IT Lesson 4: Theme: Gambling
Author: Mattheus,MrCarLover1A133 // Category:
After reading Paper, Lottery and The Rocking Horse Winner, I have decided to do question 1 and 3.
1. In relation to Paper, you should explain exactly what the title refers to and why it is so significant to gambling, gains on the stock market and ultimately the conclusion of the story.
The title Paper actually appeared thrice in the story. Firstly, it was used for when the main character says,"After all it's just paper gains so far." Secondly, it was used when the companies he had invested in had crashed, and people were starting to say that their shares were not were the paper of the certificates of possession of the stocks. Finally, it is used to make a paper house to be burned for the main character when he dies.
One of my interpretations of paper is money that isn't even physically real, and has no ability to last a long time. The money here is actually made in the stock market. People who do not have years of experience in it will not be able to survive long in it. The main characters didn't along with the fact that they were greedy, not wanting to sell their shares when they had already earned a handsome amount of profits, caused them to lose their hard-earned savings.
My second interpretation of paper, is its real meaning, however shaped to be like the house the main character had actually wanted to live in. It it brought to his grave soon after his death and burned to ashes.
The similarity between the two is, both ceased to exist in the end. I think that the author wrote in a way that as the main character's money lost, his house went along with it.
3.For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.
Although it can be stated that Paul's mother were partly to blame for not believing he had luck, I feel that Paul's death was caused by no one but himself. The main reason for wanting the luck to win the betting sessions at horse races, was not only to be able to earn some money to help the family's financial state and stop the whispering, but to "compel her attention", her being his mother, prove her wrong as she had not believed him when he said that he was a lucky person.
As time passed, he started to have an obsession for winning all bets placed on horse races, and the obsession caused him to lose control of his mind and eventually lead to his death.
1. In relation to Paper, you should explain exactly what the title refers to and why it is so significant to gambling, gains on the stock market and ultimately the conclusion of the story.
The title Paper actually appeared thrice in the story. Firstly, it was used for when the main character says,"After all it's just paper gains so far." Secondly, it was used when the companies he had invested in had crashed, and people were starting to say that their shares were not were the paper of the certificates of possession of the stocks. Finally, it is used to make a paper house to be burned for the main character when he dies.
One of my interpretations of paper is money that isn't even physically real, and has no ability to last a long time. The money here is actually made in the stock market. People who do not have years of experience in it will not be able to survive long in it. The main characters didn't along with the fact that they were greedy, not wanting to sell their shares when they had already earned a handsome amount of profits, caused them to lose their hard-earned savings.
My second interpretation of paper, is its real meaning, however shaped to be like the house the main character had actually wanted to live in. It it brought to his grave soon after his death and burned to ashes.
The similarity between the two is, both ceased to exist in the end. I think that the author wrote in a way that as the main character's money lost, his house went along with it.
3.For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.
Although it can be stated that Paul's mother were partly to blame for not believing he had luck, I feel that Paul's death was caused by no one but himself. The main reason for wanting the luck to win the betting sessions at horse races, was not only to be able to earn some money to help the family's financial state and stop the whispering, but to "compel her attention", her being his mother, prove her wrong as she had not believed him when he said that he was a lucky person.
As time passed, he started to have an obsession for winning all bets placed on horse races, and the obsession caused him to lose control of his mind and eventually lead to his death.
Paper is ethereal and very fragile, but it means so much to so many; they will do almost anything to increase their "paper" pile. You are pretty harsh on Paul, after all he is a minor. Shouldn't an adult have stepped in and done something?