Example research essay topic: Rocking Horse Winner Satisfy His Mother Money - 926 words

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The Unlucky Rocking Horse Winner In the short story, "The Rocking Horse Winner, " D. H. Lawrence shows how the bourgeoisie are miserable as a result of their hunger for money. The theme, materialism corrupts man, is portrayed throughout the story. It is apparent that Lawrence is complaining or criticizing the bourgeoisie lifestyle. Clearly, the mother and father want to present themselves as rich people to the rest of society.

This need for acceptance by the mother is shown when Lawrence states, "Only she herself knew that at the center of her heart was a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody. Everybody else said of her: 'She is such a good mother. She adores her children. ' Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. They read it in each other's eyes" (Lawrence 75). Since they do not have enough money to keep this facade alive, they become miserable in their search for more money. Greed plays into this family's lifestyle because they are constantly wanting more; no amount of money is good enough for them, especially the mother.

In a review written by James B. Scott, literary strategies are the main focus when it comes to critiquing Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse Winner. " Money is the big issue in this story, for the mother of a young boy named Paul is extremely preoccupied with her need for it. Scott shows how Lawrence's imagery links the mother's materialistic personality to certain literary concepts. Since the mother is not happy unless she has money, Lawrence continuously describes her as cold and stone-like. He does this by stating several times in the story, "her voice [was] cold and absent, "the center of her heart [went] hard, "her face hardened" (Scott 176). Later on in the story, the mother is described as heart-frozen.

According to Scott, Lawrence shows how "the obsession with material gain gives rise to a petrifaction or glaciation of the heart" (Scott 176). Scott claims that the mother is so cold because of the lack of money in the household. Although the family is not considered poor economically, they are poor in a more important way. They are poor in love for one another.

I agree with Scott's opinions when it comes to his ideas of how Lawrence links certain aspects of the mother's personality to being stone-like. There are constant references to Paul's mother and her lack of emotion which leaves her distraught and cold. It is obvious that she readily brushes off anything that her children say because when Paul tries to figure out what luck is, he explains to his mother that he is indeed lucky. Of course Paul's mother did not pay any attention to her son, which "angered him somewhat, and made him want to compel her attention" (Lawrence 77).

Concluding his argument, Scott claims that "in this story his irony is bitter: money, like an opiate drug, breeds an ever-increasing need, and the more this need is gratified, the more it engenders sterility and barrenness" (Scott, 176). I see where Scott acquires this idea, however, I do not agree with it altogether. In many ways, money can be like a drug because people are always trying to attain more and more of it, but money does not always constitute sterility and barrenness. Plenty of people in this world have a great deal of money and are happy with their lives. In the end, Scott relays his views exceptionally well, and he makes some great points. Irony plays an important role throughout this story.

Greg McDade explains his ideas on how irony is so visible during the tale. He says that Lawrence's use of a "rocking horse is ironic because his mother does not believe Paul is lucky and discourages his rocking. He is never able to satisfy his mother" (McDade 3). As it was mentioned before, there is a point early on in the story where Paul tells his mother that he is lucky. This is also ironic because the boy states this in the beginning of the story, however in the end, he dies which renders him unlucky.

As the family becomes more greedy, voices are whispered throughout the house. The voice constantly says "There must be more money" which affects every character in the home. Even the children feel the pressure and the tension that is created by the whispering voice in the walls. This supernatural element is "a symbol for the mother's greed" (McDade 5). McDade goes on to describe how the mother's greed takes over Paul's life. He explains, "He is never able to satisfy his mother, he never keeps any of the money he wins...

Paul finds that the more he gives, the more his mother needs until her desires consume his very existence" (McDade 6). Because of this greed, the situation with the money in the household does not make things any better, it makes them ultimately worse. I agree with everything that McDade says in his review. Money is not everything in this world. In the end, Paul's winnings never satisfy his mother's greed, therefore, she destroys any sense of his real personal worth (McDade 9). Self destruction is the final stage in this unloving story.

The hunger for money breaks down the family and literally destroys Paul. It is sad that Paul dies in the end, but I think that the mother may turn around as a result of his death, and see that she should value family more than money. Bibliography:

Research essay sample on Rocking Horse Winner Satisfy His Mother Money