NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Woven Words) Short Stories 3 The Rocking-horse Winner

Class : 11th

Subject : English

Chapter : 3

Chapter Name : The Rocking-horse Winner

Q1 What was the reason for young Paul’s restlessness at the beginning of the story? How did it
find expression?

Answer. The reason behind young Paul's restlessness is the revelation of the fact that they are
not lucky to him. He's worried that they don't have enough funds to buy a car and therefore have
to borrow every time. He is of the opinion that this is because of his father and because of the
same reason even the mother is unhappy. He senses the lack of luxuries of life and takes being
unlucky the reason for the ill fate.

Q2 Why do you think Paul’s mother was not satisfied with the yearly birthday gift of 1,000
pounds for five years?

Answer. The reason behind Paul being unsatisfied with the yearly birthday gift of 1000 pounds
is that his mother was also unhappy. She deserved a lot more than what she actually was
presented with. Her expectations high resulted in the lack of happiness and sense of
accomplishment when presented with the said gifts. That is why she thinks that the house
needs more money.

Q3 What was the reason for the anxiety of Paul’s mother as he grew older?

Answer. Paul was a child who suffered from Autistic syndrome and thus the thinking of his
mother that the house needs more money startles his mind. In the anticipation of earning more
money, he starts betting on racehorses. But their luck plays a game here and he loses multiple
times. Paul's mother was anxious because of the fact that Paul lost more and more and yet he
was betting again hoping to win the next time. The reason behind his repetitive betting was the
urge to prove his luck to his mother. That's why Paul's mother was anxious and left the party to
see him.

Q4 Paul’s final bet made the family rich but cost him his life. Explain.

Answer. The statement that - Paul's final bet made the family rich but cost him his life is true in
the sense that Paul made repetitive bets in order to prove his luck despite losing in one after the
other. He was an autistic child who probably was schizophrenic as he hears the house speak. It
is evident from the story that he finally wins the last bet that he made on Derby earning 80,000
pounds but in the continuous process of betting, he deteriorated his health so much that he died
a few days after the winning. Thus, the family was now rich but they had lost their son in the
process.

Q1 Luck is necessary for success in life’.

Answer. The world is full of people with different mindsets. Some believe that it is luck that
guides their life, for some, it's the hard work that paves the road to success. However, it is
generally said to keep performing your own deeds without anticipation of anything in return.
Thus, the statement that luck is necessary for success in life, has multiple dimensions. If you
believe that all you receive is a result of your own hard work then luck is of no importance. But if
you are a firm believer that along with the deeds that you perform, luck plays a major role then
it's true that luck is necessary for success in life.

Q2 Although Paul's mother liked to be rich she did not approve of betting on horses.

Answer. It is clearly evident from the story that Paul's mother wanted to have a lavish lifestyle,
and she's unable to live one because she considered themselves unlucky. She blames her
husband for being unlucky. However, leaving apart the fact that she wishes to be wealthy and
live a rich life, she never supported gambling. There are instances given in the story that she
had a word with her brother regarding the downfall that comes as a consequence of gambling
and she also states examples from their family. Thus, he discourages her son not to fall into the
trap of gambling.

Q3 What were the voices that Paul heard? Did they lead him to success in the real sense?

Answer. The story unfolds with the description that although the family wanted to be richer.
Specifically talking, the mother had made a statement once that the House needed money. This
was the statement that made home in Paul's mind and as a result of being schizophrenic, he

heard voices in his brain. The once said statement of his mother that the house needs money
was the voice that Paul kept hearing repeatedly.
The success can be discussed in two elements here, firstly they won the last bet so they gained
the monetary benefit. But in the process of gaining the monetary benefit, Paul's health drained
too much that they lost him in a few days. That was not the success in real sense.

Q1 Examine the communication channels in the story between
(A) Paul and his mother
(B) Paul and Bassett
(C) Paul and his uncle
(D) Bassett and Paul's Uncle
(E) Paul's mother and his uncle

Answer.
(A) Paul and his mother were the most reserved kind of relations. They hardly made a verbal
communication with each other, all was said through the action of the eyes.

(B) Bassett was the only true companion in the story that helped Paul. He knew how to read
between the lines and understood that all went through Paul's mind and provided him with the
information that he required.

(C) Paul and his uncle just had the relationship of merely being the partners as his uncle
discovered the knowledge that Paul had that helped him predict the winning horses.

(D) They both enjoyed a comparatively longer familiarity. Paul's uncle became a partner in the
partnership that existed between Bassett and Paul on the betting of horses.

(E) Paul's mother was an ambitious lady that wanted to gain more and more monetary benefits
but she was against gambling. But she had a confusing relationship with her brother as he was
the one that guided Paul on the road of betting on the horses.

Q2 How has the author linked the symbol of the rocking-horse to Paul’s triumphs at the races?

Answer. The rocking horse has been compared to the symbol of his monetary benefits at the
end of the story. The story revolves around the fact that is imbibed in Paul's mind that they are
unlucky and it is the luck that attracts money so they won't be wealthy. He started hearing the
voices that the house needs more money repeatedly that led him to indulge himself in the world
of horse betting that although gained them the monetary benefits but cost them his life.

Q3 The ending of the story is an instance of irony. Suppose Paul had not died at the end, how
would you have reacted to the story?

Answer. The ending of the story is truly an instance of irony that shows how in order to gain
monetary benefits they lost the most valuable element that is their son's life. Had the story
ended on a different note, then the thinking towards the ending would have been different from
the message that it is not merely luck that guides the way to success in life. Hard work is the key
that can be used to achieve all what individual desires in his life. But the loss of life in the story
marks the greedy nature that how by the mere statement of a fact by his mother, the child is
derived to do something so fate changing leaving to his death.