Within
The Sport of Kings C.E. Morgan tightly intertwines horse and man. The two are
an inseparable pair, from the track to the paddock, even in their spirit.
Throughout the story horses often parallel other characters. The most evident
parallel is between Henrietta and Seconds Flatt.
Henrietta
embodies Seconds Flat most in her spirit. They are both surmised easily by
saying “Always interesting when a girl doesn’t know her place” (Morgan 164).
Henrietta and Seconds Flat are both headstrong and independent; initially
fighting against what Henry wants for them, but eventually being broken into
compliance. Henrietta resists the schooling her father chooses for her, revolting
in her own small way by choosing her desired subjects of study, while Seconds
Flat resisted the bit, resisted a rider, and resisted the gate. Both females
are strong-willed and even in their compliance, as they maintain one rebellious
habit. Seconds Flat remains rebellious is her gate breaking, gangly and awkward
in her leaping from the start. Henrietta maintains rebellious through her
copious sexual encounters.
Not
only does Henrietta mirror Seconds Flat in personality, but the two also have
parallel stories. Seconds Flat and Henrietta both start as disappointments to
Henry because they are females. Their gender disappoints Henry in both cases
because he was hoping for males to bring him glory. Henry wished that Seconds
Flat had been a colt because they are stronger than fillies, and a good colt
would bring him fame and wealth. Henrietta’s gender is a disappointment to her
father because a female cannot carry on the family name and his legacy. Their
stories remain intertwined later in life as well. Henry chooses Seconds Flat's
mate and prays for a colt. When her foal arrives, Henry is once again let down
when she also has a filly. Although he is shocked, his surprise wears off and
he recognizes her filly, Hellsmouth for the physical wonder she is. Similarly,
Henrietta becomes pregnant, and Henry has high hopes that the baby is his but
is shell-shocked when Henrietta gives birth to a black baby. Once again, Henry
is aghast, but his horror soon melts into love for this baby, his last
surviving relative. Although Henry is originally disappointed by both mothers’
genders, he is greatly rewarded because he later recognizes that the heart
passes through the mother’s bloodline, which is applied literally in the case
of Seconds Flat passing on her large heart to her foal, and metaphorically in
the case of Henrietta passing on the heart or the legacy of the family on
through Samuel the last of Henry line. These parallels show the entwinement
between horses and humans is much deeper than seen on the surface.
Not only do Henrietta and Seconds Flat’s stories intertwine, but there is also a sense of irony in the way their stories turn out. When Seconds Flat gives birth to Hellsmouth, Henry tells Lou to “bring that foal out at any cost […] I’d rather lose the mare than the foal” (308). While Seconds Flat is in distress during the birthing, she comes out unscathed. Henrietta on the other hand, is in labor for three days without realizing and has several complications that result in her death. This time, Henry isn’t disappointed in the fact that the offspring is female, but rather that the baby is black and is Allmon’s son rather than his own. I would also go so far as to compare his Henry’s grandson Samuel to Hellsmouth. Henry breeded Hellsmouth in search of the perfect genetic makeup in a horse, and Samuel is described as “perfect” throughout the rest of the novel. But Henry doesn’t feel the same way at first; his thoughts were that “this was his… grandson? God, how he wanted to hate him!” – especially because he had been the reason for Henrietta’s death (404). Henry does feel love for his grandson, though. He cares for and puts Samuel’s needs above everything that was previously of so much importance to him “in Louisville – the parties, the glad-handing, the carousing that would precede the running of the race” (469). He does the same for Hellsmouth; he understands that even though she’s injured, she will race no matter what, and when it comes down to her health, Henry decides that he’d rather pull her from racing altogether than watch Mack break her (505).
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