Harmonious Coexistence Of Man And Nature

As one of the most prestigious writers, D. H. Lawrence composed a series of works in literature and art in his short life. The philosophic implications embedded in his works enlarge the study area of literary scholars.The Rainbow and Women in Love are considered as the two greatest novels in Lawrence's compositions. The life of the Brangwens is the thread in both. The former describes the life and spiritual development of three generations in the family; the latter puts focus on Ursula Brangwen and Gudrun Brangwen's love affairs. Despite of the different writing styles and tones, both of the novels present a theme: the conflict between industrialization and nature. For the writer, industrialization isolated human beings from nature, depriving their nature and vitality. To free themselves from the oppression of industrialization and reconstruct the vitality in human nature, human beings should reassess their own position in the universe, and reestablish the harmonious relationship with nature.This thesis attempts at exploring Lawrence's ecological awareness and ecological concern in The Rainbow and Women in Love, emphasizing the significance of Lawrence's ecological ideas on modern ecological issues.The thesis consists of five chapters:Chapter One makes a brief introduction to Lawrence's literary career and critical reception of his works, stating the theoretical basis and structure of the thesis.Chapter Two is to trace the formation of Lawrence's ecological thoughts to the times he lived in and to his heredity of ecological ideas from ancestral writers. With such influence, Lawrence displayed his ecological awareness in his various writings.Chapter Three probes into the description of nature presented in Lawrence's two major novels, analyses the spirit of nature, discusses the influence of such spirit on man, then points out Lawrence adopting the holistic view on man-and-nature relationship, holding the belief of harmonious coexistence of man and nature.Chapter Four explores the cause and effects of ecological disaster in human society, displaying Lawrence's philosophy of anti-anthropocentrism and anti-materialism. In his view, industrialization destroys the harmonious relationship between man and nature, which leads to the alienation of human nature; the only way of salvation for human beings is to break out of the shell of human society to reestablish the harmonious relationship with nature.Chapter Five makes a conclusion of the whole thesis, restating the importance of ecocriticism in the modern world, Lawrence's ecological beliefs in harmonious coexistence of man and nature, and significance of his ecological thoughts for finding solutions to present ecological crises.