The Rocking-Horse Winner

by D.H. Lawrence · 1966

An exemplar of Modernist fiction, 'The Rocking-Horse Winner' tells the story of a young boy named Paul who lives in a house haunted by the unspoken, persistent anxiety of financial insufficiency. To help his mother, who feels she lacks luck, Paul discovers he can predict horse-race winners by frantically riding his rocking-horse until he enters a trance. The story explores themes of materialism, the dehumanizing effects of industrialization, and the emotional void within a family struggling to maintain a social facade.