Home Learning Lesson 5

1. Show how the poem Tom Beatty could be compared to The Rocking Horse Winner. In studying the poem, note that the opera house is really life and when He makes the rules it’s either the Lord or perhaps the devil. Beatty suggests that everyone has about 70 years, but Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner had much less time. Explain what Paul’s weakness was, how the cards were stacked against him and do you think Paul was lucky not to live to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses?

They are the same in a way that both are about gambling games and god or devil or what so ever was always against the protagonist. As for Paul, he might have the luck at first, winning loads but what's the consequence? Mentally ill and died! What's the point of those money when one cannot enjoy spending?
Paul's weakness was his young age, causing him to believe and got attracted to something too easily, he lacked mature thinking.
If Paul were to live on, but lives to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses. He is then lucky to die now. As he would just be a walking-dead, no purpose of living, no determination, just looking at money, touching them would satisfy him and a lost would cause him to grief over for days.


2. In The Green Clothes, green is the color of envy, greed and money! This poem is thematically similar to Paper. Even though the poem takes place at a roulette wheel the gamblers from the short story and the poem have similar experiences. Explain how tips, dry lips, and all that was spent in vain could apply to the short story Paper.

In the short story Paper, the couples dreamed about the imaginary house, they bought stocks, exhilarated over the big gains, greed was mirrored in them. In the end, Tay Soon died, with papers, with papers purchased by his life savings, all his salaries. All the hard work, all the dreams, all the excitement were all spent in vain. Just like in The Green Clothes, revenge, winning, nervousness, lost were all in vain! When greed comes nothing works, so don't even try it in the first place.