A Biblical Archetypal Study Of D.H. Lawrence's Major Works

D.H. Lawrence, a summit and a miracle in English literature of the 20th century,is one of the most influential and disputed writers in the English literature and in theworld literature as well. Many of his works, such as The Rainbow, Sons and Lovers,Women in Love, Lady Chatterley's Lover, have been translated into several languagesand for all the years since their publication remained the focus of dispute. Criticismsabout D.H. Lawrence and his works abound in number and in intensity, but most ofthem work from perspectives of sexuality, unification of human and nature,integration of spiritual and flesh, relations of men and women, the balance of nature,cyclic patterns and holism that appeared lately. This thesis, however, attempts to makea biblical archetypal study of D.H. Lawrence's major works on the basis of the theoryof archetypal criticism so as to shed new light on the relationship between D. H.Lawrence and the Bible and to probe into D.H. Lawrence's view of the Bible andliterature.This thesis consists of five parts. In introduction a brief overview is made of D.H.Lawrence and his works. Also under review are the researches that have been done onD.H. Lawrence in the past years at home and abroad.Chapter One introduces the theory of archetypal criticism with the emphasis onNorthrop Frye's archetypal analysis of the Bible. This chapter consists of foursections. Section one traces the origin and developments of archetypal criticism;Section two discusses the two main theoretic bases of archetypal criticism;Sectionthree expounds in details Northrop Frye's theory of archetype criticism, and Sectionfour points out the Bible's literary influence and Frye's archetypal analysis of it.Chapter Two identifies and analyzes some biblical archetypes in D.H.Lawrence's main works, especially in The Rainbow, in which Lawrence frequentlymentions the Bible as well as Christianity doctrines. This analysis is done in threeaspects of image archetypes, narrative archetypes and displacement of biblicalarchetypes.Chapter Three intends to explore the reasons for D.H. Lawrence's imbibing anddisplacing biblical archetypes with reference to the Bible's great influence, D.H.Lawrence's childhood experiences and religious believes.In Conclusion the Bible's vital role in D.H. Lawrence's literary creation isreaffirmed and Lawrence's salvation affections to human spirits are brought to light.D.H. Lawrence is a writer who dares to explore life thoroughly. Whether inwriting or in ideological tendencies, he has his unique style. His remarkableinterpretations of the Bible, unabashed optimism and sexual creativity, rebelling ofrational and traditional moral concepts burn flames in almost all his works that surgeover all readers in the depth of their hearts.