To understand the seemingly irrational disappointment and disillusionment of the socially ambitious mother in the story, it is necessary to realize the emphasis that was placed on possessions and the appearance of wealth among the privileged classes in early twentieth-century England, and in London in particular. A "perpetual fireworks display," as it has been called, the nonstop social calendar demanded showy clothes, extravagant menus, hordes of servants, trips abroad, and, of course, an impressive automobile (Bedarida, p. 149). This final luxury was regarded as the ultimate status symbol, which probably explains why Hester, the mother in the short story, is so bitter over having to rely on borrowing her brother's car or hiring a taxi. Indeed, it is from her son's innocent question regarding the family's lack of a car that the entire tragic story of "The Rocking-Horse Winner" ensues.
After the end of World War I, many people expected that life would revert to its former status. Perhaps a sense of relief at having emerged victorious and alive from the horrifying trenches in France led some to a frenzied and spendthrift return to prewar ostentation. The "Roaring Twenties," a hedonistic decade of relaxed morals and carefree spending often celebrated in literary works of the time, were not, despite the image, enjoyed by most English people, who remained as poor as they had ever been.
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