Summary: An analysis on D.H. Lawrence's "Rocking Horse Winner." Specifically, discusses how through the characterization, symbolism, and language of the short story, Lawrence successfully creates a materialistic image.
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I. Written in 1933, D.H. Lawrence's short story "The Rocking Horse Winner" illustrates the consumptive nature of materialism. Through the use of characterization and symbolism, the author successfully portrays a greedy and cold hearted mother, Hester to convey to the readers that materialism isolates one from love, and ultimately leads to destruction.
II.To begin with, the author depics Hester's coldness and inability to love anybody except herself. "She married for love, and the love turned to dust. She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them." Lawrence asserts that because Hester is dissatisfied with her life, she becomes preoccupied with searching for material comfort. However, "The failure made deep lines come into her face", and gradually turns the center of her heart into "a hard little place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody."
D. H. Lawrence, world famed author (1906)
English: D H Lawrence Birthplace Museum, Eastwood,...
The Rocking Horse Winner (film)She is so concerned with herself that she pays no attention to her children, and is unable to create a healthy relationship with them. Hester describes her husband as an "unlucky husband". With this expression, it is easy to see that Hester does not love her husband, and blames him for his incapability of making money. Lawrence uses this phrase to demonstrate Hester's inability to love, and imply that her cravings for money is what turns her love to "dust" and causes the failure of her marriage. Through the descriptions of Hester's attitudes towards her husband and children, Lawrence paints a vivid image of a neglectful wife and mother, and states that dissatisfaction and excessive materialistic desires are the cause of...