Skip to main content

Does the child in D. H. Lawrence's story "The Rocking-Horse Winner" seem innocent to you? Why or why not? What motivates him?

 Paul, the protagonist of this story, comes across as innocent. He is depicted as young and "childish." We know his mother is, sadly, not capable of loving her children. Paul confuses the words luck and lucre, a sign of his innocence, and also an unintentional irony, as money will be anything but lucky for him. Additionally, he displays an innocence in riding a rocking horse furiously and then demanding of it, "take me where luck...

 Paul, the protagonist of this story, comes across as innocent. He is depicted as young and "childish." We know his mother is, sadly, not capable of loving her children. Paul confuses the words luck and lucre, a sign of his innocence, and also an unintentional irony, as money will be anything but lucky for him. Additionally, he displays an innocence in riding a rocking horse furiously and then demanding of it, "take me where luck is." Anyone with experience would know that wouldn't work. 


Further, when Paul begins winning races, he does it all to please his mother. He doesn't care about his own gain. When he wins the 5,000 pounds, he gives it all to her and does so anonymously. He doesn't even care if she knows it came from him. He just wants her to be happy. He is too innocent to realize that no amount of money will fill her empty space and too innocent to realize her problem is inner emptiness and not lack of money. He is so innocent that he kills himself trying to please his mother.


This doesn't mean, however, that he is an angel. The intensity with which he rides his rocking horse and pursues his goals is arguably unsettling, though perhaps not unrealistic in a boy yearning for his mother's love. 

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more