The Rocking-Horse Winner: Themes

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.

Materialism and Appearances as Driving Forces

Paul’s mother is obsessed with maintaining the appearance of success under the perceived scrutiny of her neighbors, though the family believes themselves to be superior to anyone else in the neighborhood, and she is generally viewed as a good mother. Her desire to have as much as or more than everyone around her drives her forward, but it also causes deep unhappiness, as she obsessively focuses on what she doesn’t have. While Paul’s mother is the most obvious of the materialistic characters, all of the adults in the story are guilty of it. When her wealthier brother Oscar learns that young Paul is betting his own money on horses, he doesn't stop the boy or tell his mother. Instead, he profits from Paul’s betting and keeps the boy's behavior a secret. Winning more money is more important than helping his nephew overcome the materialistic drive that has overtaken his household and victimized him. Uncle Oscar's behavior demonstrates the lack of familial love and emotional support that motivated Paul to seek luck in the first place. He eventually uses the boy's dying words to place another bet and gain additional financial profits. Ironically, Paul’s mother looks up to Oscar and sees herself and her children as "the poor members of the family." Paul’s mother believes she needs wealth like Oscar's to truly be happy. Oscar, however, is actually emotionally barren and just as obsessed with earning more as his sister.

Flawed Mother-Son Relationships

Lawrence explored mother-son relationships often in his work, most notably in his novel Sons and Lovers, and many critics believe his own difficult relationship with his mother was the reason for this theme recurring in his work. Like Paul’s mother, Lawrence’s mother was reportedly somewhat unhappy with her marriage and home life, and in this story, a mother's frustrations with her own life are passed along to her son. At the story’s opening, readers learn that the mother can’t find it in herself to love anyone, even her children. She acknowledges this coldness as a flaw, one which she tries to hide, though her children are instinctually aware and judgmental of her. Without any parental guidance, Paul attempts to navigate his mother’s frustrations, which become a vocal manifestation that haunts the household and ultimately leads to his death. Paul’s mother has allowed her son to enter a world in which he doesn't belong, filled with worries about the money that buys his toys and pays for his home. Paul's relationship with money is damaged by his mother's flawed honesty about luck’s role in wealth. Paul's obsession with rocking on the horse to gain luck stems from his desire to gain his mother’s love and provide for her in a way his father cannot. He takes on a role too large for a child, and he ultimately sacrifices himself to it.

The Link Between Unhappiness and Ingratitude

Paul’s mother considers herself unlucky, yet the narrator describes her as "a beautiful woman who started life with all the advantages." She has "lovely children" but doesn't love them. Thus, her unhappiness isn't really a lack of luck but instead a result of her inability to appreciate all that she does have, such as a large home and servants, healthy children, and artistic skill that earns her money. Instead, Paul’s mother focuses her attention on obtaining material things that she believes will make her appear happy. Her husband brings in money, but she isn’t interested in his job enough to understand what he actually does for a living. She is only certain that he is incapable of doing anything worthwhile. Paul’s mother secretly finds a job as an artist, but she is dissatisfied with the income in comparison to that of the artist she works for, and she focuses only on the idea that she is not “first in something.” Paul’s mother creates her own unhappiness by diminishing her family’s accomplishments and constantly yearning for more.

To the adult characters in this story, the appearance of happiness is much more important than actually feeling content. Each year Paul’s mother continues to go further into debt, and she moves further away from the possibility of connecting with her children and learning to appreciate them. Lawrence includes several subtle reminders that Paul is growing older throughout the story, such as the nurse’s statement that he is too old to be in her care and Paul’s transition to dining with his parents instead of his sisters. These details reinforce the idea that his mother’s opportunities to learn how to love and appreciate her children are fleeting gifts that she might lose forever if she doesn't learn to be grateful for them.

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