The notes of English..

The Rocking-Horse Winner                    

What does the mother feel toward her children and her husband?

The mother in “The Rocking-Horse Winner” feels her children have been thrust upon her and she takes them as a stumbling block. Besides, she thinks that her husband is “unlucky” to get more and more money. In my opinion, she loves herself the most.

Paul has an extended conversation with his mother about luck. Review what she tells him on the subject. What kind of effect did this on Paul, and why?

Paul’s mother thinks luck is the most important thing to help a person to get a lot of money. Her desire of money is more than her love of her children. As a result, Paul wants to be lucky to get his mother’s attention and love. However, the desire of his mother likes a black hole and it also kills her son. I think the image about Paul riding on the rocking-horse shows a teenager who is perplexed during find the value of himself or herself.  Moreover, Paul’s mother shows him the distrust of his father makes him have a deep Oedipus complex to want to achieve his mother’s expectation. He even wants to show his ability to his mother, I also think that Paul becomes crazy on quest of luck or his mother’s love at the end of the story.

How do the mother's feelings about Paul and her behavior toward him seem to conflict with her character as it is presented and developed in the story? Why is the change in her irony?

At the beginning of the story, Paul’s mother neglects her children’s feeling and her faulty sense of values also affects her family. She is greedy to want to get more and more money instead of taking care of her children. Although she gets a lot of money and finds the duty of mother at the end of the story, she loses her son and her belief makes her cold. Not until her son is dead does she realize that not everything can be bought by money. I think she is maybe regretted and feels sorry to her son at the end. However, it’s useless to save her son’s life and the broken home.