"The Rocking Horse Winner"

Essay by enerfaxHigh School, 12th gradeA+, February 2004

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"The Rocking Horse Winner"

Paul's mother in "The Rocking Horse Winner" is a cold, unloving parent who is extravagant and materialistic.

"The Rocking Horse Winner" is a short story written in the 20th century by D.H. Lawrence. One of its outstanding elements is the vivid characterization of Paul and his mother. Paul's mother in "The Rocking Horse Winner" is a cold, unloving parent who is extravagant and materialistic.

The cold and unloving quality of the mother is demonstrated clearly by Lawrence. This cold and uncaring personality of Paul's mother is presented early in the story. Lawrence writes, "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." This statement brings out that Paul's mother shows no love for any of her children. She gives them beautiful toys instead of love. Lawrence suggests the reason for her hard heart in another statement.

He writes, "She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them." Her disdain for her children comes from jealousy. She is jealous of what she feels they took from her. She believes the children being thrust upon her has caused her into her miserable life. This picture of an unloving parent is presented early in the story. This gives the reader the ability to notice her cold and unnurturing personality through out the story.

Also, Paul's mother is extremely extravagant in her way of live. The extravagance of Paul's mother is shown in the descriptive phrases of D. H. Lawrence. He shows this extravagant side both before and after she receives the 5,000-pound birthday present. In the beginning of the story, D. H. Lawrence writes, "They lived in a...