Essay on D.H. Lawrences The Rocking-Horse Winner

D.H. Lawrences The Rocking-Horse Winner The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is a shockingly disturbing tale of materialism, wealth, and a mothers absent affection for her children. The family in the story is constantly lured by the sweet temptation of sin. Although the story doesnt directly speak about religion, it is obvious that the family is Christian from the references to Christmas (481) and to God (482). In this story, Lawrence depicts several of the most devious sins of mankind according to religious, particularly Christian, doctrine: greed, sexual deviance, and gambling. The theme of sin is subtly interwoven throughout the short tale by the representations and portrayals of these acts, and Lawrence also makes it†¦show more content†¦Even more, Paul thinks that without her excessive preoccupation with ?more money?, his mother may have more time to devote to her children, and perhaps be greedy instead for their attention. It is soon apparent that Paul is incorrect though: even after he funds his m other with money won from his luck in the horse races, her hunger for more remains. In fact, ?The voices in the house suddenly went mad, like a chorus of frogs on a spring evening?, worse now, chiming the motto that ?there must be more money! ? more than ever!? (488). In this story the sin of greed leads to the most dangerous consequence of all ? death. The mad chanting of the house eventually leads Paul himself to become mad, and right before the most important (and lucrative) horse race, the Derby, Paul?s quest to satisfy his mother?s greed kills him. Lawrence is showing the most extreme example of how being overly obsessed with material wealth can cause destructive results; but greed is merely one of the sins featured in this twisted tale. Paul?s method of becoming lucky is particularly interesting to the topic of sinful behavior. His means of discovering the names of the winners of upcoming horse races is ?a secret within a secret? (489), and indeed Paul doesn?t tell anyone until the very end, while on his deathbed: ?Paul?sShow MoreRelatedThe Pursuit of Luck in D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking Horse Winner910 Words   |  4 Pagesacceptance by others are now non-existent. On the contrary, people who have dedicated there life to a specific goal or cause may contradict society’s imposed customs, but will ultimately achieve their goal and have lasting success. In D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner†, Paul is determined to become lucky, and he initially pursues this goal instead of the materialism and greed of society. Thus, people who are determined to succeed in life must not follow society’s constraining and limiting influenceRead More Use of Tone to Create Mood in D .H. Lawrences The Rocking-Horse Winner1820 Words   |  8 Pages D. H. 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