The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton - Essay Example

The reader immediately learns of Alfred's thoughts toward the woman, as "even as the woman pitied him/ So did he pity her (77-78). He knows that she has not had an easy life and that "no kind thing shall come to her," (82) even though she lives her life the right way. He goes on to question why God would do this to his people, when other people live life under much easier conditions. This shows Alfred's sympathy for the poor, since he does not believe that anyone should have to live under the conditions of the woman, even though his life has gone much better than the woman's has.

The reader gets the sense that Alfred wishes everyone could have the money to live life in a more comfortable environment, although he recognizes that even Jesus did not have an easy life on Earth. Alfred questions the woman’s purpose for being on the Earth, since she could not possibly enjoy her life, since nothing good can happen to her until "God shall turn the world over/ And all the last are first" (83-84). He then realizes, however, that God was a servant for all of humankind. God created humankind in its present form, with a skull and ribs to keep our vital organs safe.

The shows the humility of Kind Alfred, since he realizes that God created in a way that allows him to survive. He alludes to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during this passage and gives him credit for his own ability to rise each morning and live the life that he has. This behavior is different from what readers have come to expect from those in power., since they seem to spend most of their time justifying their own negative actions, rather than standing up for the poor. Although Alfred feels bad for the woman, he does not involve himself in her affairs.

He knows that God has a plan for everyone and that he should "let her business be" (163). This shows humility in Alfred because he realizes that just because she does not have the same life as him does not mean that she does not like her life. Shortly thereafter, Alfred allows the woman's cakes to burn in the fire, even though he had promised to watch them for her. She then strikes him with one of the cakes, burning his face. This teaches him even more humility because even though he felt so sorry for this woman and was unaware of her purpose on this Earth, she could inflict this permanent damage on a king.

Although this surprised him, he would later laugh about it because it shows that just because someone does not have the same advantages in life does not mean that the person cannot do human things like inflict pain upon another. Alfred’s interactions with this woman tell the reader a great deal about his personality. He is not the type of king that rules with an iron fist and does not care about other people. He feels a connection with all of humanity and appreciates that God created everyone for a purpose.

He also learns that he should not feel sorry for the woman in this story, since she clearly does not feel sorry for herself. Most readers would assume that a king has a superior life to an old woman living in the woods, but this shows that life is what you make of it, rather than how it appears on the surface. His remains sympathetic to the poor throughout this passage, but he realizes that we are all servants in some way and that just because