Ball Eveline and the Rocking Horse Winner

"Ball", "Eveline", and "The Rocking-Horse Winner" are three short stories which all share common themes. In all three of these stories one of the juvenile characters is somehow damaged by their parents.

In the "Rocking Horse-Winner," the main character Paul is hurt by his mother because she talks negatively about his father; this leaves Paul terrified and makes him want to be nothing like his father. At one point, Paul's mother says, "...it's because your father has no luck" (Lawrence 267). (This quotation shows....). So, as is visible, the mother makes a great mistake by talking about Paul's father like this, since it leaves Paul terrified. He tries to impress his mother by saying: "Well anyhow...I am a lucky person" (Lawrence 267). Terrified of becoming like his father Paul decides to show his mother how lucky he is by betting on horses which eventually leads to his death at the end of the story.

"I never told you, Mother, that if I can

Ride my horse, and get there, then

I am absolutely sure - oh absolutely!

Mother did I ever tell you? I am lucky"

(Lawrence 280)

At the end of the story Paul was able to express his luck to his mother but in turn he had to sacrifice his life for it due to the psychic pain which was brought upon him by his mother.

The next story "Eveline" has another child that is damaged by its parent. Eveline was deprived of her childhood due to her father trying to make her feel guilty and ashamed.

Even now though she was over nineteen,

she sometimes felt herself in danger

of her father's violence.(Joyce 530)

She is also afraid of following her mother's footsteps

She trembled as she heard again her mothers

voice saying constantly with foolish insistence:

"Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!"

Eveline is hurt when her mother, sick and lying on her deathbed, states that Eveline is going to live a horrible life. Due to her mother and father repeatedly damaging her character, Eveline is deprived of a happy childhood