On The Relationship Of Symbolism With Characterization And Themes In D. H. Lawrence's Women In Love

D. H. Lawrence has been one of the most controversial figures in Englishliterature in the 20th century. In his short lifetime, he received swarms of criticismsfrom many critics and readers, and it was only since the end of the Second World Warthat there has emerged a growing consensus of opinion that he is one of the mostsignificant modernist writers of the time. Lawrence was notorious for his franknessabout sexuality and famous for his psychic exploration of human relationship andcriticism of the capitalistic industrial civilization. Lawrence did not intend to focus ondepicting sexual love or pornography. What he wanted to express was the self thatwas suppressed and inclined to break in modern mechanical civilization and industrialsociety, the humanity that was twisted and the human instinct that was frustrated.Lawrence thought that the chief crime of the capitalistic industrial revolution was thatit suppressed and twisted the human nature, especially the instinct of sex and sexuallove. His works tried to express how the human nature, with the psyche as the center,suffered the destruction of mechanical civilization, and how the harmoniousrelationship of human beings was destroyed in the capitalist society. He thought thatonly when the human nature, especially the sexual desire, was developed fully, couldthe crime of the capitalism be overcome; only if the primitive human instinct wasrevived, could the relationship between human beings and nature, and between humanbeihgs themselves be restored.Although the study on D. H. Lawrence seemed to fall in recent years, there arenow actually signs of a revival. In his short life, Lawrence wrote many works,including his autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers, the companion volumes of TheRainbow and Women in Love, and the most controversial novel Lady Chatterley'sLover. Of all his works, Women in Love is widely regarded as the most complex andrewarding. Even Lawrence himself regarded this novel as his best. Scholars at homeand abroad have made extensive studies on this novel, and recognized the novel as a twentieth century classic that continues to challenge its readers and refuses to bedefinitely pigeonholed. For those who admire Lawrence. their studies will provide aconvenient and interesting way of discovering the kind of reactions he has provokedonce.In Women in Love (1920), Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen, who first appeared inLawrence's earlier novel The Rainbow, are both symbolic with Ursula implying thelove integrated in spiritual and physical harmony and Gudrun implying the challengerto the power of man. They become the focus of the novel as Lawrence explores theirgrowth and development in their relationships with two powerful men, Rupert Birkinand his friend Gerald Crich who are both symbolic too with Birkin symbolizing thehuman conscience and mission and Gerald symbolizing the dying black power. Anov.el of regeneration and dark, destructive human passion, Women in Love reflectsthe potential both for annihilation and salvation of the self.This thesis synthesizes Lawrence's art of symbolism and the relationship ofsymbolism with characterization and themes in his Women in Love. As the study ofLawrence's art of symbolism becomes hotter and hotter in China, the thesis intends toprobe for a tentative understanding of his artistic techniques of symbolism in thisnovel. This thesis is organized as follows:The introduction part is a survey of Lawrence's works and literary reviews on hisworks, covering Lawrence's life experiences and the main points of his major works.The purpose of this thesis is also stated here.Chapter One presents an overview of symbolism, with emphasis on itsconception and the four views about symbolism. With plenty of evidence fromLawrence's works, it can be said that Lawrence has a special "Symbol complex".Chapter Two gives a detailed analysis of symbols used in Women in Love.Supported with examples in the novel, this part explores the functions of symbolismin strengthening characterization. It is developed around three groups of characters:Gerald and Gudrun in conflict, Birkin and Ursula in conflict-turned harmony, andother characters as the foil.Chapter Three discusses how the use of symbols in Women in Love helps to highlight the themes. It first deals with the existence theme which leads to theharmony between Birkin and Ursula and is presented through the symbol of "balancedstars". The second part deals with the death theme which leads to the breakup ofGerald and Gudrun and Gerald's death, like in the "black river". And in this part wecan find that the doomed Gerald is always haunted with death. From all these analysesabove we can see how Lawrence uses the symbols to highlight the themes.Finally comes the conclusion of the thesis in which the findings of the previouschapters are summarized and the importance of studying Lawrence's art of symbolismis further stressed.