a poor devil of a son to the bad. But, poor devil, poor devil, he's best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner." (The Rocking Horse Winner)
450 -
453
. . . I began to believe in my own
infallibility and I prepared a terrific
development program for him, unknown
to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would
teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees,
and to fight. He, too, now believed in my
infallibility, so we set the deadline for
these accomplishments less than a year
away . . .
(The Scarlet Ibis)
184 -
187
2
Killed by Love
"Don’t hurt me, Brother," he warned.
"Shut up. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to teach you to walk." I heaved him up again, and again he collapsed. This time he did not lift his face up out of the rubber grass.
(The Scarlet Ibis)
116 -
118
. . . “And aren’t you lucky either, mother?
“I can’t be, if I married an unlucky
husband,”
“But yourself, aren’t you?”
“I used to think I was, before I married.
Now I think I am very unlucky indeed.”
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
79 - 83
. . . I’m a lucky person.”
“why?” said his mother, with a sudden
laugh
He stared at her. He didn’t even know
why he had said it.
“God told me,” He asserted, blazening it
out.
“I hope He did, Dear!”, She said, again
with a laugh, but rather bitter.
(
The Rocking Horse Winner
)
88 - 92
3 Mistreating
Children
. . . then said, “It’s not mine.”
“It is,” I said. “And before I’ll help you
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down from the loft, you’re going to have
to touch it.”
“I won’t touch it,” he said sullenly.
“Then I’ll leave you here by yourself,” I
threatened, and made as if I were going
down,. Doodle was frightened, of being
left. “Don’t go leave me.
(The Scarlet Ibis)
. . . he cried, and he leaned toward the
coffin. His hand, trembling, reached out,
and when he touched the casket, he
screamed . . . he clung to me, crying,
“Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.”
(The Scarlet Ibis)
99 - 103
. . . he said stoutly, "I'm a lucky person." "Why?" said his mother, with a sudden laugh.
He stared at her. He didn't even know why he had said it.
"God told me," he asserted, brazening it out.
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
88 - 91
"I never told you, Mother, that if I can ride my horse, and get there, then I'm
absolutely sure—oh, absolutely! Mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky!"
"No, you never did," said the mother.
But the boy died in the night.
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
445 -
449
. . .
I did not know then that pride is awonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death . . . Occasionally I too became discouraged because it didn’t seem as if he was trying, and I would say, "Doodle, don’t you want to learn to walk?"
(The Scarlet Ibis)
124 -
128
4
Too Much Pride
Can Kill.
.
. . . I began to believe in my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight. He, too, now believed in my infallibility, so we set the deadline for these
accomplishments less than a year away . . . (The Scarlet Ibis)
184 -
187
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TABLE II
THE DIFFERENCES OF THEMES
NO THEMES
CORPUS
LINES
“Well, anyhow,” he said stoutly,” I’m a
lucky person.”
“why?” said his mother, with a sudden
laugh
He stared at her. He didn’t even know
why he had said it.
“God told me,” He asserted, blazening
it out.
“I hope He did, Dear!” , She said, again
with a laugh, but rather bitter.
“He did, Mother!”
“Excellent!” said the mother.
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
88 - 94
1 Seed
of
Destruction in
Family
Relationship.
Doodle told them it was I who had
taught him to walk, so everyone
wanted to hug me, and I began to cry.
"What are you crying for?" asked
Daddy, but I couldn’t answer. They did
not know that I did it for myself; that
pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me
louder than all their voices; and that
Doodle walked only because I was
ashamed of having a crippled brother.
. . . all of us must have something or
someone to be proud of, and Doodle
had become mine. I did not know then
that pride is a wonderful . . .
(The Scarlet Ibis)
154 -
158
2 Living
Beyond
Limit
. . . It frightened Paul terribly . . . But even for the Lincoln he didn't "know," and he lost fifty pounds. He became wild-eyed and strange, as if something were going to explode in him.
So the child cried, trying to get up and urge the rocking-horse that gave him his inspiration
And even as he lay dead, his mother heard her brother's voice saying to her: "My God, Hester . . .
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
300 -
345
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"Shut up, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to teach you to walk,"
(The Scarlet Ibis)
117
. . . "it's because your father has no luck."
The boy was silent for some time.
"Is luck money, mother?" he asked, rather timidly.
"No, Paul. Not quite. It's what causes you to have money."
Then what is luck, mother?"
"It's what causes you to have money. If you're lucky you have money. That's why it's better to be born lucky than rich. If you're rich, you may lose your money. But if you're lucky, you will always get more money."
"Oh! Will you? And is father not lucky?" "Very unlucky, I should say," she said bitterly . . .
(
The Rocking Horse Winner)59 - 73
He was a burden in many ways. The doctor had said that he mustn’t get too excited, too hot, too cold, or too tired and that he must always be treated gently . . . all of which I ignored once we got out of the house . . .
(The Scarlet Ibis)
66 - 68
. . . I
was embarrassed at having abrother of that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him. (The Scarlet Ibis)
104 -
105
3 Strains
effect
different way
. . . I had succeeded in teaching
Doodle to walk, I began to believe in
my own infallibility
and I prepared a
terrific development program for him,
unknown to Mama and Daddy, of
course. I would teach him to run, to
swim, to climb trees, and to fight. He,
too, now believed in my infallibility . . .
184 -
187
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(The Scarlet Ibis)
. . . what are you going to do with your
money?" asked the uncle. "Of course,"
said the boy. "I started it for mother.
She said she had no luck, because
Father is unlucky . . .
(The Rocking Horse Winner)
290 -
292
Paul, at the other's suggestion, handed over five thousand pounds to his uncle, who deposited it with the family lawyer, who was then to inform Paul's mother that a relative had put five thousand pounds into his hands, which sum was to be paid out a thousand pounds at a time, on the mother's birthday, for the
next five years. (The Rocking Horse
Winner)
246 -
251
4
A Shortcut to
obtain love and
Pride
When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him.
That winter we didn’t make much progress, for I was in school and Doodle suffered from one bad cold after another. But when spring came, rich and warm, we raised our sights again. (The Scarlet Ibis)
104 -
105 a nd
189 -
190
B. ANALYSIS
1. The Way Authors Use to Deliver the Themes in the Two
Short Stories
At first, the writer will analyze about how the themes are delivered
in both stories. In the story
The Rocking Horse Winner
D H Lawrence
does not state the themes of the story directly. The writer has done the
steps to find out the theme of the story. The writer has read it entire story
and cannot find the statement of theme. According to Hoeper,
theme must
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be explicitly stated by one of the character
. They are implied. The author
only uses his description to convey the themes through character and
other elements of story that help the writer to find out the theme. Thus,
people must read carefully and think further in order to get the theme.
It is similar to DH Lawrence in delivering themes in the story;
James Hurst in the story
The Scarlet Ibis
also uses indirect way to state it.
He uses the elements of a story, such as the characters, plot, and so on to
convey the themes. Even though, the themes were implied, the other
element of story was very helpful to find out the theme.
2. The Themes Of The Two Short Stories
In D.H. Lawrence’s short story, “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, and
James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis”, there were many issues to consider.
Although these two short stories are different, the main theme is similar. It
is a seed of destruction in a family relationship that lead to the downfall of
other family members.
It can be seen in Paul’s relationship with his mother in “The
Rocking Horse Winner”, and Doodle’s relationship with his brother in the
story “The Scarlet Ibis”. Both Paul and Doodle are controlled by a
relationship within their family that pushes them too hard until lead them
into death.
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A. The Similarities of Themes in “The Rocking Horse Winner” and in
“The Scarlet Ibis”.
1. Unending Dissatisfaction Leads Disharmonious Family
The setting in The Rocking-Horse Winner starts with the mother,
who is described as beautiful but shown as having no luck. She has a
very handsome husband and 3 beautiful children, a boy and 2 girls.
They live in a pleasant home, with a garden and discreet servants.
They live in style with little income and felt superior to anyone in their
neighborhood. In this story, the one who is never satisfied is Paul’s
mother. She is a mother of one son and two daughters who is never
satisfied of what she has already had in her household. She always
needs more money to fulfill her desire of luxury. However, her husband
earned less so she debt large mount of money that she can’t pay and
blame her husband as an unlucky person who cannot earn much
money.
People can see from this quotation, “the mother, who had a
great belief in herself, did not succeed any better, and her tastes were
just as expensive. And so the house came to be haunted by the
unspoken phrase:
There must be more money! There must be more
money!
”.(p.4). She has an expensive taste but has a low income so it
bears anxiety and dissatisfaction around the house. Actually, she
deserves to grateful to have complete family comprises a handsome
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husband, one son and two daughters. The lack of money leads
dissatisfaction in her self. It effected to her son who define money as
luck. Paul does
the rocking horse race
to pursue the love of her mother
by giving her money to let her know that he is a lucky boy. However,
after Paul gave her the money through his uncle. She wanted more
and more. As quotation below:
Paul, handed over five thousand pounds to his uncle, who
deposited it with the family lawyer, who was then to inform
Paul’s mother that a relative had put five thousand pounds into
his hands, which sum was to be paid out a thousand pounds at
a time on the mother’s birthday, for the next five years.
So, she’ll have a birthday present of a thousand pounds for five
successive years.
However, “Paul’s mother had had a long interview with the
lawyer, asking if the whole five thousand could not be advanced
at once, as she was in debt”.
It was all not sufficient because, the voices in the house
suddenly went mad, like a chorus of frogs on the spring evening. It
made Paul try harder to find out the next winner in next rocking
horse race to gain more money to disappear the voices.
The attitude of his mother who spends money lavishly he
had given caused the house screaming “there must be more money
no, more than ever”. The dissatisfied of the mother of money led
Paul to earn more money with hard struggling and it caused him
into death.
In the story of
The Scarlet Ibis
, the one who is never
satisfied is Doodle’s brother. He arranges the plan to make Doodle
to be like other boy to be normal. He has succeeded at first to make
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Doodle to be able to walk. As people can see in this quotation,
“Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to
believe in my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development
program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would
teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees and to fight”. (p.56) He
does not satisfied of just making Doodle able to walk. He wanted
more progress. Then he forced the clapped Doodle to do hard
activity like swimming, as people can see in this quotation, “I made
him swim until he turned blue and row until he could not lift an
oar…his face turned red and his eyes become glazed. Once he
could go no further, so he collapsed on the ground and began to
cry” (p.62)
.
The fact that Doodle can walk after being taught by his
brother does not make his brother satisfied. In fact, he taught
Doodle roughly to swim. He wanted more progress of Doodle’s
ability. However, the dissatisfaction of Doodle’s brother has hurt
Doodle. Brother realizes that it hurt Doodle. His desire of being
proud as someone who can make Doodle to be a normal boy make
him ignored Doodle’s painful.
Doodle’s brother did not feel grateful of the fact that he can
make his handicapped brother able to walk. It was actually a
miracle. But he thinks that it came from his effort in giving treatment
to Doodle. He wanted more progress of Doodle so that he can gain
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more pride from every body around him including their parents. The
greed of pride urged him to teach many other treatments.
From the explanations above the writer can see that Mother
in The Rocking Horse Winner has the same attitude with Doodle’s
brother in The Scarlet Ibis. They force the person they love to fulfill
their desire. Their unending dissatisfaction hurt their family
member. Even more, it caused them died in very early age.
2. Killed by Love
Both stories describe death in the end of the stories. Both are two young men who were struggling to pursue love and care from the person they love. Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner and Doodle in The Scarlet Ibis died in early age because of a journey in pursuing the love of a mother and an older brother. Paul struggled to find luck in order to get his mother’s love. Doodle struggle to be a normal boy in order to be accepted by his brother who was ashamed to have him as a crippled brother. Both were killed by the journey to obtain love and care from the person they love.
Paul’s mother always feels lacking of money in her life. It caused her accept the risk which is losing her son’s life.
Actually, if Paul’s mother stop to feel lacking of money, Paul might not worry and would not try very hard guessing The Rocking -Horse Winner to earn more money to give it to his mother. Since after Paul gave money to his mother, the condition in the house is getting
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worse because money is just like ecstasy. As we can see in the quotation below:
“Paul's mother touched the whole five thousand. Then something very curious happened. The voices in the house suddenly went mad, … simply trilled and screamed in a sort of
ecstasy: "There must be more money! Oh-h-h; there must be
more money. Oh, now, now-w! Now-w-w—there must be more
money!—more than ever! More than ever!"
It gave Paul anxiety because he desired to obtain more money to recover the condition of the house. As it is told in the story, “It frightened Paul terribly”. This condition makes him force himself to know the winner of the rocking horse race to win the race. The dissatisfied feeling of his mother that cause Paul try harder to obtain money make his mother even has to get the risk to lose her son’s life. Even though, he could guess the winner and win over eighty thousand pounds, he should pay it with his life. And his mother who always lacks of money had to get the risk lose her son’s life, to lose everything. Because money has no more value when her son’s life has been taken away. As it can be seen in the quotation below:
"I never told you, Mother, that if I can ride my horse, and get
there, then I'm absolutely sure—oh, absolutely! Mother, did I
ever tell you? I am lucky!"
"No, you never did," said the mother. But the boy died in the night.
And even as he lay dead, his mother heard her brother's voice saying to her: "My God, Hester, you're eighty-odd thousand to the good, and a poor devil of a son to the bad. But, poor devil, poor devil, he's best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner."
In the scarlet Ibis, the dissatisfied feeling is owned by Doodle’s brother who embarrassed to have a crippled bother like Doodle and it caused him to have a plan to train to do hard activities for his crippled
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brother. However, the little progress got by Doodle is not enough for his brother. He wanted Doodle to be normal like others. The greedy ambition brings death to Doodle because he could not do all the tough activities that forced by his brother. The dissatisfied feeling of Doodle’s brother can be seen when he forced Doodle to swim. Doodle’s brother thought that he had succeeded to teach Doodle to walk.
“At breakfast on our chosen day, when Mama, Daddy, and Aunt Nicey were in the dining room, I brought Doodle to the door in the go-cart just as usual and had them turn their backs, making them cross their hearts and hope to die if they peeked. I helped Doodle up, and when he was standing alone I let them look. There wasn’t a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and sat down at his place at the table. Then Mama began to cry and ran over to him, hugging him and kissing him”.
But, it is not enough for him, it is the happiness and pride that Doodle’s brother got in making Doodle could swim, run, climb, fight, and row.
“Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight. He, too, now believed in my infallibility, so we set the deadline for these accomplishments less than a year away, when, it had been decided, Doodle could start to school”.
One day, without considering the physical condition of Doodle, he was sure that Doodle would be able to swim. As the result, Doodle warned his brother not to hurt him by forcing him to swim. As in the below quotation:
"Don’t hurt me, Brother," he warned.
"Shut up. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to teach you to walk." I heaved him up again, and again he collapsed. This time he did not lift his face up out of the rubber grass.
"I just can’t do it. Let’s make honeysuckle wreaths." "Oh yes you can, Doodle," I said. "All you got to do is try. Now come on," and I hauled him up once more.
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It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that it’s a miracle
The dissatisfied feeling of doodle’s brother ended when the activities set up by him brought Doodle into death. Doodle’s brother supposed to be realistic to see Doodle’s physical condition. It supposed to sufficient to see Doodle was able to walk as a progress. However, Doodle’s brother wanted more. He wanted his crippled brother to be able to do activities that are usually done by other normal boys. The dissatisfaction didn’t bring any advantages. Even more, it makes his lost everything by the death of his brother.
In both short stories, high ambition bring little grateful of the small result and lead to get the risk of loosing everything because of the dissatisfaction of Paul’s mother in The Rocking Horse Winner and of Doodle’s brother in The Scarlet Ibis. Both characters in each story lost person they love. Their high ambition brings death to them.
In both stories the writer sees the sub themes similarity that is something that is gained with voraciously even will end disaster. In both stories, it was described that Paul’s mother in The Rocking Horse Winner and Doodle’s brother in The Scarlet Ibis pursued their desire voraciously until they even lose their member of family.
3. Mistreating Children
Mistreating children is shown in both stories. In “The Rocking
Horse Winner”, the older person who treated her children in a
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wrong way is Paul’s mother. She explained Paul about luck and
money badly. She also makes Paul penetrate the fact that money is
luck. The father lacks of luck so the family lack of money. It means
that they lack of luck. As quotation below:
“And aren’t you lucky either, mother?
“I can’t be, if I married an unlucky husband,”
“But yourself, aren’t you?”
“I used to think I was, before I married. Now I think I am very
unlucky indeed.”
“Why?”
“Well- never mind! Perhaps I’m not really” she said.
She even doubted Paul to have luck. Paul dislikes it and
pursues luck to prove to his mother that he is lucky.
“Well, anyhow,” he said stoutly,” I’m a lucky person.”
“why?” said his mother, with a sudden laugh
He stared at her. He didn’t even know why he had said it.
“God told me,” He asserted, blazening it out.
“I hope He did, Dear!” , She said, again with a laugh, but
rather bitter.
“He did, Mother!”
“Excellent!” said the mother.
The boy saw she did not believe him; or rather, that she paid
no attention to his assertion. This angered him somewhat,
and made him want to compel her attention.
The first knowledge for kids is what they get from their
parents.
Mother
in The Rocking Horse Winner explained his son
about luck and money unwisely. It makes Paul has a wrong point of
view about money and luck. He penetrated his mother’s words that
someone who can earn much money is someone who is lucky.
Paul thought that he can prove this mother that he is lucky and
make her proud.
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The older person who is expected to behave more sensibly
in the story “The Scarlet Ibis” is Doodle’s brother, because he
supposed to except his crippled bother as the way he is. However,
Doodle’s brother in the name of pride set a rude practice for Doodle
in order to make him just like other normal kids, to be able to walk,
to swim and to do more activities.
Once, Doodle’s brother had urged Doodle to touch his
mahogany box (Doodle has been predicted to have short life, until
his parents had prepared him a coffin). Doodle was terrified and did
not want to do that. But, Doodle’s brother threads to leave him
alone near the coffin.
Doodle studied the mahogany box for along time, then said,
“It’s not mine.”
“It is,” I said. “And before I’ll help you down from the loft,
you’re going to have to touch it.”
“I won’t touch it,” he said sullenly.
“Then I’ll leave you here by yourself,” I threatened, and
made as if I were going down,. Doodle was frightened, of
being left. “Don’t go leave me.
Brother, he cried, and he leaned toward the coffin. His hand,
trembling, reached out, and when he touched the casket, he
screamed. A screech owl flapped out the box into our faces,
scaring us and covering us with Paris green. Doodle was
paralyzed, so I put him on my shoulder and carried him
down the ladder, and even we were outside in the bright
sunshine, he clung to me, crying, “Don’t leave me. Don’t
leave me.”
The quotation above proved that Doodle’s brother as the
older person could not behave more sensibly. Even more, he
insisted his brother to do cruel things which is to touch the coffin
that actually was made for him. For a crippled boy like Doodle, of
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course, it was terrifying. Doodle should not have to be treated that
way by his elder brother.
The more quotation proves the unexpected attitude of
Doodle’s brother is when he taught Doodle to swim. He ignored the
inability of Doodle to cope with the cold in the pool and keep on
urging Doodle to learn to swim by saying,
“Aw, come on Doodle,” I urged. “You can do it. Do you want
to be different from everybody else when you start school?
“Does it make any difference?”
“It certainly does, “ I said. “Now, come on,” and I helped him
up.
The question of Doodle’s brother above actually is from his
heart. He felt embarrassed to have crippled brother. He wanted
Doodle to try harder to learn to swim to be just like other normal
boys. As the older person, he is not expected so, since it made
Doodle depressed and lost his confident. His brother supposed to
support him to do activities that helped him to adapt with other
normal boys well.
The way he treated Doodle and trained Doodle, had proven
that he did love Doodle but was ashamed of him at the same time.
Pride has blinded Doodle’s brother to see that Doodle’s life is more
precious than proving to others that he could train his brother to be
just like other normal boys.
In both stories, Paul’s mother and Doodle’s brother have
badly treated them as little boys. Both characters are the older
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person in the family relationship. However they did not treat kids
like Paul and Doodle wisely. They just care about what they
wanted.
4. Too Much Pride Can Kill.
In The Rocking Horse Winner, the writer can see that after
discussing about luck with his mother, Paul has faith. He
encourages himself to find out luck and make himself as a lucky
person. His self-confident increases when he involved himself in a
rocking-horse race. Then he told to his mother that he is a lucky
boy as in the quotation below:
"Well, anyhow," he said stoutly, "I'm a lucky person.""Why?" said his mother, with a sudden laugh.
He stared at her. He didn't even know why he had said it. "God told me," he asserted, brazening it out.
"I hope He did, dear!", she said, again with a laugh, but rather bitter.
"He did, mother!"
"Excellent!" said the mother.
After that he determined and worked hard to prove to his mother that he is a lucky boy indeed. After seeking inwardly for luck, he finally found his luck with doing gambling in rocking horse race. He always found his victory. The money he resulted directly he gave it to his mother without her knowledge. Actually what ever he did, he did it to get her mother’s love and compassion. However, before getting what he wanted, he was very exhausted in forcing himself to find out the next winner of rocking horse race until caused him death. Even until his death, his mother ignores his luck as in below quotation:
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“In his green pajamas, madly surging on the rocking-horse. The blaze of light suddenly lit him up, as he urged the wooden horse, and lit her up, as she stood, blonde, in her dress of pale green and crystal, in the doorway.”
"It's Malabar!" he screamed in a powerful, strange voice. "It's Malabar!"
His eyes blazed at her for one strange and senseless second, as he ceased urging his wooden horse. Then he fell with a crash to the ground, and she, all her tormented motherhood flooding upon her, rushed to gather him up.
"I never told you, Mother, that if I can ride my horse, and get there, then I'm absolutely sure—oh, absolutely! Mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky!"
"No, you never did," said the mother. But the boy died in the night
It all proves that Paul who is too proud of himself for making money for his mother by gaining luck in a race got an accident that make him look foolish that he dead by surging on the rocking-horse to find out the winner of the race. He won the money but he should pay it with his life. He got the luck but he did not get what he wanted from his mother; love.
In The Scarlet Ibis, Doodle’s brother is the character who is too proud of himself in making his cripple brother to be able to walk. However, at one moment, something had happened that make him look foolish. It is when Doodle cried for help and cried his name in his dying moment. He desired his brother to help him. However, he ignored the voice of his own brother. His ignorance caused his brother died because the immediate aid was not done by him. All that is in his head is how to increase his pride not how to maintain his cripple brother’s health. So that, it made him look foolish because his brother even died
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Peter wore a golden robe that glittered so brightly that when he walked through the sunflowers they turned away from the sun to face him. When Peter was ready to go to sleep, the peacock spread his magnificent tail, enfolding the boy gently like a closing go-to-sleep flower, burying him in the gloriously iridescent, rustling vortex. Yes, I must admit it. Doodle could beat me lying.
Doodle and I spent lots of time thinking about our future.
We decided that when we were grown, we’d live in Old Woman
Swamp and pick dog’s-tongue for a living. Beside the stream, he planned; we’d build us a house of whispering leaves and the swamp birds would be our chickens. All day long (when we weren’t gathering dog’s-tongue) we’d swing through the cypresses on the rope vines, and if it rained we’d huddle beneath an umbrella tree and play stick frog. Mama and Daddy could come and live with us if they wanted to. He even came up with he idea that he could marry Mama and I could marry Daddy. Of course, I was old enough to know this wouldn’t work out, but the picture he painted was so beautiful and serene that all I could do was whisper yes, yes.
Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight. He, too, now believed in my infallibility, so we set the deadline for these accomplishments less than a year away, when, it had been decided, Doodle could start to school.
That winter we didn’t make much progress, for I was in school and Doodle suffered from one bad cold after another. But when spring came, rich and warm, we raised our sights again.
Success lay at the end of summer like a pot of gold, and our campaign got off to a good start. On hot days, Doodle and I went down to Horse head Landing, and I gave him swimming lessons or showed him how to row a boat. Sometimes we descended into the cool greenness of Old Woman Swamp and climbed the rope vines or boxed scientifically beneath the pine where he had learned to walk. Promise hung about us like leaves, and wherever we looked, ferns unfurled and birds broke into song.
That summer, the summer of 1918, was blighted. In May and June there was no rain and the crops withered, curled up, then died under the thirsty sun. One morning in July a hurricane came out of the east, tipping over the oaks in the yard and splitting the limbs of the elm trees. That afternoon it roared back out of the west, blew the fallen oaks around, snapping their roots and tearing them out of the earth like a hawk at the entrails of a chicken. Cotton bolls were wrenched from the stalks and lay like green walnuts in the valleys between the rows, while the cornfield leaned over uniformly so that the tassels touched the ground. Doodle and I followed Daddy out into the cotton field, where he stood, shoulders sagging, surveying the ruin. When his chin sank down onto his chest, we were frightened, and Doodle slipped his hand into mine. Suddenly Daddy straightened his shoulders, raised a
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giant knuckle fist, and with a voice that seemed to rumble out of the earth itself began cursing heaven, hell, the weather, and the Republican party. Doodle and I, prodding each other and giggling went back to the house, knowing that everything would be all right.
And during that summer, strange names were heard through the house: Château-Thierry, Amiens, Soissons, and in her blessing at the supper table, Mama once said, "And bless the Parsons, whose boy Joe was lost in Belleau Wood."
So we came to that clove of seasons. School was only a few weeks away, and Doodle was far behind schedule. He could barely clear the ground when climbing up the rope vines, and his swimming was certainly not passable. We decided to double our efforts, to make that last drive and reach our pot of gold. I made him swim until he turned blue and row until he couldn’t lift an oar. Wherever we went, I purposely walked fast, and although he kept up, his face turned red and his eyes became glazed. Once, he could go no further, so he collapsed on the ground and began to cry.
"Aw, come on, Doodle," I urged. "You can do it. Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school?"
"Does it make any difference?"
"It certainly does," I said. "Now, come on," and I helped him up.
As we slipped through the dog days, Doodle began to look feverish, and Mama felt his forehead, asking him if he felt ill. At night he didn’t sleep well, and sometimes he had nightmares, crying out until I touched him and said, "Wake up, Doodle. Wake up."
It was Saturday noon, just a few days before school was to start. I should have already admitted defeat, but my pride wouldn’t let me. The excitement of our program had now been gone for weeks, but still we kept on with a tired doggedness. It was too late to turn back, for we had both wandered too far into a net of expectations and had left no crumbs behind.
Daddy, Mama, Doodle, and I were seated at the dining room table having lunch. It was a hot day, with all the windows and doors open in case a breeze should come. In the kitchen Aunt Nicey was humming softly. After a long silence, Daddy spoke. "It’s so calm, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a storm this afternoon."
"I haven’t heard a rain frog," said Mama, who believed in signs, as she served the bread around the table.
"I did," declared Doodle. "Down in the swamp." "He didn’t," I said contrarily.
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"I certainly did," Doodle reiterated, scowling at me over the top of his iced-tea glass, and we were quiet again.
Suddenly, from out in the yard came a strange croaking noise. Doodle stopped eating, with a piece of bread poised ready for his mouth, his eyes popped round like two blue buttons.
"What’s that?" he whispered.
I jumped up, knocking over my chair, and had reached the door when Mama called, "Pick up the chair, sit down again, and say excuse me."
By the time I had done this, Doodle had excused himself and had slipped out into the yard. He was looking up into the bleeding tree. "It’s a great big red bird!" he called.
The bird croaked loudly again, and Mama and Daddy came out into the yard. We shaded our eyes with our hands against the hazy glare of the sun and peered up through the still leaves. On the topmost branch a bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was perched precariously. Its wings hung down loosely, and as we watched, a feather dropped away and floated slowly down through the green leaves.
"It’s not even frightened of us," Mama said. "It looks tired," Daddy added. "Or maybe sick."
Doodle’s hands were clasped at his throat, and I had never seen him stand still so long. "What is it?" he asked.
Daddy shook his head. "I don’t know, maybe it’s—"
At that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree and landing at our feet with a thud. Its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out, and the bird was still. A white veil came over the eyes, and the long white beak unhinged. Its legs were crossed and its claw like feet were delicately curved at rest. Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic beauty.
"It’s dead," Mama said.
"What is it?" Doodle repeated.
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I ran into the house and brought back the bird book. As we watched, Daddy thumbed through its pages. "It’s a scarlet ibis," he said, pointing to a picture. "It lives in the tropics—South America to Florida. A storm must have brought it here."
Sadly, we all looked back at the bird. A scarlet ibis! How many miles it had traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree.
"Let’s finish lunch," Mama said, nudging us back toward the dining room. "I’m not hungry," said Doodle, and he knelt down beside the ibis.
"We’ve got peach cobbler for dessert," Mama tempted from the doorway. Doodle remained kneeling. "I’m going to bury him."
"Don’t you dare touch him," Mama warned. "There’s no telling what disease he might have had."
"All right," said Doodle. "I won’t."
Daddy, Mama, and I went back to the dining-room table, but we watched Doodle through the open door. He took out a piece of string from his pocket and, without touching the ibis, looped one end around its neck. Slowly, while singing softly
"Shall We Gather at the River," he carried the bird around to the front yard and dug a hole in the flower garden, next to the petunia bed. Now we were watching him through the front window, but he didn’t know it. His awkwardness at digging the hole with a shovel whose handle was twice as long as he was made us laugh, and we covered our mouths with our hands so he wouldn’t hear.
When Doodle came into the dining room, he found us seriously eating our cobbler. He was pale and lingered just inside the screen door. "Did you get the scarlet ibis buried?" asked Daddy.
Doodle didn’t speak but nodded his head.
"Go wash your hands, and then you can have some peach cobbler," said Mama. "I’m not hungry," he said.
"Dead birds is bad luck," said Aunt Nicey, poking her head from the kitchen door. "Specially red dead birds!"
As soon as I had finished eating, Doodle and I hurried off to Horse head Landing. Time was short, and Doodle still had a long way to go if he was going to keep up with the other boys when he started school. The sun, gilded with the yellow cast of autumn, still burned fiercely, but the dark green woods through which we passed were shady and cool. When we reached the landing, Doodle said he was too tired to swim, so we got into a skiff and floated down the creek with the tide. Far off in the
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marsh a rail was scolding, and over on the beach locusts were singing in the myrtle trees. Doodle did not speak and kept his head turned away, letting one hand trail limply in the water.
After we had drifted a long way, I put the oars in place and made Doodle row back against the tide. Black clouds began to gather in the southwest, and he kept watching them, trying to pull the oars a little faster. When we reached Horse head Landing, lightning was playing across half the sky and thunder roared out, hiding even the sound of the sea. The sun disappeared and darkness descended, almost like night. Flocks of marsh crows flew by, heading inland to their roosting trees, and two egrets, squawking, arose from the oyster-rock shallows and careened away. Doodle was both tired and frightened, and when he stepped from the skiff he collapsed onto the mud, sending an armada of fiddler crabs rustling off into the marsh grass. I helped him up, and as he wiped the mud off his trousers, he smiled at me ashamedly. He had failed and we both knew it, so we started back home, racing the storm. We never spoke (what are the words that can solder cracked pride?), but I knew he was watching me, watching for a sign of mercy. The lightning was near now, and from fear he walked so close behind me he kept stepping on my heels. The faster I walked, the faster he walked, so I began to run. The rain was coming, roaring through the pines, and then, like a bursting Roman candle, a gum tree ahead of us was shattered by a bolt of lightning. When the deafening peal of thunder had died, and in the moment before the rain arrived, I heard Doodle, who had fallen behind, cry out,
"Brother, Brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!"
The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened.
I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us. The drops stung my face like nettles, and the wind flared the wet, glistening leaves of the bordering trees.
Soon I could hear his voice no more.
I hadn’t run too far before I became tired, and the flood of childish spite evanesced as well. I stopped and waited for
Doodle. The sound of rain was everywhere, but the wind had died and it fell straight down in parallel paths like ropes hanging from the sky. As I waited, I peered through the downpour, but no one came. Finally I went back and found him huddled beneath a red nightshade bush beside the road. He was sitting on the ground, his face buried in his arms, which were resting on his drawn-up knees. "Let’s go, Doodle," I said.
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He didn’t answer, so I placed my hand on his forehead and lifted his head. Limply, he fell backward onto the earth. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red.
"Doodle! Doodle!" I cried, shaking him, but there was no answer but the ropy rain. He lay very awkwardly, with his head thrown far back, making his vermilion neck appear unusually long and slim. His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin.
I began to weep, and the tear-blurred vision in red before me looked very familiar. "Doodle!" I screamed above the pounding storm, and threw my body to the earth above his. For a long, long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain.