Marxist Theory
This concept describes the belief that money would solve personal problems.
False consciousness
Which character believes that luck is what causes a person to have money?
Hester (The mother)
What option symbolizes obsession and a destructive chase for wealth?
The rocking horse
“Although they lived well, they were never totally happy in the house.” This highlights ___?
Class anxiety
Paul acts more like a ____ than a child?
Worker (adult)
What is alienation?
When people become disconnected due to economic pressure.
What did Bassett help Paul do throughout the story?
Place bets and represent the working class
What phrase is constantly repeated in the household?
“There must be more money!”
“Is luck money, mother?” shows how paul is linking ___ to ___?
Luck and Wealth
Paul's labour benefits who most?
The mother and uncle Oscar
When someone else's labour is used to benefit another while harming them in return, is called ___
Exploitation
Who profits off of Paul's gambling while avoiding any responsibility?
Uncle Oscar
What does the house's whispering symbolize in the story?
The constant pressure and anxiety about money controlling the family’s thoughts and emotions
“There must be more money” shows how money is replaced with what?
Love
Why does Paul begin gambling in the first place?
To earn his mothers love and fix his mothers financial issues
This concept describes treating others/objects with economic value
Commodification
In Hester's (Mother) eyes, which character symbolizes financial failure?
The father
What does Paul’s constant riding of the horse physically represent?
Self-destruction caused by exploitation
Which Marxist idea explains why the mother is never satisfied, even after receiving money?
False consciousness
What capitalist value causes the family to hide their financial reality?
Maintaining social status
According to Marxist theory, literature often reflects the ______ and ______ systems of its time.
Social and Economic.
Which characters represents a “normal childhood”
Paul’s sisters
The rocking horse most closely represents which Marxist idea: Alienation, Commodification, or class mobility? Explain
Commodification as Paul turns effort and suffering into money
What theme is reinforced by Paul dying after earning so much money?
Wealth cannot replace love
How does Paul’s suffering reveal a flaw in capitalism?
The system values profit over human life?