RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

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of taking a mistress because "the other form of life was beyond
him..." (p.91).
Thus, he returns to the Marsh farm, back to
Lydia. Now Lawrence makes it clear that although Tom's wife
seems so apart from him, she is actually very much aware of her
husband's needs:
'Why do you go away so often?' she said.
'But you don't want me,' he replied.
She was silent for a while.
'You do not want to be with me any more,' she said.
It startled him. How did she know this truth?
He -thought i't was his secret' (p. 92).
For the first time they seem to agree in their utter strangeness
and separateness. Tom tells Lydia about his meeting with the
lady in Wirksworth.
This makes him feel Lydia is "again the
active unknown facing him" (p.93).
And the foreign woman knows
his inner desire to search for another woman:
’Why should you want to find a woman who is more
to you than me?' she said.
The turbulence raged in his breast.
'I don't,' he said.
'Why do you?' she repeated. 'Why do you want to
deny me?' (ibid).
Tom cannot bear the questioning.
He tells his wife: "'You make
me feel as if I was nothing'" (p.94).
This is definitely the key
to the couple's decisive meeting and final union.
Lydia takes
him in her arms and Tom senses that
She was now transfigured, she was wonderful,
beyond him. He wanted to go. But he could not
not as yet kiss her. He was himself apart...
She waited for him to meet her, not to bow before
her and serve her. She wanted his active
participation, not his submission (p.95).
Hence they meet half-way* Neither Tom nor Lydia needs to submit.
They must be together to search the fulfilment both want.
This
happens two years after their marriage.
They become complete.
They recognize their differences and in so doing they are united:
At last they had thrown open the doors, each to