The Rocking-horse Winner

As a young boy, Paul is filled with anxiety over his motherÆs laments and the never-ending whispers for ômore money.ö PaulÆs mechanism for alleviating the tension he feels in his family environment is to wildly ride his rocking-horse. When he does, his revelations of the race winners provide ample income to resolve what he perceives to be his familyÆs need. By doing so, Paul alleviates the tension within his environment and within him. However, his desire to control his environment to help his family will rob them of their most valuable asset, Paul himself.

The main source of PaulÆs tension and anxiety is a loveless mother whose preoccupation with material wants has

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putting all of his energy and desire into earning money. PaulÆs mother has compelled him to become just like her, living only for an alleged happiness that being lucky and earning money will bring. Paul demands that his Uncle Oscar tell no one about their activities, particularly his mother. They conspire to present her with an annual gift of money on her birthday. Before her birthday arrives, we see how desperately the household obsession drives Paul to distraction: ôThe house had been æwhisperingÆ worse than ever lately, and, even in spite of his luck, Paul could not bear up against itö (Lawrence 159). Paul is anxious to see his motherÆs reaction when she gets her birthday present. His mother receives her one thousand pounds but is still unhappy. She goes to the lawyers to see if she can get the entire five thousand pounds. Reluctantly, Uncle Oscar approves PaulÆs request that his mother receive all five thousand pounds. Though Paul notices new furnishings, a tutor, and other results of his motherÆs newfound money, the house continues to whisper for more money but only now it does so ôMore than ever!ö (Lawrence 160). After Paul gives his mother all of the money, he begins to lose some of his certainty in picking winning
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2534
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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