The Pursuit of Luck in D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking Horse...

Over time, society has developed into a widely accepted culture that spreads implied rules, guidelines, and principles on how people should conduct their lives. In order to follow the expectations of society, a person must be dedicated to acting in a manner that they are accepted by others. This results in a lack of lasting accomplishment since society’s customs can fluctuate, so a persons dedication to following societal norms to gain acceptance by others are now non-existent. On the contrary, people who have dedicated there life to a specific goal or cause may contradict society’s imposed customs, but will ultimately achieve their goal and have lasting success. In D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner†, Paul is determined to†¦show more content†¦This shows that by following society Paul’s parents could not attain lasting happiness or purpose. When Paul talks to his mother regarding luck, he instantly determines that he will dedicate his life towards the pursuit of luck. Although Paul is told he cannot be lucky since his parents are not lucky, Paul sets his goal and uses his circumstances to achieve this goal. Paul has an old rocking horse in his room, and is encouraged to bet on horse races by his uncle, Oscar Creswell, and his friend, Bassett. Since Paul is determined to become lucky, he uses his environment and event he has no control over to work at achieving his goal. By riding his rocking horse with a strict determination, Paul can discover which horse will win the upcoming races. This unnatural talent achieved Paul’s goal of becoming lucky, and only resulted because he utilized the circumstances he faced towards becoming lucky. If Paul followed the influence of society, he would not ride his rocking horse, but likely find a job so he can earn money and buy material goods. Thus, Paul achieved his goal i n life because he was determined to use the situations he encountered to achieve his goal, instead of just following the influence of society. When Paul was preparing for the upcoming Derby, he would ride his rocking horse, but could not determine the winner. Instead of waiting for the next race and hoping he would know the winner, he rode his rocking horse soShow MoreRelated Rocking Horse Winner and The Destructors Essays886 Words   |  4 Pages Rocking Horse Winner and The Destructors There are many differences and similarities between Graham Greene’s â€Å"The Destructors† and D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner.† One general difference is that in â€Å"The Destructors† the setting is in Great Britain, after the bombing had happened during World War 1, when the buildings were destroyed. The setting of â€Å"Rocking Horse Winner† is a suburban community located on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. 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