I used the before, during, and after reading comprehension strategies for reading The rocking horse Winner to understand the story better. Using the before strategy, I discovered the purpose of reading was to meet course expectations and comprehend what I was about to read. I decided to read the story slowly and cautiously to make connections, get involved, and create mental images. I only had the title and first few sentences to ponder upon before actually reading the story. I thought it was about a beautiful woman with many advantages. I immediately wondered if the rocking horse brings luck to her. As I started reading word to word, I noticed that the woman is not perfect. The family could not afford to live an expensive lifestyle but yet managed to, which destroyed their happiness.
Strangely, the mother could not love her children; their family was missing love. As I kept reading, I wondered if Paul could actually prove to his mother how lucky he is. I asked myself, why is the little boy so attached with the rocking horse? The rocking horse is actually lucky for the little boy, and then I started to understand this story more. I started to make images in my head, as the story got intense. I can just imagine when his mom saw him rocking his horse and shouting names, just two days before the race.
Quickly, It came into my mind that one of my friends actually thinks that his pen is lucky, and he makes sure to not let anyone use it or touch it. It all made sense to me, but I kept wondering about the father. The father was barely mentioned in the story, I wondered if the author purposely did this? Maybe the father was not so concerned about his family, or was he too busy working day and night to bring money for his family? This story was mainly about odd relationships between each of the family members because of luck and money. Overall, the message of this story is that one needs to work hard to live the way they want, not everyone is lucky and luck is not something to depend on.
The Essay on After reading `The Rocking-Horse Winner` by D. H. Lawrence
One of the most interesting aspects about D.H. Lawrence's short-story, "The Rocking-Horse Winner," (1926) is the story's haunting, almost horrific imagery. Although the story conveys a harsh theme, that of child-exploitation, the climax of the story and the associated images create an unforgettable experience for the reader. Many great works of fiction defy categorization and draw from various ...
