Vietnam National University

University of Social Sciences and Humanities

2016

The answers
of British
literature
final exam
British Literature

Lâm Đức Chí

Ck17.01
21/06/16
 The Rocking horse Winner

Part A
1. What are the advantages of the Lady? Is she satisfied with what she has?

The lady has 6 advantages: First, she is beautiful. Next, she marries for love. Then, she has
bonny children. Fourth, she lives in a pleasant house with a garden. Fifth, she has many servants.
Finally, she feels herself superior to anyone in the neighbourhood.

She isn‟t satisfied with what she has. Although she lives in style, she felt always an anxiety in the
house, there is never enough money. The lady has a small income, and her husband has a small
income, but not nearly enough for the social position which she has to keep up. There is always
the grinding sense of the shortage of money. At last the Lady said:” I will see if I can‟t make
something”. But she doesn‟t know where to begin. She racks her brain, and tries this thing and
the other, but cannot find anything successful. Her children are growing up; they will have to go
to school. There must be more money. Her husband, who is always very handsome and
expensive in his tastes, seems as if he never will be able to do anything worth doing. And the
Lady, who has a great belief in herself, doesn‟t succeed any better, and her tastes are just as
expensive.

2. What does she believe her children think about her? How does she find them?

She believes her children think she could not love them. She finds them by reading it in each
other‟s eyes. “She felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them. They looked
at her coldly, as if they were finding fault with her. And hurriedly she felt she must cover up
some fault in herself. Yet what it was that she must cover up she never knew. Nevertheless, when
her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard. This troubled her, and
in her manner she was all the more gentle and anxious for her children, as if she loved them very
much. Only she herself knew that at the centre of her heart was a hard little place that could not
feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: "She is such a good mother. She
adores her children." Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They
read it in each other's eyes”.

3. What social class do they belong to?

They belong to the upper-middle class. “They lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they
had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighbourhood.
 4. What is the big problem in the family?

The big problem in the family is that they don‟t have enough money. Both husband and wife
have expensive taste but they have small income. “The mother had a small income, and the
father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep
up. The father went into town to some office. But though he had good prospects, these prospects
never materialised. There was always the grinding sense of the shortage of money, though the
style was always kept up.

At last the mother said: "I will see if I can't make something." But she did not know where to
begin. She racked her brains, and tried this thing and the other, but could not find anything
successful. The failure made deep lines come into her face. Her children were growing up, they
would have to go to school. There must be more money, there must be more money. The father,
who was always very handsome and expensive in his tastes, seemed as if he never would be able
to do anything worth doing. And the mother, who had a great belief in herself, did not succeed
any better, and her tastes were just as expensive.

5. Is the father a responsible man? Why/ why not?

The father isn‟t a responsible man because he doesn‟t care much about his children. When her
wife asks something about the son, he always says:” I don‟t know”. Moreover, the first thing he
does when he comes home is to drink whisky and soda, not to see what happens to his children.

6. According to the children, what is strange about the house?

The house come to be haunted by the unspoken phrase: There must be more money! There must
be more money! The children could hear it all the time though nobody said it loud. They heard it
at Christmas, when the expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery. Behind the shining
modern rocking-horse, behind the smart doll‟s house, a voice would start whispering: “there
must be more money! There must be more money!” And the children would stop playing, to
listen for a moment. They would look into each other‟s eyes, to see if they had all heard. And
each one saw in the eyes of the other two that they too had heard. “There must be more money!
There must be more money!”

It came whispering from the springs of the still-swaying rocking-horse, and even the horse,
bending his wooden, champing head, heard it. The big doll, sitting so pink and smirking in her
new pram, could hear it quite plainly, and seemed to be smirking all the more self-consciously
because of it. The foolish puppy, too, that took the place of the teddy-bear, he was looking so
extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that he heard the secret whisper all over the house:
"There must be more money!"

Yet nobody ever said it aloud. The whisper was everywhere, and therefore no one spoke it. Just
as no one ever says: "We are breathing!" in spite of the fact that breath is coming and going all
the time.

7. What kind of toy does Paul have? What does he often do with his toy? Is it the
normal way children pay with their toys? So, what is the toy to Paul?

The kind of toy that Paul has is rocking-horse. He often rides the horse and the way he rides the
horse isn‟t the same with a normal way that children play with their toys. He knows the horse
can take him to where there is luck. We can see in these paragraphs: “he would sit on his big
rocking-horse, charging madly into space, with a frenzy that made the little girls peer at him
uneasily. Wildly the horse careered, the waving dark hair of the boy tossed, his eyes had a
strange glare in them. The little girls dared not speak to him. When he had ridden to the end of
his mad little journey, he climbed down and stood in front of his rocking-horse, staring fixedly
into its lowered face. Its red mouth was slightly open; its big eye was wide and glassy-bright.

8. Why is Paul willing to reveal his secret to his uncle rather than to his mother?

Paul is willing to reveal his secret to his uncle because his uncle gives him money, and he wins
the horse race, so he thinks his uncle is lucky to him “We‟re partners. We've been partners from
the first. Uncle, he lent me my first five shillings, which I lost. I promised him, honour bright, it
was only between me and him; only you gave me that ten-shilling note I started winning with, so
I thought you were lucky”. Moreover, his uncle also takes him to the horse race “Between
wonder and amusement Uncle Oscar was silent. He pursued the matter no further, but he
determined to take his nephew with him to the Lincoln races”. And vice versa he doesn‟t tell his
mother because his mother doesn‟t believe what he says:

"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, using one of her husband's exclamations.

The boy saw she did not believe him; or rather, that she paid no attention to his assertion. This
angered him somewhere, and made him want to compel her attention.

9. Why does Paul know so much about horse-racing?

Paul always talks about horse races with Bassett who is the young gardener. He is a perfect blade
of “turf” and he lives in the racing events. Paul and Bassett are partners. They‟ve been partners
from the first. So that‟s why Paul knows so much about horse-racing.

10. What is Paul’s special power? Is it permanent? How does he take advantage of that
power? What is his motivation in involving in horse betting?

Paul‟s special power is that he can get the name of winner horse. And his special power isn‟t
permanent “Oh, well, sometimes I'm absolutely sure, like about Daffodil," said the boy; "and
sometimes I have an idea; and sometimes I haven't even an idea, have I, Bassett? Then we're
careful, because we mostly go down." Or “The Grand National had gone by: he had not 'known',
and had lost a hundred pounds. Summer was at hand. He was in agony for the Lincoln. But even
for the Lincoln he didn't 'know', and he lost fifty pounds”.
Paul uses this special power to earn money for his mother. His motivations in involving in horse
betting are: the love from him to his mother, he wants to prove his mother that he‟s lucky, and he
wants to help her mother pay dept.

11. What does he do with the money he gains from gambling?

He gives almost the money he gains from gambling to his mother: “But 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, so I thought if I was lucky, it might stop whispering."

12. Why does his mother want the whole sum of money? What happens after she gets
the sum?

His mother wants the whole sum of money because she is in debt. After she gets the sum, she
wants more. She is greedy. The more she has the more money she needs. “But in the afternoon
Uncle Oscar appeared. He said 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”

After his mother gets the sum, something very curious happens: “The voices in the house
suddenly went mad, like a chorus of frogs on a spring evening. There were certain new
furnishings, and Paul had a tutor. He was really going to Eton, his father's school, in the
following autumn. There were flowers in the winter, and a blossoming of the luxury Paul's
mother had been used to. And yet the voices in the house, behind the sprays of mimosa and
almond-blossom, and from under the piles of iridescent cushions, 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!"

13. What does the boy decide to do regardless his uncle’s warning? Is he successful?

He ignores his uncle‟s warning: „“Let it alone, son! Don't you bother about it!" urged Uncle
Oscar. But it was as if the boy couldn't really hear what his uncle was saying. "I've got to know
for the Derby! I've got to know for the Derby!" the child reiterated, his big blue eyes blazing with
a sort of madness.‟

After he ignores his uncle‟s warning, he is successful to get money but he is exhausted, then he
dies.

14. What does the mother feel when she is at the party? What does she find when she
gets to his room? What happens to the boy?

When the mother is at a party in town, she feels anxiety about her son: “when one of her rushes
of anxiety about her boy, her first-born, gripped her heart till she could hardly speak. She fought
with the feeling, might and main, for she believed in common sense. But it was too strong. She
had to leave the dance and go downstairs to telephone to the country”.

When she gets to her son room with anxiety and fear, she turns the door-handle:

“The room was dark. Yet in the space near the window, she heard and saw something plunging
to and fro. She gazed in fear and amazement.
Then suddenly she switched on the light, and saw her son, in his green pyjamas, 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.

"Paul!" she cried. "Whatever are you doing?"

"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.

But he was unconscious, and unconscious he remained, with some brain-fever. He talked and
tossed, and his mother sat stonily by his side.

"Malabar! It's Malabar! Bassett, Bassett, I know! 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.

But he was unconscious, and unconscious he remained, with some brain-fever.

Finally, the boy dies in the night because of brain-fever.

15. How much does the boy get in his final attempt

The boy gets over eighty thousand pounds in his final attempt: “Malabar! Malabar! Did I say
Malabar, mother? Did I say Malabar? Do you think I'm lucky, mother? I knew Malabar, didn't I?
Over eighty thousand pounds! I call that lucky, don't you, mother? Over eighty thousand pounds!
I knew, didn't I know I knew? Malabar came in all right”.

16. How does his mother feel when she has such a large sum of money?

The mother feels her heart has gone, turns actually into a stone, and maybe she has a regret of
her son‟s death.

Part B
1. What kind of atmosphere do the first two paragraphs suggest to readers?

The first two paragraphs show us that the atmosphere in the story looks happy outside but it‟s
very cold inside.

2. Why are the characters’ names not revealed early in the story, and the name of the
family never revealed?

The characters‟ names not revealed early in the story, and the name of the family never revealed
because the story can happen to anyone and any family in our society.

3. Why is the mother’s name only revealed at the end of the story?

The mother‟s name only revealed at the end of the story because she is used to show any woman.
 4. What does the whisper symbolize? Why do only the children and toys hear it but
not the adult?

The whisper symbolizes the lack of money. The children hear it but not the adults because the
children feel something wrong in their parents‟ behaviors.

5. Why do the voice in the house “go mad” when the mother receives the whole five
thousand pounds? What is its effect on Paul?

The voice in the house go mad when the mother receives the whole five thousand pounds her. It
shows us the mother‟s greed is endless. As the result, it pushes Paul to earn more money to
satisfy his mother.

6. What does the mother symbolize? To what extent does she hold responsible for what
has happened to her son?

The mother symbolizes selfishness and greed. She only pays attention to her son when he is mad,
suffered from brain fever and nearly dies.

7. Discuss Uncle Oscar’s last words at the end of the story “ he’s best gone out of a life
where he rides his horse to find a winner”.

Uncle Oscar‟s last words at the end of the story “ he‟s best gone out of a life where he rides his
horse to find a winner” means the boys loses his life on the way to earn more money for his
mother.

8. What is the role of the uncle in the story? Is he greedy person?

The role of the uncle in the story is a partner of the boy in betting horse. He is also a greedy
person.

9. What are the two opposing forces in the story? How are they represented in the
story? In what ways can we say that they cannot go hand in hand with each other?

The two opposing forces in the story are gambling and happiness, they can‟t go hand in hand
with each other. Gambling not only can destroy our life and lead us to death but also lead us to
unhappy life.

Money is necessary for our life. It give us happiness and comforts, but if our greed is endless, it
will lead to bad results even death. In this story, Lawrence criticizes those who equate love with
money, luck with happiness. The mother with her desire for material possessions believes that
money will make her happy. But in fact, that is not true; the force of Lawrence‟s satire is directed
at a society that is dominated by a quest for cash and at those who get a bad result from their
selfishness and greed.

10. What does “luck” mean in this story?

In this story, luck means money “If you are lucky, you always get more money”.

11. What kind of a child is Paul? Is he a lucky person?

Paul is a piteous child. He isn‟t a luck person because he dies young at the end of the story.
 12. What is the symbolic meaning of the title?

The rocking horse is an interesting toy for children. They feel so happy when riding on it. But the
mother‟s misdirection makes the boy uses it as a means of earning money in horse-race betting
and on the endless road to hunt for money, the boy dies for that bad education.

The title “the rocking horse winner” also gives us a society which likes gambling. Money makes
people become selfish. Greed is endless and will lead to a tragedy sooner or later. Greed is
dangerous but people hardly resist it when they are attracted in gambling.

Theme:

 Gambling will destroy our lives

 Greed will lead to a tragedy
 Gambling can lead you to death because of greed
 Flight – Doris Lessing
Part A
1. What is the old man doing in the opening
paragraph?

In the opening paragraph, we can find out that the man was
standing under the dovecote. His ears were lulled by their
crooning; his hands stretched up towards the favourite, a
homing pigeon, a young plump bodied bird which stood still
when it saw him and cocked a shrewd bright eye. 'Pretty, pretty, pretty,' he said, as he grasped
the bird and drew it down, feeling the cold coral claws tighten around his finger. Content, he
rested the bird lightly on his chest, and leaned against a tree, gazing out beyond the dovecote into
the landscape of a late afternoon.

2. What part of the day is it? What does he feel at the time? How does the scene
around affect his mood?

It‟s late afternoon, he feels content at the time “Content, he rested the bird lightly on his chest,
and leaned against a tree, gazing out beyond the dovecote into the landscape of a late afternoon”.

3. What is his granddaughter doing? Where is she now? How old is she?

She is waiting her boyfriend at the gate, and she is 18 years old “His eyes travelled homewards
along this road until he saw his granddaughter swinging on the gate underneath a frangipani tree.
Her hair fell down her back in a wave of sunlight, and her long bare legs repeated the angles of
the frangipani stems, bare, shining-brown stems among patterns of pale blossoms.

She was gazing past the pink flowers, past the railway cottage where they lived, along the road to
the village.

4. How does the adverb “politely” reveal to readers the relationship between the girl
and her grandfather?

The adverb “politely” reveals to readers the relationship between the girl and her grandfather is
good

5. Is the old man satisfied with his granddaughter’s behaviour? Why/why not?

The old man isn‟t satisfied with his granddaughter‟s behaviour because she waits for her
boyfriend and she leaves the old man alone.

6. How many members are there in the house at the moment?

There are 3 members in the house at the moment

7. What is his daughter’s reaction when the old man tells her about the girl’s dating?

His daughter thinks that the girl‟s dating as well as marriage is normal thing.

8. Why does the old man object to the girl’s marriage?

The old man objects to the girl‟s marriage because she not only is only 18 years old but also the
last granddaughter of the old man‟s family. He wants to keep the girl a little bit longer. He is
afraid of the changing of the girl after she gets married “He thought of the other three girls,
transformed inside a few months from charming petulant spoiled children into serious young
matrons”.

9. What kind of gift does the young couple give the old man?

The young couple give the old man a young pigeon for gift.

10. What does he do after the couple give him the gift?

He hold the new bird to his face and then he let the bird goes “He held the new bird to his face,
for the caress of its silken feathers. Then he shut it in a box and took out his favourite. 'Now you
can go, he said aloud. He held it poised, ready for flight, while he looked down the garden
towards the boy and the girl. Then, clenched in the pain of loss, he lifted the bird on his wrist,
and watched it soar. A whirr and a spatter of wings, and a cloud of birds rose into the evening
from the dovecote”.

11. How does the old man feel when he is watching the birds flying?

The old man feels painful when he is watching the birds flying “Now you can go, he said aloud.
He held it poised, ready for flight, while he looked down the garden towards the boy and the girl.
Then, clenched in the pain of loss, he lifted the bird on his wrist, and watched it soar. A whirr
and a spatter of wings and a cloud of birds rose into the evening from the dovecote……… It
seemed to the old man that the whole afternoon had stilled to watch his gesture of self-command,
that even the leaves of the trees had stopped shaking. Dry-eyed and calm, he let his hands fall to
his sides and stood erect, staring up into the sky”.

12. What happens to the girl at the scenes?

She was staring at him. She did not smile. She was wide-eyed, and pale in the cold shadow, and
he saw the tears run shivering off her face.

Part B
1. How does the relationship between the grandfather, his daughter, and his
granddaughter define the many conflicts in this story?

The grandfather dislikes his granddaughter to get married early. In contrary, his daughter and
granddaughter have is opposite idea with him, they like to get married early.

2. Why does the writer devote so much attention to description of the setting – and
especially to the birds? What do the birds symbolize?

The writer devote so much attention to description of the setting because the nature around is
wonderful “gazing out beyond the dovecote into the landscape of a late afternoon. In folds and
hollows of sunlight and shade, the dark red soil, which was broken into great dusty clods,
stretched wide to a tall horizon. Trees marked the course of the valley; a stream of rich green
grasses the road”.

The birds symbolize for the people he likes, especially Alice.

 3. What is the connection between the first episode involving the old man and his birds
and the last one?

The man and the birds live happily together at the first episode. Finally, he lets the birds go at the end of
the story.

4. Explain the man’s reaction at the end of the story? Why does he smile at his
granddaughter?

At the end of the story, when the old man finally agrees to let go of his granddaughter, he took
out his favourite pigeon from the cage and let it fly away. This symbolised that he had learned to
let go of his beloved granddaughter and is letting the young to take its first flight into the real
world.

5. How could you understand the meaning of Alice tears?

His granddaughter is in tears at the end as she perhaps realises finally why her grandfather is so
upset and she knows that she really is to be married, and she, too, is now sad at the end of
childhood.

6. The tension between the old man and the young couple seem to melt away when
they offer him the gift. It is because the old man loves his pets so much that he turns
out to be tolerant to them or is it because these is any other reason?

The tension between the old man and the young couple seem to melt away when they offer him
the gift. It is because he realized that children can‟t live with us forever, they grow up to get
money and they become independence people. He must accept this rule in the nature. He should
try to see their happiness to feel happy.

7. What do you think is the theme of the story?

We should take care of the old in our family, especially our grandparents and parents because
they often feel lonely and weak.

We should accept that children grow up and get married because this is the rule of nature.
Children can‟t live with us forever; they grow up and leave home to have their own family.