The Futility Of Returning To Nature

D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) is one of the most courageous and original novelists at the dawn of the 20th Century. Meanwhile, he is also one of the most conscientious writers who are concerned greatly with the future and development of human society. Adopting the oldest but most touching way in myth -exploration, he makes tireless exploration to human salvation and social reform with his profound philosophical meditation. He raises a series of ideas which are refreshing, such as opposing the mechanical civilization with human instinct, objecting to the lifeless industrial society with the harmonious relationship between man and woman, and substituting the degenerated European civilization with the primitive religion.Whereas, it was the age in which Lawrence lived shaped his ideology. Nietzsche's Superman Theory, Freud's psychological and psychoanalytic theory, and Burgerson's Intuitionism influenced Lawrence profoundly. On the other side, he lived in the prosperous period of Modernism in the west, which enabled him "to successfully develop an unprecedented modern novel combining psychological exploration and social criticism with his peerless talent and unique creative ability." (Li Weiping: 142)However, as to the modernist features in Lawrence's works, there is much study on the theme, mainly concentrating on his four novels, The Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover, little research is carried out on his numerous novelettes and short stories; the study on the form is also little and value judgment and aesthetic analysis are even more scare. Aiming at this situation, this thesis selects one of Lawrence's novelettes - The Princess, as the object of study; and under the guidance of main theories of modernism, it endeavors to give a comprehensive study on the work from the respects of thetheme, form, value judgment and aesthetic ideas.Because The Princess is not a well-known work of Lawrence, the thesis introduces the story at first; then, the relevant background for writing is provided including Lawrence's penetrating understanding of the classes in England and his deep-seated hatred and incisive criticism to asceticism.Chapter Two explores the modernist features from the aspects of themes and subject matters. The most conspicuous modernist feature in the theme is Lawrence's combination of psychological exploration and social criticism. Under the deep influence of western modern psychology, Lawrence made courageous and even bold exploration into the characters' psychology, especially the sexual psychology, through which he revealed the scattered and split human relationship in modern life and a scattered and split modern society twisted by money. This provides the work with profound social background and contributes forceful criticism to the existing society. Princess' father is deeply poisoned by asceticism and becomes sexless, passionless and ignores the outside world, including ignoring his own wife: he is depicted as a specter and madman. Under the detrimental influence of asceticism and sense of hierarchy, Princess is indifferent to all kinds of social relationships and despises male attraction. In terms of the relationship with herself, she always suppresses her instinctive desire and conflict and refuses to live a natural life at the call of her instinct. The Princess intends to emphasize Lawrence's consistent idea in a negative way: man can find his vitality only by returning to nature, departing from ration and mechanical civilization.In terms of subject matters, Lawrence broke through sex taboo and bravely chose sexual psychology as his main subject matter; on the other hand, Lawrence still chose marriage as one of his important subject matters, but the difference lies in the respect that modern marriage no longer provides a standard narrative ending to the satisfaction of all. The traditional mode of marriage as a solution to problems fails in the end, or becomes unreliable and uncertain. This is because the society in which the characters live in is...