The Horse Dealer's Daughter

In D.H. Lawrence's "The Horse Dealer's Daughter,"

Mabel "did not share the same life as her brothers "(195).

Mabel Pervin was not close to her brothers, because there

were personal and physical separations. Mabel was a plain,

uninteresting woman. She seldom showed emotion on her

face. In fact her face usually remained impassive and

unchanged. Her brothers could be described as three

handsome and well-spoken men. Mabel was independent,

having taken care of the house for ten years without a

servant. Even though they depended upon her, they

seemed to have control over her. The Pervin brothers "did

not care about anything" (195). They were poised and felt

secure about themselves. Her brothers felt superior to her.

"They had talked at her and round her for so many years,

that she hardly heard them at all" (196). She would either

give a neutral response to her brothers, or remain quiet

when they talked to her. Instead of giving her

encouragement, they teased her. This treatment could have

led to her insecurity. They would tease her about becoming

a maid or about her "bulldog" face. Her brothers were full

of energy and very talkative. Mabel also seemed to be

alone in the world. Unlike her brothers who had many

companions, she had had no friends of her own sex.

Sometimes it seemed that Mabel wanted to escape her life.

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