The Rocking-Horse Winner Love

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Notion of Love Love is a variety of different feelings that people tend to interpret in their own ways. In the story “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, Paul demonstrates his notion of love through his luck, which in return he tries to give to his mother since he sees she isn’t very happy nor satisfied with his father. His notion of love differs from Meursault’s notion from the book “The Stranger” by Albert Camus. Meursault is the exact opposite from Paul in the respect that he shows no feelings or emotions at all, even in situations that it is normal to do so! In the book “The Rocking-horse Winner”, Paul’s one and only quest is to please his mother. His parents have very expensive taste but not the income to support it. Paul always…show more content…
“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” (Camus 3) This opening statement is very powerful in showing how much love he lacked for his mother. Meursault’s emotional indifference is shown through him showing no remorse whatsoever after his mother dying. It is also shown when he kills the Arab, “The trigger gave; I felt the smooth underside of the butt; and there, in the noise, sharp and deafening at the same time, is where it all started. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where I’d be happy. Then I fired four more times at the motionless body where the bullets lodged without leaving a trace.”(Camus 59) Meursault does not believe in god and doesn’t believe in any purpose of life, therefore doesn’t care about people’s feelings or emotions. Paul and Meursault are a great example of how ones notions of love differ. Paul shows all kinds of emotion for his mother and the horse races whereas Meursault is so detached from feeling and love as he shows through his actions throughout the book! He doesn’t show any love for his girlfriend and doesn’t even have any guilt upon killing the Arab. The notion of love is really all in the beholder
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