The Rainbow Of Life

D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930), an early twentieth-century British novelist and prophet of social changes, is regarded as great as James Joyce and Joseph Conrad. Although some of his novels were banned for boldly involving the importance of sexual life when they were published, his great contribution for the world literature is eventually confirmed and admired. The Rainbow to be discussed here is one of his major and most controversial works,and his finest one. It was banned in Great Britain when it was first published in 1915 on the grounds of indecency, two months after its publication. Focusing on three generations of one family, the Brangwens, The Rainbow offers insights into the evolution from traditional rural life in England to modern and industrial society. It depicts the changing material conditions of life in England and the impact of increased industrialization upon individual lives and values. It tries to explore the real meaning of life for man and study the possibility of finding a natural and harmonious relationship between man and woman.This thesis is focusing on analyzing the living states of three generations of the Brangwens and trying to perceive the meaning of life in"the rainbow", find out the main elements influencing their lives, and dig for the social and realistic meaning. The story begins around 1840s in the Marsh Farm. The tranquil life of the Brangwens, who live there for centuries in self-sufficient style, is disturbed by the canal and the train which symbolize the industrialization. Their land is cut. Fortunately, their house remains safely on the other side of modern civilization and industrialization. Each member of the family is more or less influenced by the industrialization, and only Tom is the one who is less affected. He has a closer relation with the land. In return, the land endows him with vitality and rooted surety. His wife, Lydia is a Polish widow. She has served and adored her former husband, a revolutionist, and always exists like his shadow following him. But she has never really enjoyed the life. However, her marriage with Tom brings her new life. They have an invisible connection (which is also advocated by Lawrence as the blood-consciousness) between them, and this connection combines them tightly. In the balance of union and separation, they have achieved the combination of soul and body. As a result, they build the rainbow of life with their hearts, and reach the harmonious and satisfied relationship of man and woman.The representatives of the second generation are Anna and Will. Will has nothing to do with the land. He is a designer of a factory at that time. He is passive, but he has great enthusiasm for church. He is more soulful. Anna is born in an aristocratic family, and lives in the well off, loose and loving family which Tom and Lydia supply her. She is a self-centered girl. She dislikes the hypocrisy of religion. She is more blood-conscious. Then Anna and Will lack the invisible connection which Tom and Lydia own, and they also lack the surety. There is only an invisible battle between them, and the invisible battle never really ceases in their lives. The separation of soul and body can not lead them to accomplish the harmonious and satisfied relationship. Finally they live together with mere sensual lust. Relinquishing the adventure to explore the fulfillment of self, Anna at last finds the happiness and real meaning of life in the fecundity. Therefore, the rainbow of life between them built by one part is incomplete.Ursula, the representative of the third generation, is independent and particular, full of hopes and longings for life. She goes out of the family in order to escape the chaos and triviality in the family and live a new life: She teaches in a primary school, goes to college and asks for real friendship of girls and true love of man. However, she encounters disillusionments and hurts one after another in the society full of modern civilization and industrialization. The love with Skrebensky gives her a taste of the ash of death, thus they can not build the rainbow of life. What is worse is that she loses her own child. Having been beaten by the attacks, she faces death herself and finally she realizes that life is the most vital thing for man. At last, she sees the rainbow of life stand on the ruins and debris of industrialization. The causes, which push her into the disillusionments step by step, are the hypocritical religion, the dehumanized industrialization, modern civilization and education.Some critics think that The Rainbow is a novel that discusses the new image of the female to pursue the independence, opposing the male-power and going into the outside world. If we analyze the text carefully through the different living states, experiences and psychology of the three generations, however, we can easily acquire the understanding that: what is pursued eagerly by Ursula, ironically, pushes her away from her mother's half fulfilled life—fecundity, not mentioning the harmonious and satisfied life of her grandmother. It is reasonable for us to believe that Lawrence here is calling for the female not to go out of the family, but return to the primitive and natural state of woman.At present, modern civilization and industrialization is developing more rapidly than before. The living state and spirit home of man are threatened unprecedentedly. The re-reading of the meaning of"the rainbow"provides us a new perspective and meaningful inspiration to meditate and grope for a healthy living state for man. It has profound social and realistic meaning. The rainbow is not the literal sign of the covenant that God establishes, or the mere hope of happy life, but Lawrence's special understanding of life: it is the irresistible covenant and law that nature endows man, a sign that connects man and woman, death and life, body and soul, the natural state of continuous life. Man is required to obey the natural law, enjoy the life alive and establish the rainbow of life between man and woman. Therefore, he can obtain the real happiness of life.