Symbols in "The Rocking Horse Winner"

Symbols in “The Rocking Horse Winner”


In “The Rocking Horse Winner”, a tragic story demonstrating the destructive effects of materialism, D.H. Lawrence employs symbolism to develop the idea that love and happiness can be destroyed by money. Lawrence utilizes the character Hester as a symbol of greed to display the effects of materialism. The author’s use of symbolism is mainly to show that children require love and compassion. Paul’s rocking horse and the whispering of the house represent his evident need for love. Lawrence uses money to prove that avarice and negligence of a mother can contribute to the deterioration of an innocent, young child.
A main symbol in the story is the character Hester, Paul’s mother. She represents both greed and selfishness and her desire in life is to acquire large sums of money. Hester is notably materialistic and values lavish possessions more than her own children. “She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon he...