Rocking Horse Winner
Professor Shearer
English 101
February 2, 2013
“The Rocking Horse Winner”
Lawrence son of a coal miner and a school teacher, was born and grew up in Nottinghamshire, England. Lawrence was rejected for the military service in World War 1 because of lung trouble. This story took place just years after World War 1. It took place near London; London’s Richmond Park. There are a couple of characters in this story. They are Paul, Hester, Paul’s father, Bassett, Oscar Creswell, Miss Wilmot, Paul’s two younger sisters and Chief Artist. In the story “The Rocking Horse Winner” Lawrence uses the setting, the point of view and tragic irony to illustrate the theme that Paul was on quest to gain wealth, but lost his life. Lawrence chose London because of the different things going on in the city such, as the major races he mentioned that took place in England. “The child had never been to a horse race meeting before, and his eyes were blue fire.”(Lawrence p.105). The horses that raced were Daffodil who came in first, Lancelot who came in second and Mirza who came in third. Lawrence wrote this story in omniscient third person point of view. “This young women artist earned several thousand pounds a year, but Paul’s mother only made several hundreds, and she was again dissatisfied.” (Lawrence p. 261). Paul’s mother wanted to make more money, so she wanted to be the first in something but did not succeed.
The tragic irony was when Paul picks the winning horse in the Derby but he loses his life. “But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking horse to find a winner.” (Lawrence p. 266). The money he had combined was about eighty thousand pounds which is the equivalent of a million dollars today and that became his misfortune. In the story “The Rocking Horse Winner” Lawrence uses the setting, the point of view and tragic irony to tell the story. The theme of the story is a quest to find a winner. “But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best
English 101
February 2, 2013
“The Rocking Horse Winner”
Lawrence son of a coal miner and a school teacher, was born and grew up in Nottinghamshire, England. Lawrence was rejected for the military service in World War 1 because of lung trouble. This story took place just years after World War 1. It took place near London; London’s Richmond Park. There are a couple of characters in this story. They are Paul, Hester, Paul’s father, Bassett, Oscar Creswell, Miss Wilmot, Paul’s two younger sisters and Chief Artist. In the story “The Rocking Horse Winner” Lawrence uses the setting, the point of view and tragic irony to illustrate the theme that Paul was on quest to gain wealth, but lost his life. Lawrence chose London because of the different things going on in the city such, as the major races he mentioned that took place in England. “The child had never been to a horse race meeting before, and his eyes were blue fire.”(Lawrence p.105). The horses that raced were Daffodil who came in first, Lancelot who came in second and Mirza who came in third. Lawrence wrote this story in omniscient third person point of view. “This young women artist earned several thousand pounds a year, but Paul’s mother only made several hundreds, and she was again dissatisfied.” (Lawrence p. 261). Paul’s mother wanted to make more money, so she wanted to be the first in something but did not succeed.
The tragic irony was when Paul picks the winning horse in the Derby but he loses his life. “But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best gone out of a life where he rides his rocking horse to find a winner.” (Lawrence p. 266). The money he had combined was about eighty thousand pounds which is the equivalent of a million dollars today and that became his misfortune. In the story “The Rocking Horse Winner” Lawrence uses the setting, the point of view and tragic irony to tell the story. The theme of the story is a quest to find a winner. “But, poor devil, poor devil, he’s best