The Rocking-Horse Winner Symbolism

Through out the book “The Rocking Horse Winner”, author D.H Lawrence uses a number of literary devices such as description, archetypes, and symbolism. One of the most prominent themes of the book is in fact the symbolism. Lawrence uses many different examples of symbolism in the story, to represent many different things. Three of the most important symbolisms however, are money; used to symbolize lack of love and affection, Paul’s rocking horse; to symbolize masturbation and his love and fantasies for his mother, Hester, his mother; who is used to symbolize greed, selfishness and materialism.
One of the most important symbolisms in the book is money. Money is used throughout the story to represent the lack of love, affection and relationships
between family members. The house repetitively yells that “there must be more money, there must be more money”. Meaning, there must be love. The way the book talks about the father it gives the impression that he doesn’t participate actively in either the children’s lives, or his wife’s. It is said that the father is always at the office, or drunk. As a direct result of this, his relationship with his wife and children wouldn’t be strong. In the beginning of the book it states that the mother “married for love, but the love turned to dust”. This says that she is no longer in love with the father, and things are tense between them. Also mentioned in the book is the fact that she resents her children. She feels as though she is incapable of loving her children, they can sense this. In the book it also often refers to how the children look at one another, and speak through their eyes, not through speech.
Another example of symbolism in the story is Paul’s rocking horse.
Paul’s riding of the rocking horse makes the sexual suggestion of masturbation. This symbol comes from the psychologist Sigmund Freud who believed that young bys are sexually attracted to their mothers and subconsciously fantasize of replacing their fathers. The story states that Paul has reached an age “beyond the nursery control”, which is when most children become aware of their sexuality. Paul would mount his rocking horse, and ride it “madly into space, with a frenzy that made the little girls peer at him uneasily”. Paul rides his horse only when alone, and obtains the name of the winning horse when he reaches where he “wanted to go” (a climax from masturbation). Paul associates riding the rocking horse and winning the bets with acquiring money for his mother and being lucky, which could relate to the modern term “getting lucky” used to describe having sex. In the story Paul says “I shouldn’t like Mother to know I was lucky”, “she’d stop me” begging his uncle not to tell his mother about him betting money. This symbolizes the fact that he would not want his mother to know of his new sexual urges, as in this time period masturbation was not only embarrassing but a sin. Near the end of the story, Hester walks in on Paul riding his horse, “surging on the rocking horse”. “plunging to and fro”. This excited Paul, sending him to climax “his eyes blazed at her for one strange and senseless second and he
ceased urging his wooden horse”. Paul’s sexual attraction to his mother was probably strengthened by her lack of love towards him, and his desire to acquire her love.
D.H Lawrence does not only use objects as symbols in the story, but characters as well.
One of the most important symbols used is Paul’s mother Hester. Hester is used throughout the story to represent selfishness and greed. Paul’s mother is very superficial, selfish, and materialistic. She values her social status, appearance and materialistic items more than anything else. Hester is obsessed with getting money, and then spending it to acquire new things and enhance her image. As a result of her obsession for money, Hester is unable to show affection for anything, or anyone else. To Hester, money is more valuable than friends and family. “She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her”. Hester resents her children, most likely due to the fact that they cost money and time, which are both taking from being able to provide for herself. Although to others Hester seemed like a good mother, both her and her children knew that she did not love them. “Everybody else said of her: "She is such a good mother. She adores her children." Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so”. Instead of trying to love her children, Hester instead tries to compensate with buying them expensive gifts. “… at Christmas, when the expensive and splendid toys filled the nursery”. Everyone in the family knew that money was the only thing she was capable of caring for. Although when Paul became sick, she stayed by his bedside, Hester allowed him to die feeling
neglected because she failed to express her feelings to him. Hester was too distracted with the money he had won for her to even realize that it was her and her money obsession that caused Paul’s sickness and eventually his death. Author D.H Lawrence does a good job through out his book, using symbolism to create different emotions, or lack of and to set undertones for the story. Using Hester to represent greed, materialism and selfishness along with using money to mask the lack of love and relationships between the characters is a good way to not come right out and say what is happening in the book. When adding in the sexual undertone through the symbolism of Paul’s horse, it really makes sure that the reader has to put some thought into understanding the story and what is happening.