"The Rocking Horse Winner"

Paper Summary:

In D. H. Lawrence's short story, "The Rocking Horse Winner," the main character, Paul's, identity is revealed through the presence of ghosts, coupled with his fantasy for luck and money, which ultimately leads his demise. This paper examines how Paul, a young boy, is determined to cure his family's financial troubles and rejuvenate their past happiness. It shows how Paul's encounters with the supernatural powers of the ghosts and their longing for money spark a sudden desire within him for luck, a desire that can only be fulfilled through his rocking horse and the luck it brings to him. It discusses how, in the end, Paul's good-hearted efforts and desire for a happy family life lead to an obsession so fierce that he loses his sanity in an attempt to satisfy is mother's need for wealth and social standing and to reach his fundamental goal of being lucky.

From the Paper:

"In "The Rocking Horse Winner," Paul and his family are tormented by the incessant taunting of ghosts in their house. In the opening column of the story, the phrase, "there must be more money"(Lawrence, 50) is repeated six times. This is done to show the persistence of the ghosts and to exemplify the parallel that exists between the ghosts cries for money and Paul's mother's greed. Even after Paul gives his mother five thousand dollars that he wins at the races the ghosts appear to be relentless; " Paul's mother touched the whole five thousand. Then something curious happened. The voices in the house suddenly went mad." (Lawrence, 54) Why did the voices go mad? One would tend to think that there would be a sense of satisfaction in the house, however, Paul's mother's heartless greed is so great that even the five thousand is not enough. At this point in the story Paul becomes frustrated and his desire for money begins to increase, frightening him. Paul begins to unleash his frustrations against the "whispering" by saying, "Our house. I hate our house for whispering." (Lawrence, 53) Here, Lawrence is manifesting the fact that Paul can no longer handle his mother's greed and he is beginning to hate her for it. Because of Paul's desire to satisfy his mother's greed, he becomes caught up in an intense fantasy to become lucky."

More papers on "The Rocking Horse Winner":

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• Analytical Essay # 46989 : "The Rocking-Horse Winner": A Critique"
• Analytical Essay # 53683 : "Hades in Toyland: D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse Winner"

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