From Slant To Balance

David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) is one of the greatest writers in the history of English literature, and,perhaps,one of the greatest from a working-class family. His well-known autobiographical novel, Sons and Lovers, is one of the greatest novels in modern English literature history. Confronted with the distorted society, Lawrence believes that only the reconstruction of balance could save our society.My thesis will focus on the imbalance embodied in Sons and Lovers so as to formulate Lawrence's thought of balance in his early life.The first part will give a brief introduction to D. H. Lawrence and his thought of balance. The first chapter of this thesis analyzes the sophisticated relations between the characters in Sons and Lovers and then draws a conclusion about imbalance based on the analysis. The imbalance is the counterevidence of the importance of balance. The second chapter further explores the tragedies caused by the imbalance. The third chapter focuses on the restoration to balance. Though the story evolves with the imbalances, Lawrence never stops his desire to balance. The fourth chapter turns to the factors that lead to the formation of D. H. Lawrence's thought of balance. This thesis has looked into the economic background, the cultural background and the personal experience of Lawrence. The last chapter is the conclusion. It further elaborates the theme of Sons and Lovers. Lawrence affirms balance, including the balance between spirit and body, man and nature, man and society. Lawrence believes that returning to nature and restoration to instinct is the sole approach to achieve the balance. His thought is affected by the temporal social background and personal experience. Lawrence's idea of balance is significant to the national spirit of our age. In a harmonious society, our concern is the balance between man and nature as well as man and society forever.