The Rocking Horse Winner - Child in Conflict with the Adult World Essay Example
Adults experience conflict every day by taking on challenges in their everyday life. In order to better themselves and others, adults have to overcome these conflicts. Paul had to overcome some of the same conflicts that adults experience today to help his family. Paul would challenge himself with these adult conflicts. These conflicts came to Paul and he to adapt to them. D.H Lawrence portrays child in conflict with the adult world in “The Rocking Horse Winner” through the protagonist, Paul. Adult conflicts come to Paul when he first sees the financial problems in his house. As a young child Paul was forced into learning about the finance issues causing him to react to the situation. Paul is continually hearing the words “There must be more money! There must be more money! The children could hear it all the time, though nobody said it aloud… ‘There must be more money; oh-h-h; there must be more money, oh, now-w-w! Now-w-w – there must be more money! – More than ever! More than ever!’” (Lawrence 19-29). Paul a twelve year old boy is feeling the burden of providing money for the family. Hearing the words “there must be more money” repeated throughout the house causes Paul to worry about what kind of financial situation his family is in. As a young child he should not know about the family’s income problems. However, through the whispering he learns of it. Paul should be out having fun with his friends not worrying about money. Since Paul heard of the financial problems in the house he took it upon himself to find a way to provide for the family. Paul is forced into the adult world through learning about the financial problems in the family and trying to provide for them. Paul is starting to be fully introduced to adult conflict though the risks of gambling. Gambling can cause a person to become very rich or very poor quickly. Paul would place money on the horses “’Good! Good! Right you are! A fiver for me and a fiver for you on Daffodil’ … Paul was “sure”