This tragic story by D. H. Lawrence is about a boy whose parents seem more interested in their social position than their children. The only adults who have time for the boy are an uncle and the family’s young gardener, both of whom are passionate followers of horseracing. The boy desperately wants his mother’s love and approval. As she is constantly complaining about not having enough money, he comes up with an unusual approach to winning some by betting on the races. Themes include family/parental responsibility, materialism and appearances, greed, selfishness, “luck” vs. hard work.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (5,400 words)
General Comments
The Rocking-Horse Winner can be looked at on a number of levels. At the most basic level, it is a story of a boy (Paul) searching for identity and love, whose death teaches his mother that family should always come before material things. However, it seems highly unlikely that D.H. Lawrence would write a story with such a simple message. He is recognized as one of the first modern writers to explore human nature through psychological insight and sexual descriptions. Many critics have suggested that Paul is described as if suffering from an Oedipus complex. In psychology, this is a sexual desire that a child (especially a boy) feels toward the parent of the opposite sex along with jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex. It is further suggested that, as Paul is entering puberty, riding his rocking-horse could be symbolism for acts of masturbation.
Video Versions
1977 Short Film: This film adaption of the story is part of the Classics Dark and Dangerous series produced by Learning Corporation of America. Although supposedly designed as a learning tool for students studying the story, it has too many minor variations from the original plot for my liking. Watch and enjoy!
1949 Movie: This is an early full-length movie version of the story. Watch and enjoy!