RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

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112 She does not even notice that Siegmund is feeling sick. For her the world is resumed in her self-sufficiency which has been entirely restored after she has 'predominated1 under the moonlight. Siegmund, on the other hand, is sick within himself, as if he had lost his soul to the moon through Helena. He feels lost twice. First, he and Helena have lost the trail. He feels insecure and leaves his lover to find the way home. He simply follows her like a little child follows his strong mother who always knows the best way to go. Finally, he feels lost within himself and seems to go into a strong crisis which leads him to question his situation with Helena. Siegmund feels as if he had dissolved within the limits of his soul. The trouble is that he is not aware that the woman is causing him to feel like this. She is the male in the relation: the one who is active and directs the intercourse. What is left for him is a deep sensation of almost disintegration. His role becomes the one of the passive female. This is perhaps why he diagnoses his sickness as follows: ‘Surely,' he told himself, *1 have drunk life too hot, and it has hurt my cup. My soul seems to leak out — I am half here, half gone away...1 Then be came to the hour of Helena's strange ecstasy over him. That, somehow, had filled him with passionate grief. It was happiness concentrated one drop too keen, so that what should have been vivid wine was like a pure poison scathing him (p.77). Notice here that Helena is the one who has 'strange ecstasy' which 'fills him' with passionate grief. Is this, the female role in a sexual intercourse? Siegmund is transformed into a 'cup' which is the container of passion. There is also the sensation of guilt for the sexual act since he feels hurt by what is supposed to give him pleasure. Instead, it becomes like 'pure poison scathing him'. Helena is the castrating woman hurting him. This thought makes Siegmund unconsciously condemn the relation. Not because it is adulterous but because he feels hurt for being an agent of sin (the sexual relation may have, this

113 connotation in his mind) . In fact Siegmund, as well as Helena, is a puritan (like Paul Morel and his mother). However, this crisis is within the man. He does not share it with his partner since he talks to himself and not to her. Even consciously he is not aware of his emotional state. Helena is hardly aware of the man behind her. She is living the ecstasy of walking under the moonlight. She is not lost. There is another important comment Siegmund makes to himself which shows that from within he knows that Helena is killing him: "'I suppose,' he said to himself for the last time, 'I suppose living too intensely kills you, more or less'"(ibid). This is directed to his love affair with Helena and because of her he is dying gradually, day by day. When Siegmund comes to reality, he continues following Helena and watching the night and the moon. Helena, delighted by the idea of being lost, directs the way and continues to ignore Siegmund's presence. They are so separate that she dreams about dreaming while they walk. In this dream, she imagines herself lying asleep in her room, while her own dreams slid out down the moonbeams. She imagined Siegmund sleeping in his room, while his dreams, dark eyed, their blue eyes very dark and yearning at night-time, came wandering over the grey grass seeking her dreams (p.79). Even here the lovers do not meet. and it is his dream seeking hers. They are in different rooms Her dreams do not seek his. In their search for the way home, a religious sign appears: a chapel and Christ upon His cross. All the description seems to be reminding the couple of sacrifice. It is through Siegmund that Lawrence places the burden of a new Christ in sacrifice. The point is that Siegmund feels like a sacrifice because of Helena. But neither the author nor the character blames the woman:

113<br />

connotation in his mind) . In fact Siegmund, as well as Helena,<br />

is a puritan (like Paul Morel and his mother). However, this<br />

crisis is within the man.<br />

He does not share it with his partner<br />

since he talks to himself and not to her.<br />

Even consciously he<br />

is not aware of his emotional state.<br />

Helena is hardly aware of<br />

the man behind her.<br />

She is living the ecstasy of walking under<br />

the moonlight. She is not lost. There is another important<br />

comment Siegmund makes to himself which shows that from within<br />

he knows that Helena is killing him: "'I suppose,' he said to<br />

himself for the last time, 'I suppose living too intensely kills<br />

you, more or less'"(ibid).<br />

This is directed to his love affair<br />

with Helena and because of her he is dying gradually, day by day.<br />

When Siegmund comes to reality, he continues following Helena and<br />

watching the night and the moon.<br />

Helena, delighted by the idea<br />

of being lost, directs the way and continues to ignore Siegmund's<br />

presence.<br />

They are so separate that she dreams about dreaming<br />

while they walk.<br />

In this dream, she imagines<br />

herself lying asleep in her room, while her own<br />

dreams slid out down the moonbeams. She imagined<br />

Siegmund sleeping in his room, while his dreams,<br />

dark eyed, their blue eyes very dark and yearning<br />

at night-time, came wandering over the grey grass<br />

seeking her dreams (p.79).<br />

Even here the lovers do not meet.<br />

and it is his dream seeking hers.<br />

They are in different rooms<br />

Her dreams do not seek his.<br />

In their search for the way home, a religious sign appears:<br />

a chapel and Christ upon His cross. All the description seems<br />

to be reminding the couple of sacrifice.<br />

It is through<br />

Siegmund that Lawrence places the burden of a new Christ in<br />

sacrifice. The point is that Siegmund feels like a sacrifice<br />

because of Helena.<br />

But neither the author nor the character blames<br />

the woman:

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