In what way is the boy’s furious riding on the rocking horse an appropriate symbol for materialistic pursuits? What is materialism?

Materialism is the pursuit of happiness through materialistic objects. The young boy, Paul, rides the rocking horse in order to get a vision of the winner of the future horse races. When he rides his rocking horse, he is so focused on obtaining the name of the winner that he often blocks everything else out. This is symbolic because those who are in pursuit of materialistic wealth often rush furiously through life in order to gain it, missing out on what is really important, love.