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In “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,” symbols are used to fulfill the quest of
happiness and love. This love story, written by D.H. Lawrence, has many
symbols, which show hidden meaning. One can fully understand a story, if one
can point out certain symbols. Symbols create ideas and images for the reader
to better understand the story. Mabel, one of the two main characters in this
story, is depressed and suicidal. After her mother died, she feels like there
is nothing to live for. Her mother was the love and joy in her life; without
her, she is lost. All she has left is her house, which she is extremely proud
of, and her brother, which she seems not to care for. She decides to release
herself from her troubles by drowning herself in a pond. The other main
character, Dr. Fergusson, sees her and tries to save her life. This pond is a
strong symbol with many meanings. It is a start of a new experience, and a
change of two people’s lives.
The pond is described as dead and cold. This symbolizes that Dr. Fergusson had
no feelings for Mabel before the incident. The narrator describes the pond as
lifeless right before the doctor had entered it. Before going in, the
relationship between them was dead and cold, and they had no passionate
feelings for one another. Dr. Fergusson tries to rescue Mabel for no other
reason but because he was doing his job. The pond also describes Dr.
Fergusson’s life as dull and pointless. His life was still and silent before he
had met her. He was afraid to go in too deep into the pond, and was afraid of
drowning. This represents his fear of falling in love. He was scared of the
water because he could not swim, and also because he was scared of love. He
never experienced it, so it frightened him. When he finally falls in, he felt
Mabel’s clothing and pulled her up. This means that when he fell into the pond,
he found love. It was like fate had pushed him into the water to meet the woman
he was meant to be with, for the rest of his life. He found love in a dead and
cold pond, which means sometimes one has to look at even the unimaginable
places to find happiness. In a dead place such as the pond, you can find
something that is alive such as love.
This pond symbolizes the start of their love for each other, since they fall
madly in love afterwards. The water symbolizes baptism and rebirth, and when
she steps into it, her troubles are washed away. It represents cleanliness and
the start of new life. Her life before felt meaningless to her, and she wanted
to get out of it. She had nobody to love and care for her, after her mother had
died. She never tries anything new and when she finally does, something amazing
happens to her. Dr. Fergusson’s life was just as pointless as hers was. He had
a good job working with many kinds of people, but he did not enjoy his life. He
had no love in his life, and without it, there is nothing to live for. The pond
also symbolizes a new start of his life, since he finds love. It baptizes them
and they both get a new sense of life.
When Mabel changes her clothes at the end of the story, she is starting her new
life. The clothes symbolize a new and fresh experience, one of which she had
never experienced before. Falling in love is something almost everyone wants in
some point of their lives. It is an important element of happiness. In the
beginning of the story, Mabel was dead and lifeless. In the end, she is happy
and full of anticipation. When she is out of the wet and dirty clothes, she is
freed from her troubles. The dirty clothes represent how she was before she
fell in love. It also represents how she was suicidal and depressed. “She had
on her best dress of black voile,” (The Horse Dealer’s Daughter pg.992)
expresses her happiness and eagerness to start something new. Before she fell
in love, she never wore clothing as elegant as this dress. This is something
new to her and something she wants to try out. Her change of clothes also
represents her change of personality and attitude. She changed from a quiet
woman that always kept to herself, to a loving woman that is open- minded. She
now feels that there is something to live for since there is someone to love.
Symbols are used to provide imagery and meaning in a story. One symbol has many
meanings and different ideas. If symbols were pointed out in a story, it
creates better understanding of it. In this story, “The Horse Dealer’s
Daughter,” by D.H. Lawrence, symbols are used as love progresses. The pond
symbolizes the start of the love of Mabel and Dr. Lawrence. After they both go
into the water, they come out falling in love with each other. The description
of the pond suggests Dr. Fergusson’s feelings for Mabel before they fell in
love. Just by including something simple as a pond in this story, many ideas
are created. Water symbolizes many things, such as baptism and rebirth. It is a
natural element that can be used for many reasons. Using simple components like
water, it produces concepts for readers. The change of Mabel’s clothing
represents her change of heart. She did not care for anyone before the incident
in the pond had happened. This is a great way to end a story because it
provides images and ideas of what will happen to them in the future. The change
of clothes is a start of a fresh new life, and it suggests a happy ending for
the two. By adding that symbol, the reader can imagine what will happen to
Mabel and Dr. Fergusson later in their future. Symbols can also provide details
that the author does not need to add. It renders thoughts and ideas for the
readers to create and imagine for themselves.