Lexxus Stuart
AP English 4
Ms. Coleman 1st Period
2012 November 22
The relationship between a mother and son is commonly thought of as being a loving and
content one. However, in the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” by D. H Lawrence, Paul
and his mother Hester confuse those things with the pursuit of luck and money. “The RockingHorse Winner” is an examination of contemporary society. In his short story, D. H. Lawrence
depicts the annihilation of human values by an impractical obsession with money; which is
symbolized by Paul’s frenzied riding of his rocking horse that he believes makes him lucky, yet
ironically brings him to his death.
At the beginning of the story Paul has a conversation with his mother that implants the
theory in his mind that in order to gain her love and approval, he must be lucky. His mothers’
definition of being lucky is that “it’s what causes you to have money” (101), which is all she
truly longs for. She cannot disregard her obsession with money, even for the love of her own
children. Although she pretends to love them, she and the rest of her family know it is deeply
rooted in her “…that at the center of her heart was a little hard place that could not feel love, no,
not for anybody” (100). As of a result of Paul’s mothers greed, the family is living a life well
above their means. There were constant “ghost” whispers in the house that “there must be more
money” (101). This statement was repeated six times to demonstrate the persistence of the
ghosts and exemplify the relationship that exists between the ghosts cries for money and Paul’s
mother’s greed. Paul takes on the responsibility of attempting to rid his family of their financial
issues and restore their past happiness. This was meant to display how Paul’s encounters with
the supernatural powers of the “ghosts” and their desire for money ignites a sudden need in him
for luck which can only be fulfilled through his rocking horse and the luck it brings him. 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." (107). Lawrence attempted to criticize that people
are never truly satisfied no matter how much they receive, which is why Paul’s mother wanted
more money even after receiving the large amount from Paul.
Paul’s character overall is a victim of a capitalist society. Bassett and his Uncle Oscar
capitalize from Paul’s predictions, even when he is near death. His mother knew there was a
problem when she called the governess to the house, yet still protected Paul’s horse riding so that
he could tell her the name of the winning horse. After he passes due to his hysterical debilitated
state from anxiety due to his obsessed riding of his rocking horse, which symbolizes a getaway
where Paul can find the names of the winning horses, Paul’s Uncle Oscar attempts to console his
sister: “My God, Hester, you’re eighty-odd thousand to the good and a poor devil of a son to the
bad” (110). It is as if he were counting her blessings and burdens for her on an imaginary
scoreboard. Although she understood the circumstances, it is assumed that money still held top
priority over her first born and only deceased son because she knew he was in danger, yet
refused to intervene. She could still not relieve herself of her insatiable greed for money. Unlike
the other characters in the story, Paul’s pursuit of money was selfless; he wanted the wealth not
for himself, but for his mother. From his perspective, all he had to do was be lucky, luckier than
his father, and he would be able to win his mother’s love and attention. Ironically, the title of the
story is “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, yet he loses his life. Also, Paul’s final words are “I am
lucky” (110), which is ironic because he died as a result of the luck that he supposedly gained.
The theme of this story is easily identifiable: Greed destroys love, values, and sometimes,
life. Lawrence uses great symbolism and irony to make this short story effective.