The rocking horse can be said to symbolize childhood, for one thing Nobody but a small child could ride a rocking horse without breaking it It can also be said to symbolize an interest in horses and horse-racing It certainly symbolizes or represents Paul’s anxiety
What might the boy’s furious riding of the Rocking Horse symbolize?
Symbolically, the boys’ furious riding represents the vain, endless desire for more money and material possessions that some people pursue When Paul is riding his rocking horse, he is completely focused and has an intense gaze as he rocks faster and faster
What is so special about Paul’s rocking horse?
The horse does indeed bring him luck When Paul rides the rocking horse, he is able to predict the winning horse in upcoming horse races Paul’s secret of secrets was his wooden horse, that which had no name Paul, Oscar, and Bassett use this “lucky” skill of Paul’s to win money by betting on horse races
What is the rocking horse a metaphor for?
The rocking-horse is a metaphor for people’s assumption that wealth will solve problems and fix lives
What does the rocking horse symbolize quizlet?
The rocking horse symbolizes real horses, which sometimes gave him luck When Paul would ride his horse for long periods of time he became “nearly hypnotized”, where he is able to determine what horse is going to win the next big horse race (Magill Book Reviews)
What does horse racing symbolize in the rocking horse winner?
The rocking horse can be said to symbolize childhood, for one thing Nobody but a small child could ride a rocking horse without breaking it It can also be said to symbolize an interest in horses and horse-racing It certainly symbolizes or represents Paul’s anxiety
What is the whispering and what does it symbolize in the rocking horse winner?
Hester, Paul’s rocking horse and the whispering of the house represent greed, selfishness, and love They also reveal the character’s real feelings and thoughts of neglect, detachment, greed and selfishness These symbols convey a theme and make the characters in the short story
What does Paul mean when he says he must ride until he gets there?
He usually has to ride and ride until he gets the name; so perhaps he is riding towards some destination where the name is given to him Unfortunately, “getting there” is, in the end, what kills him All of it was done in the fruitless attept to win happiness and affection through money and luck
Why does Bassett keep Paul secret?
Who is Bassett Why does he keep Paul’s secret? He keeps Paul’s secret because of the relationship of mutual respect which he has developed with the boy, and also because of his keen awareness of his place as a servant in Paul’s family Bassett is the only adult in the story who treats Paul with respect
What is Paul’s confusion about the word luck?
She did not love her kids, she loved money If you have lots of money then you have luck What is Paul’s confusion about the word luck He thought a person was born lucky
What is the irony in The Rocking-Horse Winner?
The irony is that, in a sense, Paul’s mother has been gambling too, without knowing that she is, and that the resultant damage takes Paul’s life before he can grow up
Why does Lawrence repeat the image of blue stones when describing Paul’s eyes?
In “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” Lawrence uses the image of “blue stones” when describing Paul’s eyes only once in the story However, he does refer to their blue color on a number of occasions He does this to emphasize Paul’s innocence, which tragically leads to his death
What is the theme of The Rocking-Horse Winner?
The main themes in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” are materialism, happiness, and generosity Materialism: Lawrence suggests that materialism and love are incompatible Hester is so focused on her own perceived sufferings that she fails to be an effective mother to Paul
Why does Paul bet on horses in the story?
Paul starts betting on the horses because he senses a fundamental lack in his house, a missing thing The house’s whispering of “there must be more money” is a kind of subconscious expression of another lack—his mother’s love
Why is Paul obsessed with horse racing?
Paul becomes obsessed with horseracing through a desire to please his mother For him, horseracing is not about winning money—it is about winning his mother’s love His mother, Hester, believes that the key to happiness is luck, because luck brings you money
How does Paul pick winning horses in the rocking horse winner?
He becomes resolute in learning the name of the winner of the Derby Paul determines the names of the winning horses by riding his wooden rocking horse If he can ride his horse until he “gets there”, he receives a kind of revelation so that he is “absolutely sure” which horse will win the next race
What is the symbolic significance of Paul’s riding the rocking horse of the repeated statement there must be more money?
Because of the fact that the horse is not mobile, and that in some ways it demands more and more of Paul until it takes away his life, it is perhaps a symbol for the emptiness of the incredible quest for money that seems to drive so much of our society and determine so many people’s perceptions of whether they are
What does a whisper symbolize?
The metaphor of whispering is commonly used as foreshadowing throughout the story Whispering is used to hint at dangers or trouble yet to come The revolution is always in the background, and will eventually engulf all of the characters in much more than a whisper
Is the house actually whispering or is it a metaphor The Rocking Horse Winner?
You only get one question, so I’ll answer the first regarding “The Rocking-Horse Winner” The whispering is a personification (a coming to life) of the stress and dissatisfaction found in the house
Who is Paul and what is he trying to do in the story The Rocking Horse Winner?
Paul: A young boy who notices that his mother doesn’t love him and his sisters, even though she “adores” them When he receives a rocking horse for Christmas, he rides it often and comes to find that he can predict what horse is going to win the next big horse race
Why is the winning horse named Malabar in the rocking horse winner?
Malabar is the name of the southwest coast of India To me, this indicates that by betting on a horse named Malabar, Paul is going the longest distance, metaphorically speaking, that he ever has on his rocking horse In a sense, he is giving it his all to get, in imagination, halfway around the world