The Rocking Horse Winner

“Once upon a time…” the protagonist is introduced helpless and struggling to surpass the antagonist. The antagonist, or the villain’s, objective is one of cruel intentions. The moral of the story forms our current culture, “kindness is the key,” “you are never truly alone,” and “respect others.” The attention is drawn to the perfection of the protagonist even in hardship, when handling themselves effortlessly. These characteristics give the audience a chance to recognize a true poster child. The protagonist’s objective, struggle, and antagonist differ from story to story, but “the happily ever after,” tends to be inevitable, most of the time. Society has been strangely drawn to success, love, and good fortunes, falling on their lap. Hardship …show more content…
Lawrence employs symbolism to develop the idea that love and happiness, can be shattered by the root of all evil, money, greed, and selfishness. Hester, Paul’s mother, becomes malcontented with her marriage after her husband falls short, lacking enough money to support the elegant lifestyle that she feels she deserves. After Paul receives a rocking horse one Christmas, he rides it often and develops an outlandish intuitive power that enables him to foresee the victors of the upcoming races. At the racetracks, with his dead on predictions, he wins thousands of pounds that he sets the winnings aside to cover the costs of his mother’s debts. Paul’s rocking horse and the whispering of the house represent his evident need for love. In her fixation with material things, Hester’s avarice and negligence to provide the youngsters with the devotion and benevolence they require to develop into normal, mentally stable …show more content…
The She feels that her children are a burden to her, not yet lavish, lifestyle and values riches more than her own flesh and blood. She is entirely consumed by greed and can only feel passion for a cornucopia of money, becoming her substitution for love. Paul knows that his mother does not love him or his sisters, she is incapable of warmth and affection even though she outwardly shows affection and illuminates her misleading actions in her attempts of being a nurturing mother, which shows her failed attempt at deception. Her constant need for money, to sustain her costly position in society, and endless debts place Hester in financial trouble. Although her wish for money is granted, wealth comes at a permanent cost. Superficially, Hester is worried when Paul falls ill, but she cannot recognize that her own actions greatly contributed to Paul’s death. She remains by his bedside, she never expresses her feelings for him. She allows Paul to pass away without telling him that he is loved, shaping his feelings of neglect and detachment from his mother, due to her greater interest in Paul’s