Modernism, Family Drama, Horror or Gothic Fiction
D. H. Lawrence is considered one of the big Modernists of his era.
Like many Modernists, he was heavily influenced by Freud's writings on human sexuality. "The Rocking-Horse Winner" reveals this Freudian influence in the love triangle Lawrence creates between Hester, Paul, and the unnamed father, where Paul ends up taking his father's place as the breadwinner of the family and tries to take on qualities that Hester wished her husband had.
This family drama is central to the general creepiness of the story. Like classic Gothic fiction, the house is a reflection of the characters' twisted and tormented minds. Death and evil lurk right around the corner, with Paul's perhaps diabolical gift for naming winning racehorses leading so quickly to his instant, tragic death.