RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

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man.
But in The Plumed Serpent Kate, a woman, is the one who
first of all admits this possibility even though she has not
(yet) noticed Ramon and Cipriano's tendency towards homosexuality.
It seems that Lawrence is forcing such a thought on Kate as a
way to punish Ursula (or Frieda?) for her denial of
Birkin's desire for a man-friend.
Also it seems that in viewing
the possibility of a man-to-man relationship Lawrence is denying
Kate the right to choose or to find a man for her to love. There
is also the fact that in Women in Love Lawrence has put in
Ursula's mouth the arguments to reject Birkin's desire.
Now in
The Plumed Serpent,
the author denies this capacity to Kate
since it is he who reports Kate's thoughts.
She does not say
anything directly.
Lawrence speaks for her and this implies a
narrative which is strongly controlled by the author so as to
prevent his characters from saying things that he would not have
them saying.
This fact weakens the book because the author seems
to be much more worried about conveying a certain message than
letting the message flow through the characters.
Kate, therefore,
can be seen as perhaps another Ursula, more corrupt and more
tied to the author's interests than to her own.
Another parallel can be drawn between Ursula and Kate in
the sense that Ursula is given a chance to choose Birkin as her
husband.
She is also allowed to disagree with his theories.
This fact implies that Lawrence was sympathetic to Ursula
because he did not deny her the right to have a different
opinion from her partner.
Ursula is not forced by the author to
bow and submit to Birkin, although he unconsciously wanted her
to do it.
Lawrence's behaviour with Kate is, on the other hand,
completely different.
He 'forces' her to accept a husband with whom
she has nothing in common.
Cipriano is thrown to Kate as her