Due: Wednesday before 8:30 a.m.
Please read this story and be prepared to discuss it.
You can download the story by clicking the link below:
Short Story 2 – The Rocking Horse Winner – Story
Answer the following questions in paragraph form (350-400 words) by typing your response in the comments section below.
§ a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
Remember core structure: topic sentence, elaboration and example (evidence from story).
§ b) What is the lesson of this story?
Remember core structure: Topic sentence (lesson) , elaboration (how does this lesson apply to life in general), example (evidence from story) and finally, personal connection (is this lesson still relevant today? What is your personal opinion about the story? Did you like it, why or why not?)
You will be marked on the quality of your 1) response and 2) reply to your classmates:
9-10: Excellent and insightful; response shows superb understanding and critical analysis; contains great details and responds to complex ideas
7-8: Good; response shows thoughtful understanding; contains good details and responds to ideas
5-6: Satisfactory; response shows a basic understanding; contains basic details and responds only to major ideas
3-4: Unsatisfactory; response shows some misunderstanding; contains insufficient details and does not fully respond to the main ideas
1-2: Poor; response shows poor understanding; contains no details and does not respond to the task
EAP 300 
a) Topic: Indifference and lack of love.
Elaboration: I think everyone around Paul is guilty of his death, for not paying attention to the child and spending time with him. The human being, to achieve happiness, has to develop in society and, above all, in a harmonious family nucleus.
The emotional bond that a child establishes with his parents or closest people, is fundamental for his development, since it provides him with security and protection, when the child persists the changes in his environment, he begins to seek refuge from the people he loves, the child looks for different ways to seek approval, see the people around him happy and have affection on his part.
For example: In the story, Paul goes to his mother to ask her what it means to be lucky. Mom says to her (it’s what makes you have money. If you’re lucky, you have money. So it’s better to be born lucky than to be rich. If you’re rich, you can lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you’ll always get more money) and He asks his mother if he is a lucky man? The mother says yes, and Paul dedicates himself to making money so that he can make his mother happy.
b) Topic: lack of communication, empathy.
Elaboration: This lesson applies in general life when you have a bad day, you are not feeling well and you need to talk to a person to give you advice on how to act in a situation that happened to you, ask for help and nobody is there to help you.
Paul’s mother’s desire to feel successful or important in something to earn money made her neglect her son, who just seeks her approval and sees her happy. In the story, Paul asked him if something good had come for him on his birthday, the boy hoped that his mother could be happy, but if his attitude and behavior were the same, she only replied, with her cold, harsh and absent voice , and she left without saying more.
Finally: In my personal opinion, I liked the story because of the message it left or the interpretation I gave it, about how small details, poor communication or interpretation of the words can affect so much in your life, but I did not like that Paul has died, with more attention from the popes things could have been different.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
In my opinion, Oscar, Bassett, Miss Wilmot, and Hester are guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death. Although they already noticed that Paul has bad conditions which they could see on his face obviously, nobody was trying to pay more attention to him or truly concern about his situation. For example, according to the story, the uncle Oscar and the gardener Bassett were being with him most of time. However, they just wanted to win more money by Paul’s prediction. Therefore, when Paul said the name of the horse which won the Ascot, this situation was delighting uncle Oscar. Although the uncle found Paul had some kinds of prediction about horse races, he didn’t try to know how Paul could have this ability to know which horse would be the winner of races. In addition, Bassett is the first person who knew that Paul had prediction to know the winner of races. However, Bassett thought this is some kinds of miracle because when the uncle Oscar talked with him about Paul, he was speaking of religious matters. Moreover, the nursery-governess, of course she noticed that Paul had bad conditions. Nevertheless, she didn’t check on him when he was sleeping. This is her job to take care of children. Finally, Paul’s mother, Hester who had responsibilities and obligations of her son. However, she didn’t pay attention to Paul because she only focused on how to make more money even though they were already living in a good house and having a high quality life. Also, she thought about her husband and herself were unlucky people. Therefore, in order to make his mother happy, Paul was thinking that winning money for Hester was his responsibility. As a result, in this story, those four people are criminally negligent.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of this story is parents need to take responsibilities and obligations of their children. Don’t let children have stress of reality, such as making money or being lucky person. Even though some parents have babysitter to take care of their children, people still need to pay attention to their children to keep them away from bad habits or people. For example, if Hester had paid more attention to Paul and to keep him company, Paul wouldn’t have been depressed or worried about his mother. If Hester hadn’t talked about how important to be a lucky person than rich person to Paul, he wouldn’t have thought the only way to make his mother happy was being a lucky child. If Hester had been satisfied with her life, Paul wouldn’t have needed to bet horse races. Therefore, Paul could have had a wonderful childhood. However, what he got only negative emotion. In my opinion, somehow human’s avaricious desire is horrible. For example, the mother never feel satisfied of her life. Therefore, she couldn’t feel happy when she knew that she had five thousand pounds in total, but she only could have one thousand pounds a year. In addition, I saw news about a child wanted to get some attention from his parents, then he killed himself when he did some dangerous activities in balcony. I liked this story because it related on reality. On the other hand, I didn’t like the end of this story because even though he was dying, he still wanted to have identity from his mother.
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Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
Paul’s parents were criminally negligent. Children wants to get love from parents and family. Also they wants to make parents happy. Therefore, they are willing to do everything to get noticed and loved even the thing is wrong. In the essay, Hester was a bad mother who always ignore her children and fuscous on money. Although Hester and her husband has income and lived at pleasant house with servants and garden. But she still felt not satisfied about money. One day, she told Paul that we were poor because your father was a unlucky person. Therefore, Paul deeply believed that if he was lucky then he will always get money and become rich. Paul wants to make Hester happy. He started gambling with uncle Oscar after he got the list of victory from rocking horse. Although he won 5 thousand pounds to paid his mother’s birthday for the next 5 years after the horse race. But Hester thought not enough to pay the stuff she wanted it. Hence, Paul has been gambling frantically, he wants to make more money to make his mother happy, even he got disease he still never give up until he die. In my opinion, I think Hester had chance to avoid Paul got sick and die if Hester willing to spent the time with Paul. But she didn’t do anything for Paul. Therefore, Paul’s parents were criminally negligent.
What is the lesson of this story?
Hester and her husband was greedy and irresponsible. The lesson of story is people should feel happy that cherish what you have ,and parents should be responsible for their children. Make sure children ‘s mental and physiological are healthy. In life, we should be satisfied with family, life, work and friends. Because the desire couldn’t be satisfied. If we only focus on money, we would lost a lot of opportunity to understand the world and spent the time with family and friends. For example, in the story, Hester and her husband only focus on money, both of them always felt unhappy. They cause Paul mental unhealthy since he always hear the sounds from the house said there must be more money. Also, his mother cause Paul’s value was unusual and then he addicted to gambling. Therefore, Hester and her husband didn’t know the process of childhood. They also missed the opportunity to stop Paul gambling and seeing doctor.
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a) I think Hester, Bassett and Oscar are a criminal negligence. Criminal negligence refers to conduct in which a person ignores a known or obvious risk or disregards the life and safety of others. Like in the story Hester doesn’t show love for her children she only thinks in money. The first mistake the mother committed is compare luck with money. If she hadn’t compared the lucky with money, he wouldn’t had started to bet a horse race. Also, Oscar and Bassett are involved with Paul bet in racehorse. Basset is the one who get Paul into horse race and Oscar give the first money that Paul used to win at the horse race. Paul try to satisfy the materialistic desires his mother have as because he want to win the love of his mother that she never showed for him. Furthermore, ignores the fact how strange the Paul ride his horse and the fact he hears voices in the house. he needed treatment. For these reasons they are guilty her son’s death.
b) The lesson of the story is that money and material possessions cannot substitute for love and they don’t bring happiness In life, we can’t care only about money and material things contrary to what Hester said happiness is linked to what comes from inside, the moments we spend with people we love. In the Story money brined stress and destruction. Paul it’s was obsessed to win money for his mother and in the end he died. In additional, in the beginning of the story they tell us the mother is incapable of loving her children. However, she loves money and material things. If his mother and father had provided Paul with a loving family life, he would not have cared so much about money. I think the history try to show us the lust for material objects, stylish living, and money who people are obsessed in now a days.
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a) I think Paul’s parents are criminally negligence in his death. Criminal negligence is a guilty that is caused by ignoring dangerous situation. Paul’s death was definitely caused by his parents. Parents are responsible for taking care of their children carefully and continuing to pay attention to them. If not, it will be crime. In this story, his parents didn’t pay attention to their children. Paul wanted to be loved by his parents, thus, he said that “I’m a lucky person” and tried to look for luck. He thought if he got luck, his parents would love him. Fortunately, he had an ability to predict a result of horse gambling, so he got a lot of money, this means luck. However, even if he got a lot of money, his parents paid no attention to him. The lack of their attention led to delay of finding to Paul’s disease and his death.
b) I think that the lesson of this story is that you should feel happiness around you. In life, there will be so many difficulties that it is easy to feel that I am not lucky, happy, and lovely. However, if you try to find lucky event in your life, you will feel that I am lucky person. In this story, Paul’s mother said that his father and she have no luck. I think that actually they were lucky because they had their house, beautiful children, nice house, loyal servants, income, and so on. They had many kinds of things. Nevertheless, they couldn’t feel that they were lucky, that was because they always compared to the others. They should try to find their possessions and not to compare with the others. Then they would feel that they were lucky. Although this was old story, I think today’s people should try to do this, especially Japanese. According to World Happiness Report (2020), rankings of Japan is 62nd. This is too low even though Japan is developed country. Particularly, the rank of mental field is low. I think that is because Japanese students are compared used with test score. Many Japanese have a habit to compare with the other people. To feel happier, we should realize more around us and shouldn’t compare to the others. Therefore, we would think that we are lucky.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I believe the mother, uncle Oscar and Basset are guilty of criminal negligence of Paul´s death. Criminal negligence is when someone wilful ignore the danger to other has and it cause the death. in this case the family ignore the strange behavior that Paul had to find luck, they knew this thinking was affecting the normal behavior of the kid. However, they didn´t take any action to change Paul’s mind. Instead of, the family encouraged the obsessive thinking in his rocking horse. For example, Oscar and Basset would stop the ambition in the child but they preferred to continue with the game because they were having success in their betting and with this finding profits. In addition, Hester like a mother knew that something was wrong with Paul, but she didn’t put enough attention in the actions of her son. On the other hand, the story shows how the family always thought just in the money and they transmitted this thinking in their children. Hester and her husband never taught them the importance of other things such as the family, enjoy the time and being happy.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of the story is to be grateful with the things that you have. When we have something in the life is because we did something for achieving. However, sometimes we don´t think about the small results. Otherwise we focus our mind in getting more and more without looking the result until there. In The Rocking Horse Winner story show us how always the mother was unhappy with her life. When Paul gave to her the money for the birthday, the kid was waiting an exciting answer for the money but instead it didn´t enough for she. Paul seeing this, he took another decision that would affect his own life. If Hester had been grateful, Paul would not have become obsessed with the luck, which trigger his death. I think the story is interesting because show us with a sad ending how our actions can affect in a big way thinking of others. In this case, she didn´t feel lucky with her life and it was transmitted to Paul. We have to look around us and thinking that small or big we do something for finding. If you value every detail, the life gives to you more special things.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think Hester, or any other character such as Oscar and Bassett involved guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death. Criminal negligence happens when a person ignores something that can cause someone’s death. This is what happened in this story. People who are around Paul ignored his bad condition although they realized it. His family lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, but they felt always an anxiety which there was not enough money. They wanted more money. When Paul rode rocking horse, he could get a special power that he could guess which horse would be winner. Oscar and Bassett had noticed it and also started gambling to use that ability. Furthermore, his mother took part in gambling. They knew which he was worse and worse what he was continuing to use the power of his. As a result, he died, so this case was guilty of criminal negligence.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of this story is despite it is good to keep seeking for something, don’t focus on just a result. It is not good even if the result is good, the content is not good. In life, when I was high school student, I belonged to soccer team. One day, I played a game of soccer and I won it, I was satisfied with the result. However, my manager was angry at us. He said that this game is terrible, and I couldn’t understand why he was resentful. And then I leaned in this game that if the result is good but the content is bad, it is not a success. In this story, even though Paul’s family were actually wealth because they had a house with garden and the parents had enough income, they were not satisfied with that situation. By using Paul’s ability, they got a big outcome but they didn’t think that the process of them was the most important in life. Therefore, Paul died. In my opinion, it is important for me to challenge at my goal as well as everyone should not only seek to the result, but also the process.
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1) I believe that Hester, her husband, uncle Oscar and Blasset were criminal negligent with the boy. Criminal negligence occurs when you do something knowing that it can cause someone to die. When the boy rode on his little horse, he went into a kind of trance. It made him very tired. A normal person would not do that. When they started making money, they put the boy to do it several times. They did this because they were greedy and wanted to earn more and more. They were so blinded by money that they were unable to realize that the boy was not looking for money. He sought happiness. However, they put the boy to ride and find out which was the winning horse. This attitude ended up causing the boy’s death.These facts show how they were guilty of the boy’s death.
2) This story teaches us a lesson about greed. Greed happens when you always want more and can’t feel satisfied with what you already have. The lesson of this story can be applied today. Many people spend their lives focused on making more and more money and end up losing focus. The goal should be happiness. However, many people believe that happiness comes with money. This history shows us the opposite. Paul made money trying to satisfy his parents and stop listening to the voices that “whispered for more money”. When he had a good sum of money, he sent it to his own mother, without revealing where the gift came from.
Paul’s parents were happy with the unexpected money, but it was not enough to make them a happy family. They wanted more and more. They kept fighting and teasing each other as usual. With that, Paul continued to ride more and more. Thus, he exposed himself to the risk and ended up dying. The example of history should not be followed. The search for money is exhausting and time consuming. Therefore, time is the most valuable asset we can have. If Paul’s mother could spend another day with her son, how much would she pay for it? Thus, we must understand that greed is a bad thing. H. Laurence ends the story with a clear message against ambition: “But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking-horse to find a winner”.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think that Paul’s mother Hester is guilty of criminal negligence in his death. Paul tried his best to find luck to make his mother proud of him, but she only ever wanted more. Hester’s abandonment caused her son to search until he fell ill and died. In the story, “Nevertheless, when her children were present, she always felt the center of her heart go hard.” As you know from this phrase, Hester was unable to feel any love towards her children at all. She said to his son, “If you’re lucky, you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than to rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But, If you’re lucky, you will always get money.” When Paul was told this, he began to ride his Rocking-Horse to find luck so that he could make money for his mother. He believed that if he was lucky, he would be given his mother’s love and be paid her attention. But, as Paul made more money, his mother spent more money. However he won the money and gave it to his mother, there wasn’t ever enough money to satisfy his mother’s addiction. Paul did everything he could to try to have a loving relationship with his mother, but she ignored his efforts.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson which we can learn from this story is that parent’s love can not be replaced by objects and money. Children never grow up with parent’s love. The love is essential to children. In the story, Paul wanted to reach luck to show his mother that he was lucky and deserving of his mother’s love. However, Hester was never satisfied by anything that Paul did. Even when he won five thousand pounds and gave it to her, she needed more. I think these mean that he can’t buy her love. In other words, parent’s love is more important to children than anything. In the end of the story, Paul said to his mother, “Mother, did I ever tell you? I am lucky!” From this phrase, I believe that when he was dying, his mother was worried about him for the first time, so he could finally feel her love. That’s why he said he was lucky in the end. Also, Paul died without hearing his mother said that she loved him. After losing her first child, Hester will be able to finally love or care for something other than material goods and money. Besides, in my opinion, we need to pay attention and be grateful to what we already have. If we do that, we can feel happy and lucky.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think that Hester and other characters are not guilty of negligence in Paul’s death. Because they couldn’t predict that Paul’s death. If they could have expect that Paul died due to finding the winner, they would have stopped him from doing and talking about the horse racing.
Futhermore, Basset and Oscar didn’t force Paul to look for the winner in the racing horse. Paul was sure the winner by himself.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of the story is that getting the
money is not so easy.
In life, almost people have difficulty earning a lot of money and there is no way to earn easily. If you want to get a lot of money, it’s important to keep making a effort.
In the story, there was family that never had enough money. The mother said that they lacked money because they didn’t have a luck. So her son looked for the luck because he thought they would be happy if got a luck. Finally, he could find the way to earn easy money, but he died.
In my opinion, I like the story because I can learn the lesson that it’s not easy to earn the money. And it’s intersting that paul has super power to predict the winner in the horse racing.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think Hester’s responsibility is the greatest. Hester who is Paul’s mother didn’t love his children. Even though Hester said to Paul that she is poor and unlucky because she married unlucky man. Telling this story to children is obviously bad behavior and inappropriate. For example, when she said to Paul that she is unlucky, Paul started to ride rocking-horse as if one was crazy. This inappropriate behavior stems from her words. Finally, Paul died because of rocking-horse which gave him money. Even when Paul died on the horse, she was only shouting the name of the horse he said. Hester focused on only horse name than her son. Therefore, I think I think Hester’s fault is the greatest.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
This story’s lesson is love is more important than money. Many people make money their first priority. However, through this story, we can know money is not important for life. Paul predicted the first horse, earned a lot of money, and gave it to his mother, his family never became happy. If his parents adores their children even in poverty, Paul would not have been obsessed about his lucky. Despite having a lot of money through Paul, Hester didn’t show love for Paul. I think Paul died trying to get more money to get his mother’s love. If he received parent’s love even a little, he will not ride rocking-horse crazy. Despite having a lot of money, they had an unfortunate ending. As a result, this story tells us that money cannot solve everything. Many people want to make more money. some people only want to earn money than think about their family or friends. Why don’t you think about the precious people around you before you make money? I hope people won’t lose loved ones with money.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think Hester’s fault and responsibility are the biggest. Hester says from the beginning of the story that she doesn’t love her son. And she doesn’t say directly that she needs money, but she acts like her son feels it. And she tells her son that her husband is unlucky and has no money. Thus the son tries to prove that he is lucky and can have a lot of money. The son gets on horse more and more violently as he starts to earn money successfully. Eventually, the son falls off the horse and dies. Therefore I think Hester didn’t kill his son directly, but indirectly she did the biggest fault and is the most responsible.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of this story is that family is more important than money. Money is important, of course. However, there are many things more important than money in the world. In this story, there is a mother who thinks money is the best and son who wants love from mother. Son makes money to be loved by his mother and brings it mother, but his mother is not happy. Would he have been so obsessed with riding horses and making money if she loved him a little? Probably not. Then he wouldn’t be dead. Even today, many people are obsessed with money. They make money, they spend money, they do everything with money. But there are many things in the world that are more important than money. Many people don’t seem to know that. For someone Family, Love, Friends are more important than money.
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I don’t really believe this could be a criminal negligence, I think the death of this child was caused for following reasons far away of being a criminal negligence case:
1. The feeling of lacking luck, love and following up
It was evidently Paul was a child who had a unloving childhood specially because her mother didn’t give her children the love that any children need to be raise with.
*Parents didn’t teach him, that not everything is a matter of luck, it is matter of hard work, persistence and be positive to be able to overcome difficulties in life.
2. Superficial lifestyle: Also his family was presuming to have a hight life style that they couldn’t afford, besides the unfortunate facts they got and the big struggling to get better luck and more money. The feeling of lacking luck was the main reason for Paul consequenly becaming interest in how to get “luck” which at the end of story meant money.
3. Other’s influence:
Even though the garneder and his uncle maybe had no intension of damagin Paul’s life, he didn’t think that Paul wasn’t enought madure to stand pressure that beats bring, even more stronger everytime he had to pick up a horse to bet for.
So all these arguments gathered and combined were the motives of a strong anxiety and anguish seizures, which produced Paul’s health deterioration and finally his death.
b.* The education at home is very important for children, is the base to built an adult with good values and principles. It includes the idea the life is not just matter of luck or money, it is needed a lot of work, persistance, constance, humble and courage to be willing to go throught obstacles.
*Parents must raise their children with love, comprehesion, and kindness.
*Parents should be closer to children much more in order to give them confidence for talking any topic instead they prefer to keep secrets.
*Take care of people’s influence around the children, who can be intrinsicly damage them emotionally or phisically
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think that all character of this story except him are guilty of criminal negligence in his death. Especially, I forced on Bassett and Oscar. They did teach him how to play the horse race. Therefore, he was interested in the easy way of getting money. from the end of this story, Bassett was talking about the rase in the room even if he died. In my opinion, he was a perpetrator and his hope was just making his mother happy. In addition, his methods was just giving his mother a lot of money. I think that he should have known what real love from his mother was not to give money.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
There are three lesson from the story. First, people will be likely to die if we work hard. The end of this story, the boy died. I think that he worked too much because he really wanted his mother to be happy. Moreover, he kept on thinking and acting how to earn a lot of money. Second, gambling told them that the more they did, the more happiness they got. Gambling means how to get a money easily with risk on the result of something which is not certain like a horse race of this story. From the story, he decided to give his mother some money that he earned as a birthday present of a thousand pounds for five successive year. however, his mother took five thousand pounds for a year. He realized that the most important thing to make his mother happy is money. Lastly, the highest his priority is getting a lot of money. He and his uncle Oscar always thought how to win the horse race.
He learned the horse race from Oscar and he was interested in winning because he knew how to be happy through he could get the much money easily. For these reasons from this story, I learned that he and his family always forced on getting money.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
In my opinion, Hester is guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death.
Because, she said that I could not love them. Also children looked at her coldly, as if they were finding fault with her. The children who grew up without love from parents. As a result, He tried to get his mother’s attention in the wrong way. That way he made money by gambling. Therefore, He was overwrought.
His mother noticed how overwrought he was. How ever, Nobody was trying to pay more attention to him or truly concern about his situation. For example, according to the story, she was going the town almost every, leave it to ballet and, Oscar to take care about pool. Her behavior is not good as motherhood. Finally, in my opinion is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The story tells us that money can make us happy but sometimes make us unfortunate. It can not be said that lots of money always bring happiness. I learned like this lesson from this story. In this story, Paul’s mother always said to him that he could be lucky if he had more money. If he were lucky, he would get big money. And then, he trusted her and betted on horse racing. Actually, he won huge money, but he got addicted to gambling. That was because there had been whispering to keep making money. Eventually, he died due to the brain fever one night. Her son has gone out of a life. This means that his mother was able to gain a lot of money, but she lost the most important person.Finally, I learned that money can make us happy but sometimes make us unfortunate.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think Hester and Oscar and Bassett are involved in Paul’s death. Paul’s family was not a very wealthy family, but not such a poor family. But Hester told Paul that her husband was unlucky and didn’t have much money at home. Paul saw his mother and said he was lucky, but his mother didn’t listen.Paul said he was lucky with his mother even before he died. Therefore, I think the biggest reason Paul rode a horse like a madman is his mother. Because it was a way to prove that he was lucky to his mother. And another reason is that I wanted to make money and give money to my mom and see her happy with the money. In fact, in this story, Paul secretly delivered to his mother 5,000 pounds he earned from horse racing. If the mother had said she was unlucky and didn’t give her son more attention and love than money, Paul wouldn’t have died. Oscar and Bassett were in a situation where Paul could stop himself. Paul is still a child and cannot control himself. But they were only interested in Paul’s blow to make money, but not much in other situations. Therefore I think the three figures led to Paul’s death.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
The lesson of this story is that greed for money can lead to tragedy. Hester lamented his situation even though he was not poor. There were many modern toys, gardens, and babysitters in the house, but she was not satisfied. Looking at her like this, she would not have been satisfied with the situation even if she had more money than she does now. Paul also makes a lot of money, but when he is told he needs more money anywhere in the house, he keeps riding on which racehorse will win first place. Haster and Paul had different desires for money. Haster’s greed for more money than it is now, and Paul seems obsessed with money because he thinks he can be loved by his mother if he makes more money. Money is important in life, but there is no end when greed for money starts to grow. In conclusion, the story seems to tell how frightening the consequences of greed can be.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
It’s weird how the story turns out, they way that the story developed the death of paul, it’s like all of the characters are involve, because all of them be part of his life, but for me the mom is the most involved in paul’s death.
Let’s talk about the mom, since the story begin she said that she felt forced it to love their children´s, how is that possible? I can’t imagine a mother say in that, so for me the mother has maybe a psychology disorder, which it’s not a normal thing that a mother said about their children´s.
When children´s are growing up, need love, support and attention, a love that she said can’t give them, even they don’t have the fault of her problems.
And the big problem is that the children´s feeling that, she said that they see it in the eyes of each other’s, so the mother can be guilty because she didn´t care about his son, when she talks with him she always speak with bitterness, she never be interested in how paul feeling, in how was their days, she always thinking about herself and about the money. The house always whisper the must be more money, the children´s could hear it all the time though nobody said it aloud.
and she was the one that developed the obsession of paul about been lucky, when she said to him that she was an unlucky person because she married with an unlucky men, so paul ask her mom if lucky was money, and she said not quite, it’s what causes you to have money” so then what is luck mom? It’s what causes you to have money, if you´re lucky you have money.
When she said that he started developing an obsession with that fact, but if we thing about that she wasn’t an unlucky women because she have it all, she was beautiful, have advantages, have a family, so why she see her as unlucky, if she already so lucky to have them.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
Material possessions and money don’t bring us happiness, there are another things more important, Sometimes people are so distracted trying to reach a social position, a car, a house, brand clothes etcetera, however that things are just momentary satisfactions that make us to believe that we have reach it happiness and what really matters they leave it behind.
In this story, hester only see money as happiness, and she only was interested in that, why she doesn’t have a car? Why she isn’t the number one in her work? She was selfish because she only thinks about herself, and she left the more important in second term that was their family especially their sons.
This is something very common this years, the world it becoming this last decades so materialistic, now people value you depends of what you have, now people fill their existential emptiness with this momentary satisfactions, happiness is in simple things like when you go with a friend to take a cup of coffee, happiness is about to share.
The happiest persons are the one who have less, and they truly value what they have, their family, health, friends, work.
I don’t like it too much, when I started reading the story, I never imagine that someone’s going to die, I thought it will be more like a happy ending tale, so that’s really took me by surprise, I was sad about paul death because I felt an empathy whit him, what a son can do for have the love of her mother, he satisfied her needs for make her happy, he make everything to gain money for her, and he developed an obsession with horse races that and unfortunately that’s bring his death.
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Topic Sentences: selfishness and poor communication
Elaboration: When we go to talk about children in my point of view we need to be careful. You must be careful when you are talking in front of a child, and you must be careful with the expression in your face due to kids can understand when something bad is happening so these negative energies could affect them as happened with Paul.
In the case of Paul’s family, everyone was unconscious about his feeling because everyone was thinking in their misery. They didn’t see the sign about his strange actions, and if they saw it, they didn’t say anything. Everyone is guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death.
A good example could be when Paul asked his mother about Lucky meaning. Her response was what started Paul’s obsessive behaviour. As a result, he wanted to help his family, especially her mother. In consequence, his little mind was trying to find something to bring good luck to his family. In addition, his father always was absent in Paul’s life. He didn’t have someone to advise him correctly. He was without the care of any responsible adult
Topic Sentences: Learn to live and be happy with what you have
In my personal opinion, we need to do a lot of sacrifices in our lives, and one moment of life we need to suffer. However, have a bad feeling, negative energies, and always a bad attitude will not improve anything. Also, our behaviour could affect other members of the family especially the kids. They always need attention and a good attitude to have a good developer. If everyone helps each other and work as a family, everyone will have good luck.
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a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
I think his death isn’t related to other characters. In the story, Paul started to act like an insane person since he talked with Hester about poverty. However, his mother is responsible for the cause that kills Paul. Just she said the truth to his children. Moreover, it’ common to tell their own children truth. There are many people who are poor in the world and most of them know that my family is poor and I was born in poor family. Even if they know that, they don’t die because of poverty. Famine kills a lot of people every year and it is a big problem, but in this story, his death is not related to famine. His death is not that problem. He long for being rich. Finally, he died. What killed Paul is his desire. That’s why his death is not related to other characters.
b) What is the lesson of this story?
In the story, Paul died and it is the main problem. Paul longs for money although there is no problem to live. Finally, longing for money led him to die. In this story, the source is money, However, I think what writer want to say is don’t overdo whatever it is and don’t live above your means. Nowadays, we can see someone who overdo something easily in news or our lives. For example, there are some people who have cosmetic surgeries too much to be beautiful, some people who play games too much because of being fun or some people who deceive others to make money. Some of them finally have tragic ends. Of course, most of them don’t have any problem. Just writer warns the tragic ends. That’s why writer want to give a lesson that to get something, don’t overdo something.
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A-) In my opinion, I think Hester, the mother of Paul is guilty of negligence. Hester, a woman obsessed with appearance, she started thinking negatively because she believes that all that is happening to her is due to the husband and thinks she is so unlucky due to the marriage. One of the main reasons are the truth that she doesn´t hide to her children about the economical position of the family, instead of searching another solution or keep it in silence. She always spoke to their children about how unlucky and tragic was his economic situation and blaming her husband, Example of this is when she said, “I can’t be (lucky), it I married an unlucky husband”. Also, in this story there are more characters involve in the plot that I think also could be guilty of criminal negligence, as an example of it could be the uncle Oscar, the gardener or also the nurse. All these people was around Paul and anyone could do something to save him and after all nobody does anything.
B-) The main lesson of this history is to avoid the appearances and live according how you are. These apply in everyone because worse or same things could happen if we want to only appear to be something that we non, an example of the appearance could be in the beginning that is said about the tastes of each member of the family and how does these ones are. At the end about my personal connection, I think this lesson is relevant today because nowadays we live in a world that is headered by appearances, the most beautiful one is the favorite for everything or in another manner the rich has more opportunities without taking care of the money than the poor, only by his appearances. In conclusion I like the history, the message to be transmitted is achieved, we must only put in practice the lesson of the history about the appearances. As the expression said “looks are deceiving” that is everything we should know.
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§ a) Is Hester, or any other character, guilty of criminal negligence in Paul’s death?
In my opinion Hester is the most important guilty of these case, however there are other characters with less importance but at least with moral guilty or conscious participation.
In my judgement Paul’s Uncle; Oscar, must take responsibility in his participation and in second instance but less important; the nurse; who notice a strange behaviour in Paul and must notify.
Firstable Oscar, because if we talk about negligence. Oscar is probably one of the most involved in this case, due to he knew almost from the beginning, something was wrong with his nephew, and despite at beginning he played a role without bad intentions to hurt or even to commit a crime, he played a role of mentor who could avoid the unfortunately fact.. However, blaming people to commit a crime is a troublesome task from most of people including me who knows nothing about laws. Therefore, from my stance, must be crucial to understand what is the meaning of the words we use to accusing.
For example, I can find a difference between, guilty for omission or negligence and responsibility and guilty with intention to hurt. This way, I find Oscar guilty for negligence and take advantages of his nephew. Unfortunately there is not enough evidence for a sentence because he kept this as a secret.
§ b) What is the lesson of this story?
In the whole Paul’s story, we can find even from the beginning a negative feeling of greed and how this feeling can lead us in taking bad decisions against us and people close to us. As result, get terrible consequences due to have as priorities just material assets. In the other hand there is a pure show of our most natural desire to be accepted and the things we are willing to do for it, as part of human collective thinking. Firstly, the mother’s greed feeling is almost floating on the environment, saying from a poetic way, even when her children are very young, they will know “the entire house is asking for money”. Consequently the children growth confused with his mother already upset,even in her disorder. Finally they confuse her lack of love with her obsession.
In addition finding lessons in this story is not something easy, due to the extension and the topics of the story. as result we can find different lessons every time we read.
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