Analysis of the Short Story: “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”

A.Plot Analysis
Plot analysis should be divided into 3 parts:
1.The Beginning: exposition
The focus of the analysis in the beginning is providing events which have cause and effect relationship only to provide preliminary overview the story. In this short story, it is showed in the early of story.
This is summary of beginning:
Mabel Pervin was only the one of daughter in Pervin family that still stay in the home while her another sister, Lucy, had gone to work in city. It made her three brothers (Joe, Fred Henry, and Malcolm) asked her to go and stop with Lucy when they had breakfast on one morning, but Mabel just in silence. She felt so alone because her brothers didn’t care with herself. Especially, her parents had died and left debts. It made her so suffer with her life.
It is according with the paragraph 2 until17 in story, but I will write the main paragraphs here:

The three brothers and sister sat round the desolate breakfast table, attempting some sort of desultory consultation. The morning’s post had given the final tap to the family fortune, and all was over. The dreary dining room itself, with its heavy mahogany furniture, looked as if it were waiting to be done away with.
But the consultation amounted to nothing. There was a strange air of ineffectuality about the three men, as they sprawled at table, smoking and reflecting vaguely or their own condition. The girl was alone, a rather short, sullen-looking young woman of twenty seven. She did not share the same life as her brothers. She would have been good-looking, save for the impassive fixity of her face, “bulldog,” as her brothers called it.
….
No company came to the house, save dealers and coarse men. Mabel had no associates of her own sex, after her sister went away. But she did not mind. She went regularly to church, she attended to her father. And she lived in the memory of her mother, who had died when she was fourteen, and whom she had loved. She has loved her father too, in a different way, depending upon him, and feeling secure in him, until at the age of fifty four he married again. And then she had set hard against him. Now he had died and left them all hopelessly in debt.
She had suffered badly during the period of poverty. Nothing, however, could shake the curious sullen animal pride that dominated each member of the family. Now, for Mabel, the end had come. Still she would not cast about her. She would follow her own way just the same. She would always hold the keys of her own situation. Mindless and persistent, she endured from day to day. Why should she think? Why should she answer anybody? It was the enough that this was the end, and there was no way out. She need not pass any more darkly along the main street of the small town, avoiding every eye. She need not demean herself any more, going into shops and buying the cheapest food. This was at an end. She thought of nobody, not even of herself. Mindless and persistent, she seemed in a short of ecstasy to be coming nearer to her fulfillment own glorification, approaching her dead mother, who was glorified.

2.The Middle: conflict, complication, climax
The analysis provides us with events which are considered having characteristic as rising actions towards climax. This part is considered the most important since it provides the most part of the whole story.
Here is the summary of the middle:
Mabel Pervin had many conflicts in her life. Start from the dead of her father who left many debts to herself and brothers. Moreover, her three brothers had not attention for herself. It made her felt so alone with all of problems that happened in her life. That caused her became hopelessly and tender woman and also made her so stress. One day, in the afternoon, she decided to sink her body in the center of pond deliberately. Fortunately, Dr. Jack Fergusson saw her so he could save her life soon. But, the securing made Mabel was in misunderstanding. Moreover she needed more affection and found out from himself. She wondered that Jack loved her so she tried to force him to say like that. Jack, in fact, didn’t love her finally said ‘yes’ because Mabel continuously forced him to say that he loved her. It made a change in himself because he had revealed that he loved Mabel.
The reference from the story is in these paragraphs:

He stood motionless as the small black figure walked slowly and deliberately towards the centre of the pond, very slowly, gradually moving deeper into the motionless water, and still moving forward as the water got up to her breast. Then he could see her no more in the dusk of the dead afternoon.
….
He slowly ventured into the pond. The bottom was dead, soft day, he sank in, and the water clasped dead cold round his legs. As he stirred he could smell the cold, rotten clay that fouled into the water. It was objectionable in his lungs. Still, repelled and yet not heeding, he moved deeper into the pond. The cold water rose over his thighs, over his loins, upon his abdomen. The lower part of his body was all sunk in the hideous cold elements. At the bottom was so deeply soft and uncertain he was afraid of pitching with his mouth underneath. He could not swim, and was afraid.

Then in some dialogues below:

“Do you love me then?” she asked.
He only stood and stared at her, fascinated. His soul seemed to melt.
….
“You love me?” she murmured, in strange transport, yearning and triumphant and confident. “You love me. I know you love me, I know.”
….
“You love me,” she repeated, in a murmur of deep, rhapsodic assurance. “You love me.”
….
“You love me?” she said rather faltering.
“Yes.” The word cost him a painful effort. Not because it wasn’t true. But, because it was too newly true, the saying seemed to tear open again his newly-torn heart. And he hardly wanted it to be true, even now.

3.The End: denouement
The analysis of end focuses on events which are considered into denouement or falling action ort he outcome of the story. The summary of this part are:
Mabel Pervin asked Jack Fergusson to kiss her because Jack had said ‘love’ to her. But, when Jack did it, she became strange with herself. Because that, Jack said that he would marry her soon but she refused. It caused she felt so awful, horrible. It made felt that she was not appropriate for that man. So she wanted to go away although Jack had said that he loved her intently.
The references are available in some sentences below:

“Kiss me,” she said wistfully.
He kissed her, but briefly, half in anger.
….
“And my hair smells so horrible,” she murmured in distraction. “And I’m so awful, I’m so awful! Oh, no, I’m too awful.” And she broke into bitter, heart-broken sobbing. “You can’t want to love me, I’m horrible.”
“Don’t be silly, don’t be silly,” he said, trying to comfort her, kissing her, holding her in his arms. “I want you, I want to marry you, and we’re going to be married, quickly, quickly-tomorrow if I can.”
But she only sobbed terribly and cried:
“I feel awful. I feel awful. I feel I’m horrible to you.”
“No, I want you, I want you,” was all he answered, blindly with that terrible intonation which frightened her almost more than her horror lest he should not want her.
B.Structure Analysis
There are available five points in this part to understanding the story:
1.Exposition
It is usually given to the process by which the writer imparts to the reader information necessary to the understanding of the story. It provides us with a certain amount of information. It is showed in paragraph 2 and 3:

The three brothers and sister sat round the desolate breakfast table, attempting some sort of desultory consultation. The morning’s post had given the final tap to the family fortune, and all was over. The dreary dining room itself, with its heavy mahogany furniture, looked as if it were waiting to be done away with.
But the consultation amounted to nothing. There was a strange air of ineffectuality about the three men, as they sprawled at table, smoking and reflecting vaguely or their own condition. The girl was alone, a rather short, sullen-looking young woman of twenty seven. She did not share the same life as her brothers. She would have been good-looking, save for the impassive fixity of her face, “bulldog,” as her brothers called it.

From the two paragraphs we know that:
There are three brothers and sister in Pervin family.
They held a discussion about the future of Mabel Pervin (the one of daughter in Pervin family now).
The three brother want Mabel can do something with her life.
The poverty that happens in Pervin family (showed in the sentence: the heavy mahogany furniture that looked as if it were waiting to be done away with).
But, the consultation didn’t get a result.
There was a strange air between them. The three men with their conditions not to care about what actually Mabel thinks. They just want Mabel look for a job so that Pervin family can get some money while Mabel with her silent, don’t want to talk anything for answering.
Mabel is silent woman. She doesn’t want to share anything that happens in her life with her brothers so made their relationship quite unwell.

2.Complication (rising action)
The movement from the initial statement of conflict to the climax is often referred to as complication. It is showed in paragraph below:

He followed her minutely as she moved, direct, and intent, like something transmitted rather than stirring in voluntary activity, straight down the field towards the pond. There she stood on the bank for a moment. She never raised her head. Then she waded slowly into the water.
He stood motionless as the small black figure walked slowly and deliberately towards the centre of the pond, very slowly, gradually moving deeper into the motionless water, and still moving forward as the water got up to her breast. Then he could see her no more in the dusk of the dead afternoon.

So, we can conclude that that point of rising action is when Mabel Pervin decided to sink her body deliberately to the centre of the pond. There are many things factors which influences Mabel to do like that, as example:
When Mabel Pervin feels so suffered with the debts that is left by her father.
When Mabel feels so alone with herself. Her parents had died, especially her mother who was much loved. So, she needs more affection with people around her. But in fact, her brothers don’t care with her.
When finally Mabel so stress with all problems that happens in her life. Moreover she is hopelessly and tender woman.

3.Climax
It is the outburst of the accumulation of complication or rising action. Look at the following dialogues of the story:

“Did you dive into the pond for me?” she asked.
“No,” he answered. “I walked in. But I went overhead as well.”
….
“Who undressed me?” she asked, her eyes resting full and inevitable on his face.
“I did,” he replied, “to bring you round.”
For some moments she sat and gazed at him awfully, her lips parted.
“Do you love me then?” she asked.
He only stood and stared at her, fascinated. His soul seemed to melt.
….
“You love me?” she murmured, in strange transport, yearning and triumphant and confident. “You love me. I know you love me, I know.”
And she was passionately kissing his knees through the wet clothing, passionately and indiscriminately kissing his knees, his legs, as if unaware of everything.
He looked down at the tangled wet hair the wild, bare, animal shoulders. He was amazed, bewildered, and afraid. He had never thought of loving her. He had never wanted to love her. When he rescued her and restored her, he was a doctor, and she was a patient. He had no single personal thought of her. Nay, this introduction of the personal element was very distasteful to him, a violation of his professional honor. It was horrible. He revolted from it, violently. And yet-and yet-he had not power to break away.
…..
“You love me,” she repeated, in a murmur of deep, rhapsodic assurance. “You love me.”
….
He felt the hot tears wet his neck and the hollows of his neck, and he remained motionless, suspended through one of man’s eternities. Only now it had become indispensable to him to have her face pressed close to him; he could never let go again. He could never let her head go away from the close clutch of his arm. He wanted to remain like that was also life to him. Without knowing, he was looking down on her damp, soft brown hair.
….
When she turned her face to him again, a faint delicate flush was glowing and there was again dawning that terrible shining, of joy in her eyes, which really terrified him, and yet which he now wanted to see, because he feared the look of doubt still more.
“You love me?” she said rather faltering.
“Yes.” The word cost him a painful effort. Not because it wasn’t true. But, because it was too newly true, the saying seemed to tear open again his newly-torn heart. And he hardly wanted it to be true, even now.

From the dialogue between Mabel Pervin and Jack Fergusson, we can conclude:
Mabel Pervin was so shock, knew that Jack had saved her life after she decided to sink her body in the pond.
When she knew that Jack, in fact, cared with her life, she quite felt happy. So, to sure her, that dr. Jack had affection to her, she then forced him to say ‘yes’ that dr. Fergusson really loved her.
Jack Fergusson got dilemma. In one side, he had to be professional as a doctor. He couldn’t love her patient. But, in other side, pitied when he stared at the woman. She looked so terrible, wistful, and unfathomable. In here, had happened intimate relationship then.
Then finally Jack Fergusson had to pay his word with painful effort. Then he hardly wanted it to be true, that he loved her.

4.Falling action
It is focused in the end story, before the denouement. As appear in this sentences:
“I want to go,” she said. “I want to go and get you some dry things.”
“Why?” he said. “I’m all right.”
“But I want to go,” she said. “And I want to change your things.”
He released her arm, and she wrapped herself in the blanket, looking at him rather frightened. And she still she did not rise.
“Kiss me,” she said wistfully.
He kissed her, but briefly, half in anger.
….
“I shall have to go.”
Almost immediately he heard her coming down. She had on her best dress of black voile, and her hair was tidy, but still damp. She looked at him-and in spite of herself, smiled.
“I don’t like you in those clothes,” she said.
“Do I like a sight?” he answered.
They were shy of one another.
“I’ll make you some tea,” she said.
“No, I must go.”
“Must you?” and she looked at him again with the wide, strained, doubtful eyes. And again, from the pain of his breast, he knew how he loved her. He went and bent to kiss her, gently, passionately, with his heart’s painful kiss.

So we can conclude that:
Mabel Pervin, suddenly, felt confused with herself after Jack Fergusson said love as she wanted. She always looked for reason to be far away from him. And finally Jack felt sure that he loved her after all happenings between both.

5.Denouement
It is focused to the end events to finish the story. The paragraphs are:

“And my hair smells so horrible,” she murmured in distraction. “And I’m so awful, I’m so awful! Oh, no, I’m too awful.” And she broke into bitter, heart-broken sobbing. “You can’t want to love me, I’m horrible.”
“Don’t be silly, don’t be silly,” he said, trying to comfort her, kissing her, holding her in his arms. “I want you, I want to marry you, and we’re going to be married, quickly, quickly-tomorrow if I can.”
But she only sobbed terribly and cried:
“I feel awful. I feel awful. I feel I’m horrible to you.”
“No, I want you, I want you,” was all he answered, blindly with that terrible intonation which frightened her almost more than her horror lest he should not want her.

So, the denouement of this story is:
Mabel Pervin felt so awful and horrible with herself although Jack Fergusson had said that he wanted to marry her. He also tried to sure Mabel about his love but Mabel still was stubborn with her opinion. That she didn’t appropriate for him.

C.Character
There are two kinds of character in this story:
1.Main/central character.
Mabel Pervins. The characterizations are:
Rather short, sullen looking-woman, introvert, and impassive fixity.
She was twenty seven years old and lonely woman.
It is according from this passage:
….the girl was alone, a rather short, sullen-looking young woman of twenty seven. She did not share the same life as her brothers. She would have been good-looking, save for the impassive fixity of her face, “bulldog,” as her brothers called it.
Inscrutable woman
(As in the sentences: …He pushed his coarse brown moustache upwards, off his lip and glanced irritably at his sister, who sat impassive and inscrutable.)
Hopelessly and tender woman
(As in the sentences: …It was enough that this was the end, and there was no way out…)
Suffered with her life
(As in the sentences: …she had suffered badly during the period of poverty…)
Selfish
(As in the sentences: …She thought of nobody, not even herself. Mindless and persistent, she seemed into a sort of ecstasy to be coming nearer…)
Stubborn
(As in the sentences: “You love me,” she repeated, in a murmur of deep, rhapsodic assurance. “You love me.”
Aggressive
As in the sentences:
“You love me,” she murmured, in strange transport, yearning and triumphant and confident. “You love me. I know you love me. I know.”
And she was passionately kissing his knees through the wet clothing, passionately and indiscriminately kissing his knees, his legs, as if unaware of everything.
Not friendly
(As in the sentences: …Mabel looked at him uncomfortable, unsettling his superficial ease)

Daydreamer
(As in the sentences: …She seemed so intent and remote, it was like looking into another world…)

2.Supporting character.
a.Jack Fergusson, his characterizations are:
A young man, in medium height, his face rather long and pale.
His eyes looked tired.
As the following passage:
After a moment a young man entered. He was muffled up in overcoat and a purple woolen scarf, and his tweed cap, which he did not remove, was pullen down on his head. He was medium height, his face was rather long and pale, and his eyes looked tired.
Professional
(According to the sentences: He finished his duties at the surgery as quickly as might be, hastily filling up the bottle of the waiting people with cheap drugs. Then, in perpetual haste, he set off again to visit several cases in another part of his round, before teatime…..)
Attentive with his patient
(From the dialogue: “I thought you were concerned about the patients, wondered if you might be one yourself.”)
Good hearted
According this paragraph below:
He slowly ventured into the pond. The bottom was dead, soft day, he sank in, and the water clasped dead cold round his legs. As he stirred he could smell the cold, rotten clay that fouled into the water. It was objectionable in his lungs. Still, repelled and yet not heeding, he moved deeper into the pond. The cold water rose over his thighs, over his loins, upon his abdomen. The lower part of his body was all sunk in the hideous cold elements. At the bottom was so deeply soft and uncertain he was afraid of pitching with his mouth underneath. He could not swim, and was afraid.
Agile
According this paragraph below:
“There!” he exclaimed. “Would you believe it?”
And he hastened straight down, running over the wet, saddened fields, pushing through the hedges, down into the depression of callout wintry obscurity. It took him several minutes to come to the pond. He stood on the bank, breathing heavily…..
Have not a stand
From the dialogue:
“You love me?” she said rather faltering.
“Yes.” The word cost him a painful effort. Not because it wasn’t true. But, because it was too newly true, the saying seemed to tear open again his newly-torn heart. And he hardly wanted it to be true, even now.
Sympathy
According to the sentences:
…he looked down at her. Her eyes were now wide with fear, with doubt, the light was dying from her face, a shadow of terrible greyness was returning. He could not bear the touch of her eyes question upon him, and the look of the death behind the question.
…he watched the strange water rise in her eyes, like some slow fountain coming up. And his heart seemed to burn and melt away in his breast.
b.Joe Pervin (the eldest brother), the characterizations are:
Was a man of thirty three, broad and handsome in a hot, flushed away.
His face was read, his eyes were shallow and restless.
He had a sensual way of uncovering his teeth when he laughed, and his bearing was stupid.
As the following passage:
Yet they were three fine, well set fellows enough, Joe, the eldest, was a man of thirty three, broad and handsome in a hot, flushed away. His face was read, he twisted his black mustache over a thick finger, his eyes were shallow and restless. He had a sensual way of uncovering his teeth when he laughed, and his bearing was stupid. Now he watched the horses with a glazed look of helplessness in his eyes, a certain stupor of downfall.
Selfish
(According the sentence: …he didn’t care about anything, since he felt safe himself.)
A smoker
(According the sentence: …and covered his pipe with hands, and puffed intently, losing himself in the tobacco, looking down all the while at the the dog…)
Dictator
(According the sentence:“You’ll have to make up your mind between now and next Wednesday,” said Joe loudly, “or else find yourself lodgings on the kerbstone.”)
c.Fred Henry Pervin (second brother), the characterizations are:
He was erect, clean-limbed, and alert.
(According the sentence: … Fred Henry, the second brother, was erect, clean-limbed, and alert.)
Well tempered
He was master of any horse mastery
(According the sentence: …He was master of any horse, and he carried himself with a well tempered air of mastery)
Poor
(According the sentence: He was not master of the situation of life)
d.Malcolm Pervin (third brothers), the characterizations are:
He was the baby
He was a young man of twenty two years old, with a fresh, jaunty museau.
(According the sentences: …said Malcolm, the youngest of them all. He was the baby of the family, a young man of twenty two, with a fresh, jaunty museau.)
Be indifferent.
(According the sentence:“You could bray her into bits, and that’s all you’d get out of her,” he said in a small, narrowed tone.)
e.Joseph Pervin (the father of Pervin family), the characterizations are:
Skillful
Richman (in the past)
Rather selfish
Rather not to responsible towards his childs
(According the sentences: …. Joseph Pervin, the father of the family, had been a man of no education, who had become fairly large horse dealer. The stables had been full of horses, there was a great turmoil and come-and go of horses and of dealers and grooms. Then the kitchen was full of sevants. But of larte things had declined. The old man had married a second time, to retrieve his fortunes. Now, he was dead and everything was gone to the dogs, there was nothing but debt and threatening.)

D.Setting
It is the element of fiction which reveals to us the where and when of events takes place. So it is divided into 2 parts:
1)Setting of place.
It is provides us where the events most happens in the story. The place is in the Oldmeadow, the Pervin’s house, and around it (ex: in the pond).
As the sentence: …. And on the nearest fringe of town, sloping into dip, was Oldmeadow, the Pervin’s house. …. .
2)Setting of time.
It is provides us when the events most happens in the story. The time is about afternoon until evening.
As the sentences: The afternoon was falling. It was grey…
…in the hollow of the falling day. ….



E.Theme
It is the central idea of the story. And the theme in this story is the empty soul of a woman that causes tender, hopeless, and suffering.
As the sentences: …. Now, for Mabel, the end had come. Still, she would not cast about her. She would follow her own way just the same. She would always hold the keys of her own situation. Why should she think? Why should she answering anybody? It was enough that this was the end, and there was no way out…..