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This blog on NCERT solutions for Class 11 Woven Words Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner offers clear and simple answers to the exercise questions. It helps students to understand the themes of this chapter, all within this short story. These solutions help students in preparing for the examination and understanding the emotional and psychological depth of the narrator. You can also download the free PDF for a quick revision.
Contents
Explore Notes of Class 11 English Woven Words
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NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner
Here are the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner, designed to support effective revision and understanding of the story’s themes and characters.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
What is the significance of the title “The Rocking-horse Winner”?
Solution: The title, The Rocking-horse Winner, is significant as it encapsulates the central irony and tragedy of the story. The rocking-horse, a child’s toy, becomes Paul’s obsessive tool to achieve “luck” and win money through horse-race betting, symbolising his desperate attempt to fulfil his mother’s insatiable desire for wealth. The term “winner” is ironic because, despite Paul’s success in predicting race winners, it leads to his psychological and physical destruction, culminating in his death. The title highlights the futility of chasing material gain at the cost of emotional and familial bonds, as Paul’s victories on the rocking-horse fail to bring true happiness or love to his family.
How does the house’s whispering, “There must be more money,” influence the characters’ actions?
Solution: The house’s whispering, “There must be more money,” symbolises the family’s constant anxiety over financial insufficiency, driving the characters’ actions. For the mother, Hester, it fuels her dissatisfaction and pursuit of a luxurious lifestyle, despite her inability to succeed professionally. For Paul, the whisper intensifies his obsession with proving his luck to satisfy his mother and silence the house. His frenzied rides on the rocking-horse and betting with Bassett and Uncle Oscar are direct responses to this pressure, as he seeks to provide the money the house demands. The whisper underscores the destructive impact of materialism, pushing Paul to his tragic end.
What role does Paul’s mother play in the events leading to his tragic end?
Solution: Paul’s mother, Hester, plays a significant role in the events leading to Paul’s tragic end through her emotional detachment and materialistic desires. Her inability to love her children and her constant dissatisfaction with their financial situation create the haunting whisper, “There must be more money,” which Paul internalises. Her bitterness about her husband’s and her own lack of luck prompts Paul to obsessively seek luck through his rocking-horse, hoping to win her approval. When she receives the anonymous gift of five thousand pounds, her demand for the full sum immediately and her continued pursuit of luxury escalate the house’s whispers, intensifying Paul’s pressure to predict the Derby winner, ultimately leading to his fatal collapse.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Discuss the role of luck in the story and its impact on the characters.
Solution: In The Rocking-horse Winner, luck is a central theme, equated with the ability to acquire money, and it profoundly impacts the characters. Hester defines luck as the force that brings wealth, attributing her family’s financial struggles to her husband’s and her own lack of it. This belief drives Paul to seek luck obsessively, using his rocking-horse to predict horse-race winners, hoping to prove his luck and gain his mother’s love. His success in betting, facilitated by Bassett and Uncle Oscar, temporarily alleviates the family’s financial strain but fuels his compulsion. The pursuit of luck consumes Paul, leading to his mental and physical breakdown, illustrating its destructive power. In groups, students can discuss how the notion of luck reflects societal pressures to achieve material success.
What social commentary does D.H. Lawrence make through the story?
Solution: D.H. Lawrence uses The Rocking-horse Winner to critique the destructive nature of materialism and the societal obsession with wealth and status. The story highlights how the relentless pursuit of money erodes familial bonds, as seen in Hester’s emotional detachment from her children and Paul’s desperate attempts to fulfil her desires. The house’s whisper, “There must be more money,” symbolises the pervasive societal pressure to maintain appearances, regardless of emotional cost. Lawrence also critiques the commodification of love, as Paul equates financial success with earning his mother’s affection, only to meet tragedy. In groups, students can explore how these themes resonate with modern consumerist societies.
How does the story reflect the psychological conflict within Paul?
Solution: The story vividly portrays Paul’s psychological conflict, driven by his desire to win his mother’s love and silence the house’s whisper, “There must be more money.” His obsession with luck stems from his mother’s claim that she and his father are unlucky, leading him to internalise the family’s financial anxiety. Paul’s frenzied rides on the rocking-horse symbolise his inner turmoil, as he seeks supernatural insight into race winners, believing this will prove his worth. His secrecy about his betting and his fear of his mother discovering his luck reflect his anxiety and need for her approval. This conflict culminates in his mental and physical collapse, highlighting the devastating impact of his internalised pressure. In groups, students can discuss how Paul’s conflict mirrors broader issues of familial expectations.
APPRECIATION
Comment on the narrative style of the story and its contribution to the theme.
Solution: The narrative style of The Rocking-horse Winner is characterised by a fairy-tale-like tone combined with psychological realism, which enhances the story’s themes of materialism and desperation. The repetitive, almost incantatory phrase, “There must be more money,” creates a haunting, omnipresent atmosphere, mirroring the family’s obsession with wealth. Lawrence’s use of vivid imagery, such as Paul’s frenzied rides on the rocking-horse and his “uncanny blue eyes,” conveys his psychological intensity and foreshadows his tragic end. The detached, omniscient narrator subtly critiques the characters’ actions, emphasising the futility of their pursuits. This style engages readers emotionally, reinforcing the story’s commentary on the destructive nature of greed.
How does the use of symbolism, such as the rocking-horse, enhance the story’s impact?
Solution: The rocking-horse is a powerful symbol in The Rocking-horse Winner, representing Paul’s futile quest for luck and his mother’s love. As a child’s toy, it signifies innocence, yet its frenzied motion reflects Paul’s obsessive drive to achieve financial success through supernatural means. The horse’s lack of a fixed name, taking on names of race winners like Sansovino and Malabar, underscores Paul’s desperate attempt to transcend his limitations and fulfil the house’s demands. Other symbols, like the house’s whisper, symbolise societal pressure for wealth, while Hester’s hardened heart represents emotional barrenness. These symbols deepen the story’s emotional and thematic impact, highlighting the tragic cost of materialism.
Also Read: NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady (Free PDF)
Download NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner
You can download the free PDF of NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner for effective revision.
Download more NCERT Solutions of Class 11 English ‘Woven Words’ here!
| Chapter 1: The Lament Solution |
| Chapter 2: A Pair of Mustachios Solutions |
| Chapter 3: The Rocking-horse Winner Solution |
| Chapter 4: The Adventure of the Three Garridebs Solution |
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