We have been studying two fables The Bottle Imp byRobert Louis Stevenson and The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence. Which should be taken seriously?

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Martha Ricketts

English Essay

Wider Reading

Which of these stories should be taken more seriously? You should consider:

  • What fables are and the purpose of writing them
  • The entertainment value of these stories in terms of their structure, suspense, surprises, writer’s style
  • Their seriousness value: impact of the fantastical elements on the characters, the message each writer wants to get across, how strongly the writer feels about the subject
  • Conclusion: which story should be taken more seriously and why?

Fables are short stories, which tell a moral or truth much like the parables of the bible. They were originally conveyed by word of mouth before being written down in collections.  The most famous of these collections was written by Aesop. Most fables contain animals, which have human characteristics. We have been studying two fables The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh.  He suffered from a severe bronchial condition and spent most of his life abroad searching for climates, which would benefit his health.  In this way he came to spend a lot of time in the pacific islands.  This is where The Bottle Imp is set which means he wrote from experience.  When on his many travels he spent some time in a leper colony, this subject is also touched on in the story.

D.H. Lawrence was born on September 11, 1885 in Nottinghamshire, the son of a coalminer.  His mother was a schoolteacher.  This difference in social status between his parents provided Lawrence with motif for lots of his fiction including The Rocking Horse Winner.  Most of his writing focuses on the emotional experiences of the characters and most of these experiences are written from life.  The Rocking Horse Winner is no exception as Lawrence was always short of money.

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These stories are both fables though they are not classic fables because they don’t contain animals with human characteristics.  They both have morals even if at some points they are unclear.  They are both stories designed to teach us a lesson and entertain us at the same time.

The Bottle Imp isn’t a very entertaining story as it is very long and drawn out.  Every time you think it is going to end Stevenson adds another bit.  I think this was an attempt at creating suspense but in the end you just lose interest in the story.  This is particularly ...

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