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TheSymbolismintheRocking-horseWinnerABriefSummaryTheRocking-HorseWinnerisashortstorybyD.H.LawrencewhichwasfirstpublishedinJuly1926andthensubsequentlyappearedinthefirstvolumeofLawrence'scollectedshortstories.Thestorytellsayoungboywhonoticesthathismotherdoesn’tlovehimandhissisters,eventhoughshe“adores”them.Hermotherbecomes“dissatisfiedwithhermarriage”whenshefindsthatherhusbandisnotluckyanddoesn'tmakeenoughmoney.What’sworse,thereisalwaysaninexistentsoundaskingformoremoneyintheirhouse.WhenhereceivesarockinghorseforChristmas,heridesitoftenandcomestofindthathecanpredictwhathorseisgoingtowinthenextbighorserace.Inordertoshowhismotherthathehasthelovewhichhisfatherlacksandpleadlovefromhismother,herideshorsefrenziedlyandfinallyfallsdownanddead.TheSymbolismintheRocking-horseWinnerThesymbolinthisshortstoryisPaul’shorse,whichthrustsallplotsfrombeginningtoend,andalso,isthedirectandobviouscausewhichleadstoPaul’stragedydeath.Withadeepreadingofstory,Igainmoredetailsandprofoundphilosophyfromthehorse.Almosteverykidhasacherishedtoy,maybeajigsaw,adoll,oraChristmasbell.Astheirfavoriteandmostunforgettabletoy,itmaybeanimportantpartintheirchildhoodandconstitutestheirsimpleandcredulousmemory.AsatoyreceivedinChristmas,thishorseshouldhavebroughtrealluckandhappinesstoPaul,andshouldhavesymbolizedkid’sinnocenceandtheirenjoyment.Butironically,Pauliskilledbyhishorsewhichshouldhaveaccompaniedhimforhiscarefreechildhood.It’ssocontroversialthatIwanttomakeaboldconjuncturethatmaybePaul’ssisterswouldlosetheirinnocentlifeinthesameway,perhapsbecauseoftheirpreciousdolls.HereDHLaurencemadeaboldandevensomewhatridiculouscontradictionbetweenkid’sbelovedtoysandtheirdesperatedeathtoimplyanironyofoursociety.Arealhorsecanrunandtakejockeystoanywheretheywantandisasymboloffreedomandpassionoflife.ButtheonePaulhasisawoodenhorse,whichmeansnomatterhowhardhetriestoride,hecannotmoveandleavethegloomhousehelives.Hestaysthereandisdrownedintheswampofadult’sendlesslustformoney.ThedeathofPaulindicatesthathuman’desireforwealthmaydestroythemselvesanditismeaninglessatall!Finally,IwanttomakeacomparesbetweenPaul’smother,fatherandunclewithhorsetoillustratethattherearesimilaritiesamongthem.AllofthemareessentialelementsinPaul’slife,allofthemareimitatefriendsorsoulmatesofPaul.However,theyallbetrayPaulandarethemurdersofPaul.Paulpleadsmotherforlove,rideshorseforclues;motherignoresPaul’seagernessforlove,horsetakeshislifeawaycruelly,anditismother’svanityanddesireformateriallifethatpusheshimtodeath.1木马作为孩子的玩具，充满童趣，是天真无邪的象征，无比纯洁，本可以陪伴孩子度过完美的童年。就像女孩子的布娃娃一样，木马作为男孩子的玩具，是儿时回忆的象征。在保罗死在自己的玩具上后，谁又敢完全肯定他的妹妹不会死在布娃娃的手下呢？2木马不像草原上的马，可以跑动起来，带着人走向远方去追求梦想和自由。即使在拼命地骑木马，仍然是在原地做无用功徘徊，从侧面说明了追求欲望这本身就是无实际意义，金钱本身不仅不会使让人的生命更有价值，相反，无尽的欲望反而会让人陷入绝望的沼泽。3木马与母亲：保罗拼命的鞭打木马，希望木马给自己灵感，而木马却将他推向死亡；保罗祈求妈妈给他一些爱，而正是妈妈对无休止的欲望害了保罗。