theme title characters traits motivations conflict setting draw conclusions inferences Essential Vocabulary Summary Background Information

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1 The theme of a story an underlying message about life or human nature that the writer wants readers to understand is often what makes that story linger in your memory. In fiction, writers almost never directly state their themes. Instead, they develop them using literary elements. As you read, ask yourself the following questions. What theme or themes do your answers suggest? What ideas does the title highlight? What are the characters dominant traits? What are their motivations for acting as they do? What is the main conflict, and how is it resolved? In what ways is the setting important to the story s action? In this story, luck plays a significant role in the characters lives, though Lawrence does not always explicitly state that role. To draw conclusions about the role of luck, you must combine information stated in the text; your inferences, or logical guesses; and your own prior knowledge. Essential Vocabulary Materialize: the take form; to appear; to become fact Career: to move at full speed; to rush wildly Steed: a horse, especially a high-spirited riding horse Reiterate: to repeat Uncanny: strange or mysterious in a way that causes unease; eerie Summary Paul s parents live beyond their means. Their house constantly whispers of the need for more money to keep up appearances. Paul, a young boy, turns to betting on horse races as a way to silence the whispers. He finds that if he rides his rocking-horse desperately, the name of the next winner in the races often comes to him. with the help of the gardener and his uncle, he accumulates large quantities of money, which he surreptitiously bestows on his mother. yet the house s whispers do not cease; they only grow louder. Finally, in an effort to discover the winner of a major race, Paul overtaxes himself and dies, leaving his mother a great fortune. Background Information The Derby, which is central to the climax of this story, is the second horse race in the English Triple Crown. It is a mile-and-a-half race run in June at Epsom Downs in Surrey, England, often attracting as many as half a million spectators. The field is made up of three-year-old colts and fillies, usually entered after successes in preliminary Derby trial. The event became known as the Derby around 1780 after the Early of Derby beat out Sir Charles Bunbury in a coin toss for the honor of naming the race. The nursery During this period in England, wealthy people usually employed a live-in nanny or babysitter, called a nurse, to take care of their children. They also set aside a large room or set of rooms, called the nursery for the nurse and the children. This area was located away from the rest of the house so the children s noise wouldn t disturb the adults. The nanny and the children spent most of their time there. 1

2 Purpose for Reading Look for examples of greed in the story. Close Reading Question A page 1154 What information about the mother is explicitly stated in lines 1-21? What additional traits can you infer from these lines? She was beautiful and has good-looking children. Students can infer that although the mother lives a privileged life, she is never satisfied. She is discontented and snobbish. Close Reading Question C page 1156 Note details about the story s setting in lines What ideas are suggested by the house s whispers? The house s whispering suggests that the theme will have to do with the ugly or ominous side of materialism. Close Reading Question D page 1157 Summarize Paul s mother s definition of luck. How does she characterize it, and why does she believe she s unlucky? Luck, according to Paul s mother, is what causes one to have money. She is unlucky because her husband is unlucky a fact that makes her bitter. She once thought herself lucky, but now she does not her marriage, her children, and her relatively comfortable life bring her no joy, because she is not lucky (rich) enough. Close Reading Question E page 1157 Why is Paul so furiously determined to find luck? Consider what message his motivation points toward. Paul wants to find luck for his mother s sake. His depression might point toward the message that children should not have to be concerned with unpleasant, grown-up concerns like keeping up appearances, or that materialism can lead to desperate, unhealthy behavior. Discussion Questions page 1158 Restate What does Paul mean when he says that he got there in line 120? He found luck. Analyze What is the irony of riding a rocking horse, no matter how fast and furiously one rides it? A rocking horse and its rider stay in one place, regardless of how much effort the rider puts into it. Synthesize Keeping in mind the reason for Paul s rides and the nature of a rocking horse, what might the horse symbolize in this story? The horse may represent the futility of Paul s quest to find and sustain luck. 2

3 Close Reading Question F page 1158 How does Oscar s attitude in lines contrast with Paul s? What does this suggest about how important the races and luck are to each character? Oscar is lighthearted and delighted (line 131), while Paul is deadly serious. Racing and luck are minor, amusing matters to Oscar; to Paul, they are becoming a serious obsession. Discussion Question page 1159 What happens when Paul bets the money that Oscar gave him? What ideas does this reinforce in Paul s mind? Paul wins for the first time with the ten-shilling note Oscar has given him. This win reinforces the ideas that Oscar is lucky and that luck equals money. Discussion Question page 1160 Connect If you were in Oscar s place, would you believe what Paul says about the money he has been betting and winning? Why or why not? Perhaps Paul is making up stories. He is speaking of large sums of money that few adults would be able to make on the races, let alone a young boy. Analyze Why is Paul willing to share his secret with Oscar? He believes that Oscar is lucky because he gave Paul the ten-shilling note that he used to place his first winning bet (line 164). Therefore, Paul thinks that an association with Oscar will help continue his streak of good luck. Synthesize Think about Paul s motives for desiring money and the character traits he has displayed thus far. Why might Oscar feel uneasy? What might this ominous feeling foreshadow? Paul s desire to please his mother and his growing obsession with obtaining money are unsettling. Paul s unhealthy intensity or possibility the idea of encouraging a young boy s obsession with an adult pursuit like gambling makes Oscar uneasy. This hints that the gambling endeavor will have negative consequences. Discussion Question page 1161 How much money does Paul have now? What is the effect of this revelation on his uncle? He has 1,540 pounds. (According to footnote 12, this would be about $77,000 in today s money.) Oscar is dumbstruck by Paul s revelation. He is stripped of his patronizing amusement and is now seriously interested. Discussion Questions page 1162 Recall What is Bassett s tone as he describes Paul s gift for picking winners in line 224? Bassett is hushed and reverent, speaking in a secret, religious voice. Interpret Bassett says in lines that Paul seems to be given the names of winners from heaven. What does this suggest? Paul seems to have a supernatural ability to predict winners. Evaluate Why is this religious imagery appropriate, given the reason behind Paul s desperate racing activities? 3

4 Paul is seeking a kind of salvation. He hopes to earn enough money with his bets to stop the whispers and make his mother happy. Close Reading Question G page 1163 Why do you think Oscar not only allows Paul to continue gambling but also becomes a partner in the venture, even though it makes him nervous? What does this decision reveal about his character? Oscar s nervous feeling seems to indicate that he knows this is not right or that he is uneasy about his nephew s fervor. Paul is a child he shouldn t have such a heavy weight on his shoulders. But Oscar appears to want the money. This suggest that he is not very responsible, and that to him, cash is more important than removing his nephew from a potentially dangerous situation. Discussion Questions page 1163 Recall Summarize the family s financial situation. Paul s family is always short of money. His parents income is not sufficient to support the lavish lives they lead. The family is in debt, and anxiety about money hangs heavy in the house. Discuss Why does Paul think that finding luck will stop the whispers? As his mother taught him to, Paul equates money with luck. He thinks that obtaining luck and therefore money will ease his mother s anxiety and quell the house s whispers. Discussion Questions page 1164 Summarize What is the mother s reaction to the letter from the lawyer, and why is it surprising? As she reads the letter, the mother s expression hardens and then becomes cold and determined (lines ). Students may say that most people would have shown some pleasure or excitement upon learning of such good fortune. Analyze What does the mother s reaction and subsequent request to the lawyer suggest about her character? Her cold and absent words to her son and cold determined look in this passage make her sound heartless and hard. Her immediate request for more money makes her seem calculating and greedy. Evaluate Should Paul have advanced his mother the money? Yes. Paul s mother is desperate; she will use the money to pay off some debts. OR No. Past precedent indicates that she will not spend the money wisely, choosing instead to buy pretentious luxuries the family can t afford. Close Reading Question H page 1165 Why do you think the voices get louder after Paul s mother receives the 5,000 pounds? What point might Lawrence be making? Having come into some money, the mother spends even more lavishly. Materialism is an unsolvable problem: having money creates the desire for more. 4

5 Discussion Questions page 1166 Summarize With what feeling is Paul s mother grappling in this passage? Is this surprising, given her previous behavior? She is suffering acute anxiety about her son. Her behavior is surprising because, until now, she has shown almost no feeling toward her children. Analyze Think about why Paul is so tense. Why is his mother s reaction to his condition ironic? She is concerned about Paul, yet it is her reckless spending that has forced him to the point of desperation. Synthesize Use your knowledge of story events thus far to predict whether this onset of maternal feelings will help Paul. Paul s mother s affection and concern will come too late to help him. Close Reading Question I page 1168 Recall that Paul did tell his mother that he was lucky at the beginning of the story (lines 80-89). Why do you think she answers as she does in line 471? She s either deliberately lying to ease her own guilt, or she didn t hear him the first time because she didn t pay enough attention to him. Discussion Question page 1168 Discuss What theme is highlighted by the fact that Paul dies immediately after winning so much money? Money is not life-giving. In fact, its pursuit can lead to death if not physical, then spiritual or emotional. 5