A Rocking-Horse Winner, By D. H. Lawrence

“There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck” (Lawrence 311). Opening “A Rocking-Horse Winner”, this sentence illustrates what will follow in this short fictional work. D.H. Lawrence successfully presents his characters through a variety of means, most effectively utilizing characterization (Arp 161). This literary device advances the attributes most sought after in a short story, illustrating the purpose and the negative side of the significant materialism present. It also allows the reader to feel more connected and better understand the underlying lesson. In “A Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, characterization is utilized to describe the protagonist, Paul, and his mother, and to examine human nature through a situation with which many can relate, further advancing

This strategy involves the author’s direct description of character attributes (Arp 162) and is utilized later in the story. Specifically, Paul deteriorates mentally after his mother receives the five thousand dollar winning bet. “It frightened Paul terribly” (Lawrence 320), despite his intention that the money diminish financial pressures. He is characterized as unusual after staying home with the rocking-horse that he has outgrown. Paul relates that he, “Couldn’t possibly go before the Derby” (Lawrence 321), illustrating this eccentricity. By the end of the story, Paul is characterized as highly unstable, with the action of the rocking-horse “plunging to and fro” (Lawrence 323), in the dead of night highlighting his deterioration. He is ultimately driven to death by his mother’s lack of agreement that he is in fact lucky. The rapid progression from stating he is lucky to his demise all while remaining believable demonstrates his dramatic evolution throughout the story. This would not be possible without