THE HORSE DEALER’S DAUGHTER

1. Author and works (Phượng)

The horse dealer’s daughter:

● Type: Short Story, fiction

● Genre: Romance
● Year Published:1920, in the book England, My England and Other Stories.
● Topic: Life, Death, Gender, Poverty, Sexuality, and Shame

As far as we know, the story happens in 1920 in the winter, which is cold, lonely
and at the end of the year, People gather around their loved ones and feel
closeness and intimacy, but the character is lonely after her father's death, and
even her brothers donot want to be near and attempt to chase her away. So I think
the author wants to emphasize the character's sorrowful existence as well as the
harsh reality of that moment.
2. Setting
Time during World War I (1914-1918)
Location
Cornwall, England.
Setting:
- “The dreary dining-room with its heavy mahogany furniture, looked as if
it were waiting to be done away with”
+ The story happens in the dreary dining-room,… to show The house is
ample, the furniture is luxurious; Mabel used to live in a rich family which
means the glorious and sufficient life has been history; The destiny of poor
Mabel will be the same as the dining-room and furniture, waiting to be
done away with.
+ The author describes the scene when Mable went quickly through the town
to the churchyard and Fergusson visited several cases in another part of his
round with many adjectives such as Wintry, grey, and heavy to create the
atmosphere of death. The setting sets up a type of mysterious and horrible
atmosphere, providing the proper environment for the following plot-the
suicide of Mabel.
+ Moreover, This story is written during World War I (1914-1918) and
publishes shortly after the war ended. Those years in Britain are marked by
wage cuts and widespread unemployment, in addition to a CLASS-
DIVIDED SOCIETY. Many ppl become unemployed, especially horse
 dealers due to the appearance of cars. Before wars, horses are the main
mean of transport. After the war, cars develope, so this has a detrimental
impact on horse dealers.
+ In addition, Before the war, most women work in the home—either their
own home or the homes of others as servants and maids. Between 1914 and
1918, they take over jobs left behind by men who died for war. As a result,
women's personal and social lives begin to change as they become less
reliant on men.
WHY DID LAWRENCE CHOOSE “HORSE” IN THE TITLE OF 2
STORIES?
+ This setting is one of the reasons for Lawrence to choose horse in the title of both
stories. Horses used to be the main means of transport, so the horse dealers are so
rich. However, in the era of this story ”the horse dealer’s daughter”, the father
went bankruptcy after WW1 due to  some machines like cars entered their life, as
a result, horses become a means of entertainment by the rich. 
+
3. Style & tone
style: - intense & erotic: as we can see on the story, Mabel hugs
Fergusson’s knees, pushing his legs against her breasts, neck, and face, and
stares up at him, “triumphant in first possession.”; “kissing his knees, his legs”
Writing style: motif of a fairy tale where a man saves a girl.
The tone of the story is ironic, unclear & cheerless.
Ironic: It is ironic when she finally found purpose in her life but it is sad
and little depressing that it will probably not work out. Marble’s saved by the
doctor, so she views him as a light of hope in her gloomy existence, but it is
unclear at the end if Fergusson truly loves Mabel and if the pair will find
happiness in marriage
Unclear and cheerless: Mable has planned to commit suicide before
discovering a new purpose in her life via love and marriage. However, when she
tries to show Fergusson how much she loves him, he refuses. He saves her not
because he loves her, but because he is a doctor. She persists until Fergusson's
heart gives way and he says he loves her. He hugs her but couldn’t look into her
eyes. After Mabel comes down dressed in her best black dress, she declares that
she is awful and he cannot possibly love her. When Fergusson holds her and
says he loves her, he wants to marry her, Mabel is terrified because she thinks
that he may not want her. We think the reason is Mable longs for love but it
comes too quickly, and she has never been loved by anybody other than her
deceased mom, so she cannot believe the doctor loves her.