Symbolism of The Rocking-Horse
In the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, Paul uses his wooden rocking horse as a strange means of gaining “luck” so that he may be able to predict what racing horse will win first place in several different races. Paul’s wooden rocking-horse could be considered a symbol of luck, as Paul makes several correct predictions as a result of wildly riding his wooden horse; however, Paul’s rocking-horse can be better described as the source, or channel, of Paul’s madness- through his crazed rocking habits- as a result of Paul’s obsession with pursuing luck. He desires to earn as much money as it will take to silence the house’s constant whispering and mocking of his family and their situation of never having enough …show more content…
It is evident that the more and more Paul rocks like a wild-man on his rocking-horse, the madder he becomes, as described by his “blazing” blue eyes with “an uncanny cold fire in them”. Every bet he makes on the races drives him further and further over the edge, to an unhealthy state of mind. By the time the Derby comes about, he is a nervous wreck, therefore, he becomes physically unwell. Paul is convinced that he needs more money because the house’s whispering is taking a serious toll on his mental health. Because he “needs” more and more money after his mother continuously spends all of his and the family’s earnings on lavish materials, he becomes in a sense, greedier and greedier, wanting more money and more luck. This leads to Paul’s aggressive rocking on his wooden horse because he firmly believes that his rocking-horse is the secret in his lucky guesses in the races. However, these vigourous rides and greed for money and luck essentially becomes his downfall in the end of the story. The at first harmless rocking-horse becomes a device for self destruction later on in the story and serves as a symbol for Paul’s madness, false and …show more content…
Only to outsiders does she appears to love her family; but looks can be deceiving. The children live in a good home with everything they could ever want or need. However, the only thing they do not have is affection from their mother. Their mother cannot show any kind of love and cannot quit her spending habits, which later proves to hurt Paul. Instead of showing her children love, she buys them “splendid toys” and tutors, which the family does not have the money for. Because the mother does not show love or affection for Paul and keeps spending all the family’s money, Paul is driven into madness and into a physically ill state, trying to acquire luck so that he may be able to bring his mother enough money to silence the house’s constant whispering about the family’s lack of money. Paul was convinced, by talking with his mother, that luck was the only real way to earn money or become rich. The mother was more concerned with the whole business of her lacking luck and sufficient money that she didn’t realize what poisonous thoughts she had implanted into her son’s brain. In the end, Paul dies in an unhealthy pursuit of luck so that he may earn enough money from his bets on racing horses. The mother (although it's not very clear in the end if she finally loves her son) appears to finally show real concern for the boy when
In the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner”, Paul uses his wooden rocking horse as a strange means of gaining “luck” so that he may be able to predict what racing horse will win first place in several different races. Paul’s wooden rocking-horse could be considered a symbol of luck, as Paul makes several correct predictions as a result of wildly riding his wooden horse; however, Paul’s rocking-horse can be better described as the source, or channel, of Paul’s madness- through his crazed rocking habits- as a result of Paul’s obsession with pursuing luck. He desires to earn as much money as it will take to silence the house’s constant whispering and mocking of his family and their situation of never having enough …show more content…
It is evident that the more and more Paul rocks like a wild-man on his rocking-horse, the madder he becomes, as described by his “blazing” blue eyes with “an uncanny cold fire in them”. Every bet he makes on the races drives him further and further over the edge, to an unhealthy state of mind. By the time the Derby comes about, he is a nervous wreck, therefore, he becomes physically unwell. Paul is convinced that he needs more money because the house’s whispering is taking a serious toll on his mental health. Because he “needs” more and more money after his mother continuously spends all of his and the family’s earnings on lavish materials, he becomes in a sense, greedier and greedier, wanting more money and more luck. This leads to Paul’s aggressive rocking on his wooden horse because he firmly believes that his rocking-horse is the secret in his lucky guesses in the races. However, these vigourous rides and greed for money and luck essentially becomes his downfall in the end of the story. The at first harmless rocking-horse becomes a device for self destruction later on in the story and serves as a symbol for Paul’s madness, false and …show more content…
Only to outsiders does she appears to love her family; but looks can be deceiving. The children live in a good home with everything they could ever want or need. However, the only thing they do not have is affection from their mother. Their mother cannot show any kind of love and cannot quit her spending habits, which later proves to hurt Paul. Instead of showing her children love, she buys them “splendid toys” and tutors, which the family does not have the money for. Because the mother does not show love or affection for Paul and keeps spending all the family’s money, Paul is driven into madness and into a physically ill state, trying to acquire luck so that he may be able to bring his mother enough money to silence the house’s constant whispering about the family’s lack of money. Paul was convinced, by talking with his mother, that luck was the only real way to earn money or become rich. The mother was more concerned with the whole business of her lacking luck and sufficient money that she didn’t realize what poisonous thoughts she had implanted into her son’s brain. In the end, Paul dies in an unhealthy pursuit of luck so that he may earn enough money from his bets on racing horses. The mother (although it's not very clear in the end if she finally loves her son) appears to finally show real concern for the boy when