ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos

The Rocking-Horse Winner (Lawrence) 722 Views


Share It!


Description:

Wouldn't it be nice to be rich, even if that wealth came at the cost of other things? If you answered yes, here's another question: what if that cost was your life? D. H. Lawrence's short story "The Rocking-Horse Winner" tells the story of young Paul, who brings in the dough for his family by predicting the outcomes of horse races—for the ultimate price.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

The Rocking-Horse Winner, a la Shmoop. Are you ready to rock?

00:09

After all your parents have done for you, wouldn't it be awesome if you could one day

00:12

repay them?

00:13

Like... in cash? They probably have an itemized list somewhere of all the stuff you owe them

00:19

for.

00:19

You didn't think all those diapers and cartons of baby formula were free, did you?

00:24

Okay, so you likely won't get a bill on your 18th birthday for "services rendered" from

00:29

your parental units.

00:30

But still... if you had a foolproof way to make gobs of money, it would be nice to send

00:34

a little green their way. The Hero of D.H. Lawrence's short story The

00:39

Rocking Horse Winner finds himself in this very situation.

00:43

By riding his rocking-horse, Paul achieves a Zen-like state that allows him to accurately

00:48

predict the winners of horse races.

00:51

His mother takes advantage of this situation, and before long, the family is rolling in

00:56

it. Unfortunately, Paul's gift is killing him.

00:59

Literally.

01:01

Which makes us wonder... is what Paul has really a "gift" at all?

01:05

Well, there's no denying the good that comes from it.

01:08

He and his loved ones no longer have to worry about money. They're not going to go hungry,

01:12

or lose the roof over their heads.

01:14

Plus, they can now switch to the three-at-a-time Netflix plan.

01:17

So, in that sense... sure seems like a gift to us.

01:21

But... Paul dies as a result of it.

01:24

Most gifts don't come with the possibility of death.

01:27

Not unless you have a friend who likes to give trick chainsaws for birthday presents.

01:32

So on second thought... maybe this is one ability Paul wouldn't mind... regifting.

01:37

Although... he didn't have to abuse his special talent.

01:41

If he hadn't exhibited greed, or at least let his mother's greed guilt him into overdoing

01:46

it...

01:47

...he'd probably still be alive today, rocking away on his horse and making a comfortable

01:51

profit at the track every other weekend. Many of us have certain innate abilities...

01:56

...but if we practice them to excess, it can cause more harm than good.

02:00

For example, someone might be naturally brilliant on the trumpet...

02:03

...but if he plays every night into the wee hours, his fed-up neighbor might one day burst

02:08

into his apartment and shove that trumpet where the sun don't shine.

02:13

Was Paul's gift really a gift?

02:15

Is the fact that it brought his family wealth all that's important?

02:18

Was his ultimate demise proof that there's really no such thing as a "gift?"

02:23

Or should he just have handled it a little more maturely instead of spending so much

02:27

time... horsing around? Shmoop amongst yourselves.

Up Next

The Importance of Being Earnest Summary
123036 Views

They say that honesty is the best policy, but Jack lies about his identity and still gets the girl. Does that mean we should all lie to get what we...

Related Videos

The Giver Summary
105891 Views

Ever wish you could remember everything that you ever studied? How about everything that everyone has ever studied? Yeah, pretty sure our brains ju...

Invisible Man (Ellison)
1818 Views

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is an American classic. Hope you're not expecting any exciting shower scenes though. It's not that kind of book.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1255 Views

Do not go gentle into that good night. In fact, if it's past your curfew, don't go at all into that good night. You just stay in your good bed and...

Quotes: A fool's paradise
293 Views

Find out the meaning behind "a fool's paradise."