The Rocking-Horse Winner
by D. H. Lawrence

The Rocking-Horse Winner: Motifs 1 key example

Definition of Motif

A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Motifs
Explanation and Analysis—The House:

The house is an important motif in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" because it's the symbolic and literal source of the family's monetary anxieties. The house is first mentioned as something that directly represents the idea of superior social status:

[The family] lived in a pleasant house, with a garden, and they had discreet servants, and felt themselves superior to anyone in the neighborhood.