Short Fiction of D.H. Lawrence Literary Elements

Short fiction

"Odour of Chrysanthemums" takes place in the 1900s in Brinsley Colliery. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" takes place in England and is set in the 1900s.

"Odour of Chrysanthemums" is told by a third-person narrator. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is told by a third-person omniscient narrator.

The tone in "Odour of Chrysanthemums" exhibits anxiety, whereas the mood is foreboding.
The tone in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is judgemental, and the mood is that of displeasure.

Elizabeth Bates is the protagonist in "Odour of Chrysanthemums," whereas her drunkard husband (Walter) is the antagonist. Paul is the unfortunate protagonist in "The Rocking-Horse Winner," whereas his mother (Hester) is the antagonist.

The conflict in “Odour of Chrysanthemums” is Walter’s habitual drunkness and his non-appearance at home.
The conflict in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” relates to Paul’s quest to get more and more money.

The climax in "Odour of Chrysanthemums" occurs when Elizabeth Bate's mother-in-law discloses that Walter has been in an accident.
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the climax occurs when Paul makes a prediction about Malabar and becomes unconscious afterward.

At the end of part I of "Odour of Chrysanthemums," the afraid Elizabeth Bates experiences "tension of expectancy," which foreshadows her husband's death which she learns later on.
Paul uses his mystic rocking-horse in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” to foreshadow the likely outcomes and champions of the derbies.

When Elizabeth Bate's daughter, in "Odour of Chrysanthemums," asks whether her father is drunk, Elizabeth tells her that he is asleep, yet in reality, he is dead.
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul's mother tells him, "Surely, you're too big for a rocking horse!" Paul replies, "he always keeps me company, when I am there." Paul's response is an understatement because the horse does more than keeping him company. The horse propels him to a mystic realm that enables him to predict winners of contests and thus offers him money. The understatement in Paul's reply is intended to hide the secret of his horse.

D.H Lawrence alludes to royalty when he names the bar where Walter often drinks "Prince of Wales." The allusion is sarcastic because the title is prestigious. In contrast, Walter's behavior of drinking is not honorable.
Similarly, D.H alludes to the Ascot in “The Rocking-Horse Winner.”

In "Odour of Chrysanthemums," there is darkness in Elizabeth Bates' house which the coals cannot remove she adds on fire. The darkness underscores the unhappiness in the household. Furthermore, the imageries of mining work are pervasive throughout "Odour of Chrysanthemums."
The imagery of horses in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” aids in depicting the competitions of the Ascot.

In " Odor of Chrysanthemums, " Elizabeth Bates' shame, in "Odour of Chrysanthemums" while handling and clothing her husband's dead body, is paradoxical since they were married before his demise.
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," when Paul's mother gets Five thousand for her birthday, the intensity of the whispering of the house increases. The five thousand would have been projected to mollify the voices.

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D.H Lawrence personifies life and death by describing them as Elizabeth Bates' "immediate master "and "ultimate master," respectively.
Similarly, the house in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is personified because it is given the ability to whisper like a human being.