RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

219
be a winner in this battle of wills.
Gerald tells Gudrun:
"'You have struck the first blow'"; and her answer is:
"'And I shall strike the last'".
This game of words has already
signalled that Gudrun will be victorious in the affair because
her confident assurance makes Gerald be "silent, he did not
contradict her".
And in this show of violence there is no space
for anger.
Gudrun asks Gerald if he is angry with her, to which
he replies: "'I'm not angry with you.
I'm in love with you'"
(p.163).
This implies that Gerald has accepted the sadomasochistic
game although he has already realized that violence
is the main card of their affair.
After this episode they start mutual violent caresses with
one another, exchanging electrical cold currents.
When they
return to the boats to row back to Willey Water, it is Gudrun
who paddles the boat because Gerald seems to have a hurt hand.
He becomes entirely dependent on her: "she was subtly gratified
that she should have power over them both.
He gave himself, in
a strange electric submission" (p.168).
The fact that Gerald
feels impotent to direct the boat may lead one to think of a
dependence also in terms of sex.
He is only able to use Gudrun
when he feels that she can fulfil his deficiencies.
But
suddenly the mood changes and Gerald and Gudrun exchange roles
again when they hear a shout at a distance that somebody is
drowning.
paddling.
Gerald becomes domineering again and directs Gudrun's
Gudrun becomes then the passive female obeying the
man and observing his maleness when he jumps into the water.
Gerald swims like a water-rat and this makes Gudrun feel a morbid
pleasure.
She feels that "she would never go beyond him, he has
the final approximation of life to her" (p.173).
In the water
Gerald looks for his sister Diana who has fallen into the water