Women In The Rainbow

D. H. Lawrence is one of the few men writers who attach great importance to women characters. Criticisms of him are very controversial concerning his women characters. Some critics think that Lawrence has made a great contribution to women characterization. But some Feminists like Kate Millet and Hillary Simpson criticize Lawrence for his male chauvinism and his prejudice against women. Lawrence's attitude towards women's self-emancipation and self-fulfillment is not consistent. In the early twenties of the twentieth century, he shows great sympathy for women. But he develops an explicit anti-feminism and male chauvinism after the First World War, and writes against strong-willed working-women who assimilate themselves in the man's world, vilifying them as aggressive, over-dominating women. However, we shouldn't deny the contribution he has made for women's emancipation, for he, in his lifetime, attach great importance to women and explores women's problems with great concern in his novels. Among them, The Rainbow, has been accepted by most critics as the best of all his novels and the one embodying his greatest sympathy for women. The novel distinguishes itself by its vast amount of explorations of the unknown natural self of women. The women characters' advanced self-consciousness, independence, rebellious and explorative spirit are valuable even today. The philosophical revelations concerning women's self-emancipation and self-fulfillment are thought -provoking and enlightening even for modern women, thus justifying the re-examination of women characters in this novel.This thesis analyzes the progress of women characters' consciousness of self, and Lawrence's contributions and limitations inhis exploration of women's self-emancipation. It also offers some tentative suggestion for modern women's self-emancipation and self-fulfillment.It is structured as follows:The introduction briefly introduces Lawrence's attitude towards women's self-emancipation and provides the background of The Rainbow.Chapter One analyses Lydia's wakened female self, illustrating her positive modern characteristics, and her consciousness of self-independence.Chapter Two studies Lydia's daughter - Anna's liberal sexual-self, her rebellion towards the inhibition of religion and her defense against her husband's attempt of domination.Chapter Three analyzes Ursula's persistent exploration of self-emancipation and self-fulfillment, with an attempt to dig out the most valuable characteristics in her and to summarize the enlightenments her explorations reveal.Chapter Four points out Kate Miller's misreading of Lawrence's portrayal of women and summarizes Lawrence's limitations in his portrayal of women.The conclusion part summarizes Lawrence's contributions and limitations in his explorations of women's self-emancipation and self-fulfillment, and provides tentative suggestions for modern women's self-emancipation and self-fulfillment in the new century.