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
275 graceful young man's, piqued him. Her dark eyes made something rise in his soul, with a curious elate excitement, when he looked into them, an excitement he was afraid to let be seen, it was so keen, and secret. And then her odd, shrewd speech made him laugh outright. He felt he must go further, he was inevitably impelled (ibid). Then the reader is caught up by the cold intentions of this youth who (though he looks like a boy) seems much more experienced than the two girls of thirty: he wants the farm which belonged to his grandfather, and to get it back, he simply decides he will marry March. He does not consider feelings, love, anything. But why does he choose March? I believe that this is because he may have realized her weakness, her doublesided personality; whereas Banford, though delicate, is stronger than March and she does not look like one who is in conflict with herself. She is not divided. Also it could be said that Henry's choice of March means a kind of challenge for him. The way he decides he must have this manly woman may imply that for Henry to become a man he must go through the ordeal of killing the masculine side of this woman. Destroying her masculinity, he will be fully completed and initiated in life (or he may also be killing the female side of himself). And the fact that she is older than he does not seem to matter: Why not marry March? He stood still in the middle of the field for some moments, the dead rabbit hanging still in his hand, arrested by this thought. His mind waited in amazement - it seemed to calculate - and then he smiled curiously to himself in acquiescence^ Why not? Why not indeed? It was a good idea. What if it was ridiculous? What.did it matter? What if she was older than he? It did not matter. When he thought of the dark, startled vulnerable eyes he smiled subtly to himself. He was older than she. He was master of her (pp.103-4 - My underlining).
The underlined sentences are the key to this interpretation. First of all Henry is a person who seems to decide his attitudes through thinking - calculation is the best word. calculate something you do not put feelings in it. And when you You simply behave as coldly and detachedly as possible. Secondly, he knows March's vulnerability, for he thinks of her eyes which express her undecisive self-knowledge. He knows that what her appearance shows is not what her inner self is. And, finally, he knows, that because of this he is older than she. He has also decided he is her master. Too simple. No feelings are involved here. It is as if March meant a kind of mathematical equation that needs an exact solution. And Henry decides he knows it. It seems, however, that Henry only uses the farm as a rationalization for going after March. His attraction (not love) for her seems, therefore, deeper than mere greed. When we read that "He scarcely admitted his intention even to himself" (p.104) we feel that at the depths Henry is not so evil as he appears to be. Since he hides his intentions from his conscious self it may be possible that he does not really want to be aware of this evil. It is as if Lawrence meant that people develop evil only within the subconscious. The moment it comes to the surface of the person's conscience s/he can be destroyed. The passage which describes how Henry will hunt March does not come really from his skillful mind. It is from the author's point of view that the hunting is described step by step. There is a clear interference from Lawrence at this point of the narrative. It is not Henry speaking: there are no quotation marks. Lawrence uses, instead, the present tense which proves his interference. The author describes even the risks Henry will run. March at this point becomes a deer - a deer is a very
- Page 233 and 234: 224 him to be. The interesting aspe
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- Page 237 and 238: 228 polarity', or in his words: 'Wh
- Page 239 and 240: everyone develops the "river of dis
- Page 241 and 242: Ursula: '... I think that a new wor
- Page 243 and 244: atmosphere of something hidden betw
- Page 245 and 246: disguised inner selves beneath thei
- Page 247 and 248: egathers itself in the water as if
- Page 249 and 250: 240 (p.252 - My underlining). His a
- Page 251 and 252: 242 the two because somehow he acce
- Page 253 and 254: 244 as alternatives to the relation
- Page 255 and 256: 246 energy. Hermione. That is how U
- Page 257 and 258: 248 'finger-tips'. The couple decid
- Page 259 and 260: 250 as you are always saying? You t
- Page 261 and 262: 252 turning suddenly to catch hold
- Page 263 and 264: 254 exploits Loerke and vice versa.
- Page 265 and 266: 256 which no one can escape from. H
- Page 267 and 268: 258 like nothing; she is like Geral
- Page 269 and 270: 260 shocked,to really blame Gudrun.
- Page 271 and 272: 262 can only feel the 'unison in se
- Page 273 and 274: 264 has been marked by a whole set
- Page 275 and 276: 266 be sure that she will put an en
- Page 277 and 278: unsatisfied tendencies" - I am temp
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- Page 281 and 282: 27 2 ♦ has a gun), unable to do a
- Page 283: 274 next morning he simply goes to
- Page 287 and 288: 278 because she is not conscious of
- Page 289 and 290: 280 to see the strange glow in his
- Page 291 and 292: 282 top, Lawrence says that March "
- Page 293 and 294: 284 owner of the house for in the m
- Page 295 and 296: 286 relationship she is going to ha
- Page 297 and 298: 288 spark, and saw the shadow of th
- Page 299 and 300: 290 masculine identification. She w
- Page 301 and 302: 292 and chiffon dresses. The Banfor
- Page 303 and 304: 294 From this point on, March has f
- Page 305 and 306: 296 to March. With Henry she will h
- Page 307 and 308: 298 and once more the answer goes b
- Page 309 and 310: 300 She looked up at him with tears
- Page 311 and 312: CHAPTER V THE PLUMED SERPENT - THE
- Page 313 and 314: 304 relations that Lawrence seems d
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- Page 317 and 318: 308 this fate implies punishment be
- Page 319 and 320: 310 and his sensuality and this see
- Page 321 and 322: 312 Ramon cannot be compared to Wal
- Page 323 and 324: 314 Carlota. The fact that Ramon wa
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- Page 327 and 328: i 318 ... when she remembered [Cipr
- Page 329 and 330: 320 my soul. Let me close my prying
- Page 331 and 332: 322 other kind of intimacy save for
- Page 333 and 334: 324 But perhaps he would be, if we
275<br />
graceful young man's, piqued him. Her dark eyes<br />
made something rise in his soul, with a curious<br />
elate excitement, when he looked into them, an<br />
excitement he was afraid to let be seen, it was<br />
so keen, and secret. And then her odd, shrewd<br />
speech made him laugh outright. He felt he must<br />
go further, he was inevitably impelled (ibid).<br />
Then the reader is caught up by the cold intentions of this<br />
youth who (though he looks like a boy) seems much more<br />
experienced than the two girls of thirty: he wants the farm<br />
which belonged to his grandfather, and to get it back, he simply<br />
decides he will marry March.<br />
He does not consider feelings,<br />
love, anything. But why does he choose March? I believe that<br />
this is because he may have realized her weakness, her doublesided<br />
personality; whereas Banford, though delicate, is stronger<br />
than March and she does not look like one who is in conflict<br />
with herself.<br />
She is not divided.<br />
Also it could be said that Henry's choice of March means a<br />
kind of challenge for him.<br />
The way he decides he must have this<br />
manly woman may imply that for Henry to become a man he must go<br />
through the ordeal of killing the masculine side of this woman.<br />
Destroying her masculinity, he will be fully completed and<br />
initiated in life (or he may also be killing the female side of<br />
himself).<br />
And the fact that she is older than he does not seem<br />
to matter:<br />
Why not marry March? He stood still in the middle<br />
of the field for some moments, the dead rabbit<br />
hanging still in his hand, arrested by this<br />
thought. His mind waited in amazement - it<br />
seemed to calculate - and then he smiled curiously<br />
to himself in acquiescence^ Why not? Why not<br />
indeed? It was a good idea. What if it was<br />
ridiculous? What.did it matter? What if she was<br />
older than he? It did not matter. When he<br />
thought of the dark, startled vulnerable eyes<br />
he smiled subtly to himself. He was older than<br />
she. He was master of her (pp.103-4 - My<br />
underlining).
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