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Both "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence and "The Destructors" by Graham Greene explore themes of societal pressures, greed, and the impact of family dynamics on individuals. Despite their different settings and narratives, the two stories share underlying similarities in their portrayal of the destructive consequences of societal and familial pressures. This comparison will examine the characters, plots, and themes of both stories to highlight their similarities and contrasts.
Characters
The Rocking-Horse Winner:
In The Rocking-Horse Winner, the main characters are:
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Paul: The young protagonist who is determined to win his mother’s affection and alleviate the financial strain she faces by using his supernatural ability to predict the winner of horse races. Paul’s relationship with money and his desire to be loved define his actions throughout the story.
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Mother (Hester): She is a cold and distant figure who constantly feels dissatisfied with her life and is driven by a desire for wealth. Her lack of genuine affection for her children pushes Paul to seek approval in unhealthy ways.
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Uncle Oscar: Paul’s supportive but ultimately passive uncle, who facilitates Paul’s betting but does little to intervene in the growing emotional crisis.
Paul's character is driven by a need for love and a desire to earn his mother's affection. His obsession with winning money reflects his desperation to fill the emotional void left by his mother's neglect. Hester, on the other hand, represents the greed and emotional emptiness of a materialistic world, where love is conditioned on wealth.
The Destructors:
In The Destructors, the main characters are:
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Trevor (T): The leader of the gang, a cynical and rebellious boy who sees destruction as a means to assert control over his environment. Trevor’s character is complex because, despite his destructive actions, he possesses a sense of intelligence and foresight that make him a compelling figure.
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Blackie: The former leader of the gang who gives up his role in favor of Trevor’s leadership. Blackie represents the innocent nature of childhood that contrasts with Trevor's intense disillusionment with society.
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Old Misery (Mr. Thomas): The elderly man whose house becomes the target of the gang’s destruction. His character is symbolic of a society in decline, disconnected from the gang’s worldview.
The characters in The Destructors are primarily children, yet they exhibit cynicism and a deep mistrust of the values that their parents and society uphold. Trevor’s desire to destroy the house is symbolic of his rejection of the old order and the futile attempt to create meaning in a world he perceives as meaningless. In contrast to Paul, who seeks love and approval, Trevor seeks control and destruction as forms of rebellion.
Plot
The Rocking-Horse Winner:
The plot of The Rocking-Horse Winner revolves around Paul’s desperate attempt to gain his mother’s love by acquiring wealth. He believes that the key to winning her affection lies in acquiring money, so he uses his ability to predict winning horses to place bets. As Paul becomes more obsessed with his winnings, he is consumed by the need to win money, which ultimately leads to his death. The story explores the psychological effects of a mother’s coldness and the destructive nature of greed.
The plot unfolds with a sense of tragic inevitability, as Paul’s belief in the necessity of wealth and his desire to win his mother's love end up destroying him. The final irony of the story is that Paul dies after a winning bet, which he believes will finally secure his mother’s affection, only for his sacrifice to go unnoticed.
The Destructors:
In The Destructors, a group of boys, led by Trevor, form a gang with the intention of destroying an elderly man’s house, a symbol of old societal values. The boys meticulously plan their destruction, not for personal gain
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