The Rocking-Horse Winner by David Herbert Laurence is the story of Paul and his “unlucky” parents. Obsessed with money, Paul’s mother makes her son believe that their family is unlucky, although they live in a house with servants and they do not lack anything: There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck.” But still, voices in the house continuously whisper “There must be more money!”
The mother’s obsession is passed on to Paul who can only think of money and luck: “If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money,” said his mother.
With the help of the gardener and, later on, his uncle, Paul starts betting at horse races and, on many occasions, he is able to predict the winner of the race, making loads of money. His secret lies with his wooden rocking-horse which he madly rides until he gets to the place he wants to be: “And he would lash the horse on the neck with the little whip he had asked Uncle Oscar for. He knew the horse could take him to where there was luck, if only he forced it. So he would mount again and start on his furious ride, hoping at last to get there. He knew he could get there.”
But all this will come at a very high cost. Find out what it is by reading the story.
D.H. Laurence was a poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and travel writer who was born in 1885. He died in France in 1930.
