UP Board class 11 English 3. The Rocking Horse Winner - (Short Stories) is a Hindi Medium Solution which is prescribed by Uttar Pradesh Board for their students. These Solutions is completely prepared considering the latest syllabus and it covers every single topis, so that every student get organised and conceptual learning of the concepts. class 11 Students of UP Board who have selected hindi medium as their study medium they can use these Hindi medium textSolutions to prepare themselves for exam and learn the concept with ease.
Young Paul's restlessness stemmed from a deep-seated anxiety about his family's lack of "luck." He overheard his mother's constant worry about money and her belief that their financial struggles were due to bad luck. This idea took root in his young mind. He felt the tension in the house, the whispered anxieties about bills, and his mother's unhappiness. His restlessness found expression in his obsessive quest to become "lucky" and prove that he could bring money and happiness to his family, primarily through his secret betting on horse races.
Paul's mother, Hester, was a deeply dissatisfied woman whose desires always outpaced her means. The anonymous gift of £1,000 a year, while substantial, was not enough to quiet the insatiable whispers of the house demanding "There must be more money!" Her greed and materialism were bottomless. Instead of feeling grateful, she immediately spent the money on new luxuries, which only increased their debts and made the house's whispers for more money even louder and more desperate.
As Paul grew older, his mother's anxiety shifted from general money worries to a specific, fearful concern for her son himself. She noticed his intense, feverish behavior, his secretiveness, and his deteriorating health. While she didn't know the full extent of his gambling, she sensed he was involved in something dangerous and obsessive. Her anxiety peaked during the party when she felt a powerful, maternal dread that something was terribly wrong with Paul, which prompted her to rush upstairs to find him in his frenzied, final ride on the rocking-horse.
This statement captures the central tragedy of the story. Paul's final, desperate ride on his rocking-horse gave him the name of the Derby winner, Malabar. This allowed his family to win over £80,000, making them wealthy beyond their dreams. However, the physical and mental strain of his obsessive quest—the frantic riding, the pressure to "know" the winners—completely destroyed his health. He collapsed after his final ride and died shortly after, proving that the pursuit of money had destroyed the most precious thing in the house: the life of their child.
This statement presents a classic debate. Some believe success is purely a result of hard work, talent, and perseverance, where luck plays little to no role. Others argue that being in the right place at the right time—sheer luck—can be a crucial factor. The story "The Rocking-Horse Winner" explores a dark side of this belief, showing how an obsessive faith in luck can lead to ruin. A balanced view suggests that while preparation and effort are essential, a fortunate opportunity (luck) can often catalyze success.
This highlights Hester's hypocrisy and moral confusion. She craved wealth and the social status it brought but clung to a superficial respectability that looked down on gambling. She warned Paul against it, citing family examples of ruin. Yet, her own constant longing for money and her willingness to spend the gambling winnings (once she received them) created the very environment that drove Paul to bet. Her disapproval was more about social appearance than genuine moral principle.
The voices Paul heard were the haunting, personified whispers of the house itself, echoing his mother's deepest materialistic desires: "There must be more money!" These voices were a product of the tense, greedy atmosphere of the home and Paul's own feverish psyche. No, they did not lead him to real success. While they drove him to win a fortune, the cost was his childhood, his sanity, and ultimately his life. True success involves well-being and happiness, not just financial gain achieved through self-destruction.
(A) Paul and his mother: Their communication is strained and non-verbal. They share a tense, unspoken understanding. Paul senses her dissatisfaction, and she vaguely senses his obsession, but they never have an open, loving conversation.
(B) Paul and Bassett: This is a relationship of mutual trust and secrecy. Bassett, the gardener, is Paul's loyal confidant and partner. They communicate with coded seriousness about the horses, forming a secret world away from the adults.
(C) Paul and his uncle (Oscar): Oscar is curious and opportunistic. He discovers Paul's secret and joins the betting partnership. Their communication is transactional and based on shared greed, though Oscar does show some concern for Paul's well-being.
(D) Bassett and Paul’s Uncle: Their communication is practical and business-like. Bassett, respectful but firm, explains the betting system to Oscar. They connect through their shared involvement in Paul's secret venture.
(E) Paul’s mother and his uncle: They have a typical sibling relationship with casual conversations. Oscar tries to hint at Paul's activities, but Hester is too self-absorbed to understand. Their communication highlights the family's inability to address the real problem.
The rocking-horse is the central symbol of the story. It is not a child's toy for Paul but a magical vehicle to his "luck." By riding it into a frenzied, trance-like state, he believes he can predict the winners of real horse races. The faster and more desperately he rides the wooden horse, the closer he gets to the knowledge he seeks. Thus, his triumphs on the real racetrack are directly, and tragically, born from his exhausting, solitary rides on the rocking-horse.
The ending is deeply ironic: the family gets the wealth they desperately wanted but loses the child in the process. If Paul had lived, the story would have had a very different impact. It might have been read as a dark fairy tale about a boy who saved his family through a strange gift. However, his death is crucial to the story's critique of materialism. It forces the reader to see the true cost of the family's greed and makes the ending a powerful tragedy, rather than a simple tale of magical success.
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