In "'The Rocking-Horse Winner" D. H. Lawrence talks about a woman who dreams of living a luxurious lifestyle that she cannot afford. She lives in a modest house with her husband and her three children. One day Hester's son Paul asks her what makes some people lucky and she tells him that people with luck are the ones who make lots of money; which Paul's father is unlucky because no matter how hard he tries, he can't make enough money. Paul discovers that when he rides his rocking horse long enough, he is able to know what the winning racehorse will be and using this knowledge, he asks Bassett, the family gardener, to help him place bets and hold onto his winnings.Uncle Oscar discovers Paul's gambling scheme and joins in as a partner too. Hester grows concerned about Paul's health and she plans to send Paul to the seaside to recover, but Paul convinces her to let him stay until after the Derby Stakes race. One evening while out at a party, Hester is overcome with anxiety over Paul. When she returns home, she discovers that he is still riding his rocking horse. Paul collapses with a brain fever, but not before he utters the name of the Derby Stakes winner.With this information, Uncle Oscar and Bassett go ahead and place their bets and make off with a hefty winning when the Derby Stakes winner is announced. On hearing this news, Paul dies later that night.
Paul struggles with anxiety. He knows his mother is stressed about money and he knows that stress affects her love for him and his sisters. Her stress is passed on to him. He believes if he can "get there" on the rocking horse, he can predict the winner of the race and help bring some money to his family so that his mother will love him. Sadly, this behavior ultimately makes him ill and causes his death.
Paul's Uncle struggles to help his nephew -- however, he is also motivated by his own greed and love for gambling. He knows Paul is hurting himself but continues to allow Paul to behave this way so that he can benefit from Paul's visions. Being already rich himself, Oscar has no need to gamble and get more money. His greed and love for gambling contribute to Paul's death.
