The Rocking Horse Winner Essay

In the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, by David Herbert Lawrence, there is this family, as the family wants to keep their economic status, the mom want’s to have money all the time. The Mom has a mental mindset of the family being rich, as she believes that she has money, but in reality, the family is not rich and they have no money as they are in debt. The mom is unhappy as the parent's marriage is unsatisfactory, the mom thought she was lucky before she got married to her husband, so she thinks that her husband gave her bad luck. Both parents have no luck. The mom does not like her own children. The mom tells his son Paul, that she and Dad have no luck. This short story has many secrets that various of the characters keep from one another. In “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, the theme is a Moral Obligation as Hester the mom does not like her kids and only her and the kids know, Paul keeps from his mom that him, uncle Oscar, and Bassett have been betting on horse races and that the “Rocking-Horse” gives Paul luck.

In both “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the authors take critical aim at two staples of mainstream values, materialism and tradition respectively. Both authors approach these themes through several different literary devices such as personification and symbolism; however, it is the authors' use of characterization that most develop their themes. We'll be taking a look at the parallel passages in the stories that advance their themes particularly when those passages involve both of the authors' subtle character descriptions, and why this method of character development is so powerful in conveying the authors' messages.

In Daniel P. Watkins journal entitled “Labor and Religion in D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking- Horse Winner,” ” he references the piece of the story where Paul’s mother has begun to take and utilize the money he has been making. Unbeknownst as to where it actually came from she simply accepts and inquires as to more and more money coming in. It is not utilized to better their situation but to again keep with appearances and advance social standing and status. “There were certain new furnishings, and Paul had a tutor. He was really going to Eton, his father’s school, in the following autumn. There were flowers in the winter, and a blossoming of the luxury Paul’s mother had been used to. And yet the voices in the house, behind the sprays of mimosa and

Hester tells Paul that luck is “what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich you may lose money. But if you’re lucky, you will always have money.” (236) This pushes Paul to desperately seek out luck so that his mother will be grateful for her life and provide her family with the love and affection that they so rightfully deserve. Paul believes his rocking horse is full of magical powers, which will help him achieve the luck he needs to gain his mother’s love. While Paul rides his rocking horse, the horse predicts the winning horse and ends up making Paul an appalling amount of money. Paul gives his winnings to his mother who squanders it on unnecessary materialistic things. He realizes that he must win more money to win his mother’s affections. He becomes mad and frantically searches for the next winner of the horse races. On Paul’s last ride to find the last winner of the horse race, he falls of the horse and eventually dies.

He realizes just like his father and his mother he is using drug and alcohol to cope with his pain is slowly killing them. Paul still didn’t know if he wants to live or die so he flirts with the idea of death, but he stops himself at the last second.

In “The Rocking Horse Winner” by D. H. Lawrence, an immense amount of attention is poured towards the focus of money. Today, who someone is depends drastically upon the amount of money they have. Sadly, money determines who you are before you even realize it. The same idea is developed into this story. An essay says, “While his father is a hard worker, he does not bring in enough money to satisfy the expensive tastes of the latter’s wife. Because of this, Paul’s mother resents her husband and makes it clear that she wants more monetary benefits out of life” (Pierce). Although she may not realize it, Paul’s mother is beginning to demand so much of her husband that it not only wears out her husband, but continually rubs off onto Paul. Paul becomes so bothered by the thought that his family has little to none money, and his only desire is to change that feeling for his family. He begins to realize that he wants nothing but money for his family so they can experience life in such a way that they are able to enjoy what they have and obtain more. As Paul is growing up amid such an issue, he begins to realize that no matter what he is doing, he is constantly being reminded that his family is destitute. “He was looking so extraordinarily foolish for no other reason but that he heard the secret whisper all over the house: “There must be more money” (Page 1248). Given the circumstances, everything that Paul did reminded him subtly about the family issue. Because of

Paul's father had abused him emotionally, and probably physically, throughout Paul's life. He did so much to Paul's flagging self-image that he had to boast to others to make himself feel big, when he felt tiny inside. When he finally achieved that "bigness" that he always wanted, the glamour of "the good life," his father found him out and took that away from him, or rather, made Paul give it up. This made Paul feel even smaller and made him feel that he would be better off dead. So Paul decided to make his life "better off" and

Another indication the relationship between Paul and his mother is not perfect is that the relationship is completely one sided. Paul consumes all of his time and energy into finding "luck" after his mother tells him, "'If you are lucky you have money'" (256). Paul knows that if he finds "luck" it will bring money which in return will bring happiness to his mother. Paul's "luck" is found when he rides his rocking horse and is sure of which horse to bet on. When his uncle asks what he is going to do with the money Paul unselfishly responds by saying, "' I started if for mother. She said she had no luck...so I thought if I was lucky, it might stop whispering'" (261). Even though he knows his mother doesn't care for him he still goes through all the trouble in trying to give her happiness. The one-sided relationship is shown again when Paul anonymously gives his mother "a birthday present of a thousand pounds for five successive years" (262). When his mother discovers her generous gift her face hardens and she becomes expressionless (263). She is not at all grateful for the gift, instead of wondering where the money came from she is more occupied with receiving the money all at once (263). Instead of being upset Paul is desperate to please her and "lets her have it [money]" (263). As a result of his mothers lack of maturity in raising a family Paul unintentionally assumes the

Obsessed with her “unluckiness,” she neglects her children who are constantly exposed to the cold, emptiness of their mother’s heart. She is unable to love anything but the money she cannot attain. Her oldest child, Paul, forced to deal with this bitter treatment the longest, becomes obsessed with money as well, but as an attempt to win the interest of his mother. “Absorbed, taking no heed of other people, he went about with a sort of stealth, seeking inwardly for luck” (Lawrence 483). He rides into a trance on his rocking horse until he is killed by this urgency to find a winner. He wants to be “lucky” so badly. He wants to be the best, something his mother and father believed they could never be. He needs the money so that his house will stop screaming and his mother will love him.

Paul desire his mother’s love more than anything. However he believes he needs to prove he is lucky. He struggles to prove that he is to make his mother happy. Paul wants his mother to love him more than anything. For Paul’s mother money equals luck, and this will gain her love. “There must be more money”(19). He hears these voices throughout the house. They hear these voices when hey are receiving items of joy, especially around Christmas time. The other children can hear the voices and so can the rocking horse Paul received. Even though they can hear the voices they do not say anything. This is due to the fact that every one is used to it so it would be like saying “we are breathing”(20). This led Paul to realizes that there family is in debt and he believes that in order for them to get out of this debt, he has to take action. This shows that he is willing to take the problem into his own hands because he believes that no one else can do anything about

Paul also hears the cry, "there must be more money" echoing through the house's walls (Lawrence 525). "Paul . . . takes upon himself the intolerable burden of attempting to solve mother's 'problem' . . . the lack of money" (Jinkins 88). He takes this challenge hoping to receive his mother's love in return. Instead Paul rides himself to his death because he is unable to meet his "devouring" mother's needs (Jinkins 89).

When Paul talks to his mother regarding luck, he instantly determines that he will dedicate his life towards the pursuit of luck. Although Paul is told he cannot be lucky since his parents are not lucky, Paul sets his goal and uses his circumstances to achieve this goal. Paul has an old rocking horse in his room, and is encouraged to bet on horse races by his uncle, Oscar Creswell, and his friend, Bassett. Since Paul is determined to become lucky, he uses his environment and event he has no control over to work at achieving his goal. By riding his rocking horse with a strict determination, Paul can discover which horse will win the upcoming races. This unnatural talent achieved Paul’s goal of becoming lucky, and only resulted because he utilized the circumstances he faced towards becoming lucky. If Paul followed the influence of society, he would not ride his rocking horse, but likely find a job so he can earn money and buy material goods. Thus, Paul achieved his goal in life because he was determined to use the situations he encountered to achieve his goal, instead of just following the influence of society.

I believe the story can connect with many different things I think would fit in the best the family have money to live a simple life but I just wanted to be better and have more than anyone else pleasant house for the garden and felt superior to anyone in the neighborhood Lawrence 560 people in your neighborhood thought that they were living a perfect life with the filament but nobody truly knew how things were in their home throughout the story the author points out many circumstances were the parents put money into things that were irrelevant. The most noticeable event was when Paul decided to give his mother five thousand pounds through the lawyer and for her to receive one thousand every year for her birthday. She decides to take all the money right away and in these few sentences the author shows us on what she spends it. "There were certain new furnishings, and Paul had a tutor. He was really going to Eton, his fathers school, in the following autumn. There were flowers in the winter, and a blossoming of the luxury Paul's mother had been used to." She furnished her home to make it look better and added some new touches. Every time something new appeared in the house the ghosts would get more angry and beg for more getting louder every time. This symbolizes that there was a lot of greed instead of satisfaction in the story.

had a strange glare to them...". The sad irony for Paul though was that money couldn't buy that happiness that he wanted his mother to have.

These said lines described the Puritan theme of ‘luck’ as Paul asked his mother, what luck is and mother replied she did not know God knows better and she further described that she got married with unlucky husband. His mother did not give proper reply about luck and that confused and frustrated him very much and this very phenomenon of luck made him compelled to know the reality of luck. He became restless to ascertain luck; he went to ride his rocking horse and while riding this wooden horse, his state of mind was entirely changed. He got down from the riding of rocking horse and he stood in front of the horse and commanded him “now take me to where there is luck” (p-737). The horse was a spiritual and supernatural symbol for him. Paul dwelled a supernatural elements while riding horse as he was seeking the meaning of luck. Luck had deep effect upon him as he came to know that due to bad luck his mother and family suffered a lot.