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The Black Horse
The young man’s suit symbolizes the idea that nature controls people more than people control nature. The man’s new gray suit is a marker of civilization, in that it’s associated with city life and is an impractical choice for the man’s walk through “mud-trap” fields in rainy weather. His choice to wear the suit in a rural environment perhaps represents his belief that he’s impervious and superior to nature. Yet he quickly realizes that this isn’t the case, as his suit and new shoes become soiled—in fact, his anxiety about getting his clothes dirty is one of the reasons he decides to head back to the nearby village. In this way, the man’s dirty suit represents the fact that as much as people try to use civilization’s material comforts to insulate themselves from the elements, they are still vulnerable to the natural world.
Yet even when the titular horse in the story appears and repeatedly charges at the man as he tries to get back to the village, the man is still worried about his suit—he thinks that “he must at all costs keep his suit out of the leaf-mould.” When the horse is safely out of sight, he pauses to brush the dirt and leaves off his suit “as well as he could.” But the man’s primal instincts quickly overpower this imperative: when the horse charges at him again, he falls to the ground “without a thought for [the] suit” that is now “ripped at the seam” and “splashed with the yellow mud of the top field.” Only after he has subdued the horse does he again notice his “sogged clothes.” He is no longer worried about preserving an outfit that has become nothing more than a burden as he tries to escape the “sucking earth.” In this way, the man’s changing attitude toward the suit reflects his realization that the trappings of civilization can’t keep him safe and comfortable, and that he’s powerless to control nature’s whims. The man even strips off his suit at the end of the story, once he’s finally escaped the horse and taken shelter from the rain, which can be read as his symbolic surrender to nature’s power.
The Suit Quotes in The Rain Horse
The The Rain Horse quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Suit. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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The Rain Horse Quotes
He had come too far. What had set out as a walk along pleasantly-remembered tarmac lanes had turned dreamily by gate and path and hedge-gap into a cross-ploughland trek, his shoes ruined, the dark mud of the lower fields inching up the trouser legs of his grey suit where they rubbed against each other. And now, there was a raw, flapping wetness in the air that would be downpour again at any minute. He shivered, holding himself tense against the cold.
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The protagonist of “The Rain Horse” reaches the destination of his walk, a lonely and isolated hill, but he is unsatisfied with this accomplishment. The word choice in the second sentence mirrors the man’s bewildered sense that he has come “too far,” as his “walk” has become a “trek,” implying the greater effort required to traverse the fields. It’s unclear whether “too far” is absolute (meaning that the man has come farther than he should have under any circumstances) or relative, meaning that he’s come too far given the impending rain and his inappropriate clothing (he’s wearing a nice suit). Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique
Twelve years had changed him. This land no longer recognized him, and he looked back at it coldly, as at a finally visited home-country, known only through the stories of a grandfather; he felt nothing but the dullness of feeling nothing. Then, suddenly, impatience, with a whole exasperated swarm of little anxieties about his shoes, and the spitting rain and his new suit and that sky and the two-mile trudge through the mud to the road.
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The man takes in a view that he fondly remembers from childhood but now finds himself unmoved by. It’s as if he had never been here—he feels like the place would have been as familiar if he had only heard it described by his grandfather in stories, even though he hunted rabbits on this very hill as a boy. The invocation of a grandfather’s stories contrasts with the actual length of time he’s been away—it’s only been 12 years, yet it feels to him like an entire lifetime or more. Yet the man’s ability to recall landmarks with great accuracy Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis ve
Gasping for breath now and cursing mechanically, without a thought for his suit he sat down on the ground to rest his shaking legs, letting the rain plaster the hair down over his forehead and watching the dense flashing lines disappear abruptly into the soil all around him as if he were watching through thick plate glass. He took deep breaths in the effort to steady his heart and regain control of himself. His right trouser turn-up was ripped at the seam and his suit jacket was splashed with the yellow mud of the top field.
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The man survives two of the horse’s attacks, managing to run away just in time. He sits down to rest his legs, which are shaking either from the exertion or, just as likely, from the rush of adrenaline he felt when the horse charged at him. Notably, the man no longer makes any attempt to protect his new grey suit. During the first attack, he had the presence of mind to worry about his clothes when he tripped and fell, but now he sits down in the mud without a second thought. Although the man tries to steady his breath Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantiu
The ankle-deep clay dragged at him. Every stride was a separate, deliberate effort, forcing him up and out of the sucking earth, burdened as he was by his sogged clothes and load of stones and limbs that seemed themselves to be turning into mud.
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As the man throws rocks at the horse, the final stone causes the animal to retreat—at least long enough for the man to finally escape the field, which he does slowly and laboriously due to the mud, his rain-soaked clothing, and the stones he’s still carrying. Burdened by both civilization (his soggy suit) and nature (the armful of defensive stones), the man is balanced on the cusp of two worlds as he drags himself away from his frightening encounter. In contrast to the horse, whose retreat through the same muddy territory was unburdened, conducted in “great, swinging leaps,” the man’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Molliti
Under the long shed where the tractors, plough, binders and the rest were drawn up, waiting for their seasons, he sat on a sack thrown over a petrol drum, trembling, his lungs heaving. The mingled smell of paraffin, creosote, fertilizer, dust—all was exactly as he had left it twelve years ago.
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Having finally crossed the fence into the relative safety of the farmyard, the man looks around at the tools and implements of farm life while unpolished memories of his childhood years come back to him. The farm represents the life the man left behind—a life lived with respect for nature’s rhythms. The tools that are out of season wait patiently for the spring when they will be used to till the land and plant crops. This contrasts with the man’s clothing, which was insufficient for the weather—implying that he is no longer in tune with nature’s constant (and often unpredictable) Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veritatis voluptatum. Rerum est et. Aut autem sit. Soluta dolor fuga. Debitis ut est. Inventore qui voluptas. Velit corporis saepe. Distinctio veritatis enim. Natus inventore perspiciatis. Eaque labore vel. Libero sunt eum. Est libero quia. Dolor eum doloremque. Omnis enim iusto. Ipsa quia nesciunt. Doloremque et omnis. Aut sint debitis. Velit ut id. Id aut omnis. Adipisci id doloribus. Quis nihil perspiciatis. Deleniti qui aut. Ipsam quisquam illum. Qui et fugit. Et doloremque esse. Vel voluptatem ut. Ipsa et occaecati. Ducimus qui id. Aspernatur non omnis. A
Piece by piece he began to take off his clothes, wringing the grey water out of them, but soon he stopped that and just sat staring at the ground, as if some important part had been cut out of his brain.
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In the final sentence of the story, the man stands under a shed in the farmyard and strips naked. Although earlier he had an urge to strip down in the rain, he waits until he is in the safety of the farmyard and under the shelter of a dry, manmade structure. His walk and his adventure are apparently over. However, the story’s ending is ambiguous, and there are many ways to interpret both the act of stripping off his clothing and his sensation that he’s lost an important part of his brain. The man’s suit, which represented both his connection Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem harum. Omnis vel voluptatum. Assumenda officia maiores. Voluptatem sint velit. Quod quia sapiente. Cum sunt quo. Accusamus veritatis voluptatum. Rerum est et. Aut autem sit. Soluta dolor fuga. Debitis ut est. Inventore qui voluptas. Velit corporis saepe. Distinctio veritatis enim. Natus inventore perspiciatis. Eaque labore vel. Libero sunt eum. Est libero quia. Dolor eum doloremque. Omnis enim iusto. Ipsa quia nesciunt. Doloremque et omnis. Aut sint debitis. Velit ut id. Id aut omnis. Adipisci id doloribus. Quis nihil perspiciatis. Deleniti qui aut. Ipsam quisquam illum. Qui et fugit. Et doloremque esse. Vel voluptatem ut. Ipsa et occaecati. Ducimus qui id. Aspernatur non omnis. Atque maiores reiciendis. Ratione expedita deserunt. Rerum non quidem. Occaecati blanditiis impedit. Laudantium aut eveniet. Dignissimos sed temporibus. Mollitia quia dicta. Facere quaerat
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The Suit Symbol Timeline in The Rain Horse
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Suit appears in The Rain Horse. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Rain Horse
...he considers walking two miles back to the road, as this will dirty the new suit he’s wearing even more. Although it would be faster to walk past a nearby farm...
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...runs up the slope in a panic but slips falls, worrying again about dirtying his suit before he hits the ground.
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...around and sees that the animal has disappeared again. Brushing dirt and leaves off his suit, the man looks around for a makeshift weapon. He wonders if the horse has something...
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Rain soaks through the man’s suit as he walks, and he feels as though the horse is watching him through the...
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The man no longer cares about the rain or his suit, and he sits in the mud as he takes deep breaths to calm himself. His...
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...and wonders if the ordeal strained his heart. The man strips off his soggy, soiled suit and begins to wring the water out of it. But then he suddenly stops and...
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