“The Rocking Horse Winner” Reading Questions
1. List two things that are revealed in the first paragraph of the story.
2. What is the situation that the family is in at the beginning of the story? What are
they doing about it? How does the setting reflect what is going on?
3. According to the mother, what is luck? Is the family lucky?
4. What is so special about Paul’s rocking horse?
5. What is the deal Paul makes with Bassett and Uncle Oscar?
6. How much does Paul make at the track on his first visit? What does he do with
the money?
7. Explain the letter from the lawyer. How does the mother react to it? How does
Paul react?
8. What happened to the voices in the house once Paul’s mother received the
money?
9. What happens to Paul once his mother receives the money?
10. By the end of the story, would you say that Paul is lucky? Explain your answer.