Genre
Short story
Setting and Context
England
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narrator
Tone and Mood
Tense and mysterious
Protagonist and Antagonist
Paul (protagonist)
Major Conflict
Paul's mother is dissatisfied with her material possessions. This dissatisfaction manifests itself as a whispering voice in their house. Paul rides his rocking-horse in order to predict the winners of horse races to make money to satisfy her.
Climax
Paul's mother comes back from a party, worried for her son, only to discover him riding his rocking-horse violently and screaming the name of the winner of the next race. He collapses.
Foreshadowing
The narrator mentions that Paul has a "secret within secrets," and it is clear that Paul is always keeping something from others.
Understatement
Paul tells his mother that she has nothing to worry about, even though his riding his rocking-horse is clearly deteriorating his mental health.
Allusions
One of the racing horses is named "Lancelot" after one of the knights of King Arthur.
Imagery
Just before Paul's mother goes into Paul's room, she senses threatening noises and movements coming from there. These are perhaps some of the most intense, if invisible, descriptions in the story.
Paradox
Paul's mother wants more money, but when she gets more money she becomes even more dissatisfied.
Parallelism
"There was a woman who was beautiful, who started with all the advantages, yet she had no luck... She had bonny children, yet she felt they had been thrust upon her."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Paul's rocking-horse stands for a real horse. (Metonymy)
Personification
Paul's family's house seems to whisper to them in human language.
