The Rocking-Horse Winner Questions on Paul
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Analyzing "The Rocking-Horse Winner" through Marxist and feminist lenses
Analyzing "The Rocking-Horse Winner" through a Marxist lens reveals themes of class struggle and the destructive nature of materialism, as the family’s pursuit of wealth leads to tragedy. From a...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
The cause and significance of Paul's death in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
Paul's death in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is caused by his obsessive quest to predict race winners to earn money for his greedy mother. This obsession leads to physical exhaustion and a fatal fever....
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Symbolism and Themes in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the rocking horse symbolizes multiple themes including childhood, anxiety, and the futility of seeking love and wealth. It represents Paul's desperate...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking Horse Winner", what does the symbolism of the eyes represent?
Paul’s eyes represent his dreams, his passion and the futility of his attempts to get luck for his mother. The truth about Hester is in her eyes. When Paul tries to find luck, after his mother tells...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What is Paul's "secret within a secret" in "The Rocking Horse Winner"?
You are correct in your assumption here. Clearly in the tale there are two secrets going on - the more overt, clearly narrated one about Paul and his betting with Basset and Uncle Oscar, but then...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's confusion about the concept of luck and its relationship to money, as defined by his mother, in "The...
Paul's confusion about luck and its relationship to money stems from his mother's definition. She equates luck with financial success, implying that being lucky means having money. This perspective...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul and His Mother's Relationship and Characteristics in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul is a well-meaning child driven by a desire to earn his mother's love through financial success, which he equates with luck. His mother, Hester, is cold and...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Fairy tale elements and their contribution to the story's purpose in "The Rocking-Horse Winner."
Fairy tale elements in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" include the use of a magical toy, the personification of luck, and a moral lesson. These elements contribute to the story's purpose by highlighting...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Narrative Elements and Irony in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
"The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence is set in 1920s England and follows young Paul, who seeks his mother's love by using a rocking horse to predict horse race winners. The story explores...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What is the irony in the brother's last statement to Hester in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
The irony of the statement is that the uncle implies Paul is better off dead. The uncle realized Paul was mad and believes that the boy has been released from his agony. This reinforces the theme...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," what secrets do each character and the house hide?
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul thinks his wooden horse with no name allows him to predict the winners of horse races. He believes that if he can make the rocking-horse gallop, it will win the...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What does the description of Paul's eyes in "The Rocking Horse Winner" reveal about him?
The first description is "The boy watched her with unsure eyes" which indicates that he is thoughtful, ponderous. Most of the descriptions are: "His eyes had a strange glare", "big blue...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What's the purpose of religious references in Paul and Uncle Oscar's discussion in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
There are references to religion itself but these occur in discussions between Bassett and Uncle Oscar. After Oscar first discovers that Paul is interested in horse racing, Bassett tells him that...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's response to the house's whispers and his efforts to change his family's luck in "The Rocking-Horse Winner."
Paul responds to the house's whispers by obsessively riding his rocking horse to predict winning horses in races, believing this will change his family's luck. His intense efforts stem from a desire...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's partnership and deal with Bassett and Uncle Oscar in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul partners with Bassett and Uncle Oscar to place bets on horse races. Paul provides winning predictions, Bassett places the bets, and Uncle Oscar funds them. They...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What are D.H. Lawrence's comments on parenting in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
What are Lawrence's comments on parenting in the Rocking-Horse Winner? The parents are shallow, petty, and cold. They don't love their children and they don't show it.
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Paul's initiation into horse betting in "The Rocking-Horse Winner."
Paul's initiation into horse betting begins when he starts riding his rocking-horse to predict the winners of horse races. His Uncle Oscar and the family gardener, Bassett, become involved after...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's Birthday Gift and Its Impact on His Mother's Problems in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul gives his mother £5,000 in installments as a birthday gift, hoping to alleviate her financial woes. However, his mother's greed and obsession with...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Symbolism and Significance of Whispering in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the whispering symbolizes the insatiable greed and materialism of Paul's mother, reflecting the family's constant need for more money. The whispering...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's Response to Stress in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul is a young boy who internalizes the stress of his family's financial struggles, driven by his mother's obsession with wealth. Unlike typical...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Why does Lawrence repeat the "blue stones" image when describing Paul's eyes in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Lawrence uses the image of “blue stones” when describing Paul's eyes only once in the story. However, he does refer to their blue color on a number of occasions. He...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Why doesn't Paul share his rocking horse secret with Bassett or Uncle Oscar?
Paul likely avoids telling the secret of his rocking horse so that he can be sure to continue to make money by gambling. He fears that if his mother knew about the horse or his winnings, she would...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," why doesn't Paul want his mother to know he's lucky?
No direct reason is supplied for Paul's reluctance to let his mother know about his "luck." Paul says that if his mother knew "She'd stop me," and this perhaps reflects the way that Paul is gaining...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's Obsession with Luck and Horse Racing in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul's obsession with horse racing stems from his desire to win his mother's love by proving himself lucky, as she equates luck with wealth. Haunted by the whispering...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Greed, innocence, and motivations in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence
In D.H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner," greed is a central theme that corrupts innocence and leads to tragic consequences. Paul, a young boy with a gift for predicting horse race winners, is...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking Horse Winner," how does the boy's misunderstanding of "filthy lucre" reveal the mother's thoughts and...
Paul misunderstands what his uncle has said: although he hears the words "filthy lucker," the expression is "filthy lucre." Lucre means monetary reward or gain. "Oh ! " said Paul...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Is the mother or another character most responsible for the boy's death in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
"The Rocking Horse Winner" clearly criticises the form of absent parenting modelled by Paul's mother in this short story. It is also a diatribe against unyielding materialism and a desire for...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Paul's determination and character development in "The Rocking-Horse Winner."
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," Paul's determination is driven by his desire to gain his mother's approval and secure the family's financial stability. His character develops from an innocent child to...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Which character in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" do you find most interesting and why?
This question is very subjective, meaning that it is asking for your opinion. Only you can answer a question like this because only you know how you feel and what you think. I can give you my...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Which quote in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" describes Paul's thoughts and feelings?
In a book which has become something of a minor classic, Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories, editors James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny have compiled a collection of short stories...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What motivates each character in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" to acquire money?
Bassett's motivation for acquiring money is a normal, rational desire to get ahead financially in the world; Uncle Oscar's motivation is frenzy and greed.
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What are writs and their importance in "The Rocking Horse Winner"?
Writs are usually legal documents issued by the courts, mandating some sort of behavior from a person. In "The Rocking Horse Winner," the family is always short on money, and yet they live a...
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In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," what causes anxiety in Paul's house?
The idea that fills the inhabitants of the house is that there is never enough money. For the mother money is an end in itself; by contrast, Paul hopes that enough money will finally satisfy his...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What kind of child is Paul and what kind of person is his mother in "The Rocking Horse Winner"? How does she differ...
Paul can be described as earnest, eager to please, haunted, and mature for his age. His main motivations are to win his mother's love by being lucky (which, to him, means earning money), and...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence, who are the protagonist and the antagonist?
The protagonist is Paul, the little boy. He is striving to, through the riding of his rocking-horse, win the affections of his cold and distant mother. We can't help but relate to that...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," why does Paul's mother feel her heart has turned to stone as he dies?
Lawrence originally wrote this story about a friend of his and her obsession with money and greed. One wonders whether she remained his friend after reading this story. The reason why Paul's mother...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What does Paul do to alleviate his mother's worry about their family's debt?
Hester's ambition for her son is that he becomes a success in the world, which she believes can only be accomplished if he acquires wealth. She knows that Paul's natural inclination is to follow in...
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How does parental influence affect Paul in "The Rocking Horse Winner"?
The answer to the question is that Paul's mother loves material goods, not her children, and that she has a need for social prestige. When Paul tries to give her what she wants in order to gain some...
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In "The Rocking-Horse Winner," why is the rocking horse's secret revealed at the end?
The secret of the rocking horse is not revealed to Pauls' mother until the end of the story because she probably would have found it as strange as the reader. However, the reader is given many...
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What effect does the mention of Paul's eyes have in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" and why did the writer choose it?
The description of Paul's eyes progress from innocence to madness. The author uses adjectives like unsure, glaring, fiery, wild-eyed, and blue stones. These adjectives go from a pure...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
Does Paul possess extrasensory perception (ESP) in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
D. H. Lawrence seems, as a prelude to describing how Paul is able to pick winning horses by riding his rocking-horse, to be suggesting that all children possess extrasensory perception. Paul and...
The Rocking-Horse Winner
What's ironic about Paul's mother finally loving him in "The Rocking-Horse Winner"?
Actually, Paul's mother never is able to love him, even when he is on his deathbed. She does rush "to gather him up" in "tormented motherhood" when he falls from his rocking horse. She sits with...
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In "The Rocking Horse Winner", what does Paul mean by "gets there"?
In this story, little Paul is hopelessly striving to, through helping his mother get money, win her affection and love, and to help his entire household to be happy in order to quiet the voices...