Analysis of the Winning Horse - the Rocking Horse Winner

The Rocking Horse Winner

The Rocking Horse Winner is a short story by D.H. Lawrence about a young boy, Paul, and how he tries to find luck in order to please his mother and ultimately win her love. His mother loves expensive things and has an obsession with money. She always wants more money and blames her husband for not having enough. She takes care of her children, but it is evident that she does not love them. Paul ends up finding his luck in horse racing and makes thousands of pounds of which he anonymously gives the majority to his mother. Alongside his uncle, Oscar, and the gardener, Bassette, Paul picks the winning horses. His talent makes him a lot of money, but it also costs him his life. Lawrence does an excellent job in making this story an emotional writing. Emotional stories are very popular because people like being able to relate to the stories.

In the story, money plays a huge role. The phrase "there must be more money" is phrase most people can relate to. One of our priorities is to make money. Even though Hester already has enough money and is financially stable, her expensive life style demands more money than what her husband and she make. People can also relate to Hester and her obsession with money and spending it. There are many people who spend their money on stuff they can't afford. Credit card debt in the United States is ridiculous. It is not uncommon for people to be in similar situations such as Paul's mom finds herself. Aside from her thirst for money, Hester is also in an unhappy marriage with a man whom she blames for her predicament. Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. There are also a lot of people who do not get divorced, but stay with their spouses in an unhappy marriage. Many people can relate to Hester's position of being in an unhappy marriage.

Paul is the only boy out of three children. The two sisters have each other to play with unlike Paul who is by himself. Even when he is with his sisters, they do not play with each other and the sisters think he is weird. Along with this lack of friendship, his mother does not show that she loves him. His sisters, but especially his mother neglect him. Several people have suffered from neglect from family, friends, and society and can definitely relate to Paul. This neglect leads him to find an alternative to gain his mother's interest and love. A similar example can be women who stay in abusive relationships or children who act up in order to have their parents notice them. A very important detail in the story is Paul's rocking horse. Not only is the horse the source of Paul's ability to know the winners of each race, but the horse symbolized his freedom. When Paul is on his horse he blocks out everyone else and finds peace and comfort. As he grew up, Paul made sure not to dispose of his horse. Some people