D H Lawrence's Rocking Horse Winner Theme Essay Example

In the “Rocking Horse Winner,” D. H. Lawrence explores the greed in humans and the extremities people will go to please others. The opening line, “there was a woman who was beautiful...” is very similar to many opening sentences in fairy tales. This is how D. H. Lawrence uses tradition to tell his story and gives the reader the sense of a fable, especially when he uses supernatural gifts like Paul’s seeing the winning Horse.

D. H. Lawrence’s characters are symbols of Love and the lack there-of. The mother represents the lack of love and the overflowing pool of greed that lies in the pit of all human hearts. Paul, the son, is the contrasting character. He is a good person who loves, and is generous. Paul is the beauty of all that fills human hearts. Paul and his mother are so different that it allows the reader to clearly see the greed that is human, versus the ability to love and please others. With these two characters D. H. Lawrence uses contrast to generate his meaning.

The rocking horse that belongs to Paul is the symbol as well. D. H. Lawrence uses the rocking horse as a representation of how the mother takes and Paul gives. The motion of a rocking horse, tilting Forwards and then backwards exemplifies how Paul gives and the mother takes. When finally Paul has given so much to his mother, and she takes it once again and spends it all at once, it is comparable to going too far forward on a rocking horse and almost falling off. Paul stops seeing who will win the race. When his mother is unhappy and Paul’s need to please her again makes him ill. This creates the last rocking movement where Paul’s gives his life to try and make his mother happy.

D. H. Lawrence recognizes the truth behind greed and how, if you are a person filled with greed you will never be content. The voices in the house express just that. No matter how much money the voices always continue. D. H. Lawrence also ventures into how some people are so good, that they ruin their own