The Rocking Horse Winner, written by DH Lawrence, addresses several aspects he considered about society in the early to mid-1900s. Among these, include the obsession with the accumulation of money and wealth of a self-indulgent and self-governing society. He understood that the values ​​of middle-class society of that time were to imitate the upper class, trying to gain social status and superficial recognition. Lawrence deeply hated these societal values. Mainly due to his direct exposure to them as a child having to watch his parents consume themselves in an attempt to achieve this type of social status. Lawrence uses the plot to demonstrate that in a materialistic society, people are misguided and completely obsessed with accumulating material wealth. Lawrence uses these literal examples to emphasize this because of greed; the importance of family is almost entirely ignored, leading to the degradation of values. Lawrence wastes no time building a foundation upon which to project his views. The opening of the story depicts an almost fairy-tale depiction of a mother named Hester, who "couldn't feel love, no, not for anyone" (Lawrence 81), not even for her own family. This immediate (and abrupt) character development was intended to set the tone for the rest of the story and help the reader see things from the same perspective as Lawrence. The next crucial character development is Paul's development. Paul is an analytical young boy who strives to feel close and loved by his family. Lawrence's own upbringing directly influences Paul's development, as they both come from shallow, greed-ridden households. This connection is what drives the passion behind the themes of this story. This is illustrated by the middle of the article, Lawrence's personal feelings on its prevalence in society, and more importantly, how it affects a family as a unit. Works Cited Davies, Rosemary Reeves. "Lawrence, Lady Cynthia Asquith and 'The Winner of the Rocking Horse'." Studies in short fiction. (2002): 121-126. Academic research completed. Internet. March 31, 2014. Lawrence, David Herbert. Love Among the Haystacks and Other Stories. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1975. Print. Martin, WR “Fantasy or imagination? “The Rocking Horse Winner” College English 24.1 (1962): 64-65. JSTOR. Internet. April 2, 2014. Piedmont-Marton, Elisabeth. "Preview of 'The Rocking Horse Winner'" Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Web. April 2, 2014. Watkins, Daniel P. “Work and Religion in DH Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner.” » Studies in short fiction. (2002): 295-301. Academic research completed. Internet. March 31 2014.