Paul’s quest to satisfy his mother’s demands begins with his attempts to define luck. Initially, he confuses it with lucre, believing luck and money are synonymous because his Uncle Oscar often refers to “filthy lucre” (Lawrence 255). His mother explains that luck is “what causes you to have money. If you’re lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’

re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money.” (256) Paul’s relationship with his mother is what drives him toward the racing. Paul has a constant need for his mothers approval, and the only way he can succeed is by changing their bad luck to good. His mother has repeatedly held her husband responsible for their financial woes, condemning his as “very unlucky” (256). Because his father has let her down, Paul believes it is up to him to change the family’s luck or “good fortune.” Since Paul’s father has obviously failed miserably at satisfying his wife, the son feels pressured to fulfill her needs, through her desire for more money. Paul does this by riding for hours on his wooden rocking horse, putting himself in a sort of trance, Paul “wanted luck, he wanted it, he wanted it.... [he] knew the horse could take him to where there was luck” (256-257).

Paul believes that his gift of knowing what horse to pick makes him a lucky person, and that his mother can now be content in this knowledge that, at last, “Lady Luck” is smiling upon them. While Paul is on his rocking horse, he is able to predict the winners of horse races. His Uncle Oscar is a bit skeptical of his nephew’s powers, at least until his predictions start bringing in money. Thanks to the i

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