The Rocking Horse Winner By D. H. Lawrence

“The Rocking Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence is an interesting short story that, while it may be entertaining, is also disturbing in it’s own right. It shows how money and ambition can drive one mad, and how it can not only make a life better, but can also ruin a life, as well. This poem shows how also a lack of money may drive some insane with a need to get it, and how greed can twist a person and change who they are. Three main themes in this short story by D.H. Lawrence are wealth, life, and luck, and how each of these three messages connect to the main topic of discussion in “The Rocking Horse Winner”: money.

The first theme in “The Rocking Horse Winner” is that of wealth. The family in the story are not wealthy, but like to live as if they are. This means there is a constant need for money, and D.H. Lawrence shows how this affects the relationships between man and wife, and their children, as well. The mother and father are not close by any
The lives of the family are comfortable enough, looking at it from the outside, but inside the house there is a weight, a heaviness that the boy feels and says has a personality all of it’s own, and that the house whispers constantly “Must have more money!” This shows that their lives are ruled by the constant need for more money, and that is would appear that nothing is satisfactory. The man and wife are not happy with living within their means and strain themselves and their family to live as rich people do when they are obviously not wealthy. The life of the mother (her life perhaps being considered her humanity and humility) is ruined by her greed, and her greed, in turn, ruins the boy’s life. In his yearning to please his mother--even though it is not outwardly mentioned, perhaps he really wants her to finally love him--he loses his own life as his streak of luck and his betting finally bring him to a low which he cannot get back out of, and the boy