Nature And Women

D.H. Lawrence is one of the most original, controversial and ahead-of-his-time writers of the 20^th century. His originality, controversiality and innovative consciousness are shown not only in the bold sexual explicitness in his works, hence his being assumed to be an obscene writer, but also in his elaborate revelation of the inseparable nature-women relationship. The Rainbow, in the form of a family saga, portrays a visionary pursuit for fulfillment by the three generations of the Brangwen family, demonstrates how man-nature, woman-nature and man-woman relationship in the modern world has been destroyed by industrialization and modern civilization.Lawrence holds that the ideal society should be like this: a being of total harmony between nature and human beings (including man and woman), a state of ideal equality between man and woman, no exploitation, no inequality. However, crawling in the shadow of patriarchy, nature and the Brangwen women are undermined due to the pervasive mechanical force of the industrial civilization. They are either alienated or trampled down and devastated by the overwhelming social force. Thus nature becomes the sacrifice of men's ever-expanding conquering-lust and women turn into the victim of patriarchy. The relationship between nature and man, between nature and woman, between woman and man deteriorated.In three parallel chapters, by resorting to the newly-appeared eco-feminism critical theory of inseparable links between nature and women (i.e. the symbolic, experiential, status links between nature and women), the present thesis tries to make an analysis of the inseparable links between nature and the Brangwen women. Such an analysis of The Rainbow displays both Lawrence's disappointment and the criticism of the capitalist industrial civilization under patriarchal system.Chapter One is about the symbolic links between nature and women in The Rainbow. By taking Lydia, Anna and Ursula as the main examples, this chapter studies the symbolic relationship between nature and women from the following three aspects: the "feminized" nature, the "naturalized" women, the "oneness" of nature and women. Then it comes to the conclusion that nature and women in The Rainbow are intimately linked with each other by symbolizing each other and becoming one with each other in the patriarchal capitalist society. Chapter Two is about the experiential links between nature and women in The Rainbow. According to the eco-feminist theory: nature and women experience the same sort of hardships and humiliations in terms of experience, the focus is first on the interpretation of the hardships experienced by nature under industrialization and insatiable human desire. Then the focus is directed towards the explanation of the hardships experienced by the three generations of Brangwen women. The governing thought is that with the expansion of industrial civilization in patriarchal society, nature and women have experienced the same process of devolution of authority and they have been subjected to the destruction of industrialization, the ignorance of patriarchal system and the devastation of empire war.Chapter Three is about the status links between nature and women in The Rainbow. According to the eco-feminist theory: nature and women are regarded as "others", and are alienated and marginalized by the industrial patriarchy in terms of status, this chapter analyzes the "other" image of nature in The Rainbow as materials of industrialization and background of human activities. Then focuses the attention on the "other" image of women in The Rainbow as foil of patriarchy, being belittled by man and being passive in love and marriage.Through a detailed reflection of the inseparable nature-women relationship, Lawrence'scriticism of modern civilization will be more effectively strengthened, and simultaneously the profundity and the richness of not only Lawrence's thought but his works as well will be enhanced accordingly i.e. his eco-feminist perspective in the capitalist industrial civilization. Similarly intensified is the readability of the novel proper.