Rebirth and Renewal in “The Horse-dealer’s Daughter” Sian Carter College

, but of their soul; this is counter-intuitive to the human spirit. D.H. Lawrence presents, in his short story “The Horse-dealer’s Daughter,” two primary examples of persons who have been living in a death-in-life state and then experience a symbolic and transformative rebirth and renewal.

Initially it is through Mabel Pervin’s impassive behaviors that the audience can feel her detachment and distance from anything but the monotony of life. As her brothers speak to her, her verbal responses are far and few between (Lawrence, 2497-2498). She is in a mindless stupor enacting semi-automatic behavior: “Mindless and persistent, she endured from day to day. Why should she think? Why should she answer anybody?” (2501). There the nature of Mabel’s death-in-life state is revealed, but what is the cause? The audience learns there are two catalysts for Mabel’s death-in-life state one being the death of her mother when she was fourteen years old (2501). The speaker shares that Mable “lived in the memory of her (dead) mother”. Mabel’s state is ironically inspired by the fact of death itself.

Money used to be the only thing, after her mother’s death, that Mabel could invest emotion in and gain esteem from, but her father’s death has...