Rocking-House Winner, D.H. Lawrence

Essay by ante14221College, UndergraduateA, February 2004

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In the Rocking-House Winner, D.H. Lawrence uses the word lucky to describe the effects of money, greed, and selfishness. He is trying to show the reader just how blinding one's mind can be when dealing with topics like social status and family standards. A status symbol in society can be a good thing, but to people with un-trained minds like Paul, it resulted in a negative way. Lawrence writes this story with the intent to bring out different views on parents being a major impact on how children turn out. He starts with Paul's mother, a typical working mom trying to do her best for children. Hinting in the first paragraph about what the whole meaning of this story really is. "...hurriedly she must cover up some fault in herself." Lawrence gives the reader an idea that Hester truly doesn't love her children. The conversation about luck later on relates to this phrase said by her.

"Yet what it was that she must cover up, she never knew." The connection a child and parent have can be one of, if not, the biggest impact a child has when growing up. It was obvious throughout the story; social status was the main priority for Hester. Paul got the first taste of how his mother really thought about life when they talked about luck. This conversation was the turning point in the story. What if that conversation never happened? What if Hester would have said, "Paul, some people try day in and day out to make the most money they possibly can. But in the end, its all comes down to being a respectable man." Yet, she tells her only son that his father is unlucky and she married into an unlucky marriage. Why would you ever tell your only son...