The Transcendental Colors In D.H.Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence is one of the most prolific writers of the 20^th century. He is not only a novelist, but also a poet, a dramatist, a critic and an essayist. His literary creation challenges traditional ideas and makes him one of the most controversial writers in the 20 century.Based on the previous studies of Lawrence's works, this thesis mainly explores the transcendental colors in his works. This thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter One is an analysis of Lawrence's transcendental colors in his views on nature from three perspectives. Firstly, he holds a pantheistic view about nature which has much affinity with transcendental pantheism. Secondly, Lawrence, like transcendentalists, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau as representatives, advocates a return to nature with an aim of getting rid of the sordid material life and achieving regeneration in nature. Thirdly, both Lawrence and transcendentalists treat natural objects and phenomena as symbols and external expressions of human minds and hold that there is spiritual communion between nature and human beings. From the three aspects above, Lawrence's transcendental colors in his views on nature are evident. The affinity between Lawrence and transcendentalists in nature lies in the fact that both of them are influenced by William Wordsworth's romantic views about nature.Chapter Two is an exploration of Lawrence's transcendental colors in his views on society. His transcendental colors in his views on society are analyzed from the perspectives of his views on the spiritual and the material parts of society. The spiritual part of society refers to social norms, conventions and religion. As to this aspect, Lawrence and transcendentalists think that it deprives human beings of their spiritual freedom and crushes their natural instinct. Thus, both of them regard it as a yoke for human beings which should be rid of in order to restore human beings' spiritual health. Lawrence's transcendental colors in his description of the material part of society mainly lie in his exaltation of the simplicity of material life and the attack on the industrialization of society. Like transcendentalists, Thoreau as a representative, Lawrence objects to the complex material lifestyle without spiritual richness and exalts highly the simple pastoral life. Transcendentalists resist industrialization which they think ruins the peace and beauty of nature and enslaves human beings. In Lawrence's eyes, industrialization is also a destructive force to nature and human beings. It not only ruins the beauty of landscapes and disturbs the peaceful lives of natural creatures, but also mechanizes and devitalizes human beings. Thus, he launches a vehement attack on it.Chapter Three is engaged in an exploration of Lawrence's transcendental colors in his views on human beings. This chapter provides an analysis of the similarity between Lawrence and transcendentalists from two perspectives. Firstly, both of them stress the significance of the individual and promote human beings' self-perfection and regeneration with great enthusiasm. Secondly, they value the power of intuition, holding that only by intuition can human beings know themselves and the world. Moreover, this chapter contains a discussion of Lawrence's ways of achieving self-perfection and regeneration. According to him, human beings should return to nature and revive their natural instinct there to reconstruct their authentic selfhood, and to achieve their self-perfection and eventual regeneration.In conclusion, Lawrence is a writer of transcendental colors. The transcendental colors of Lawrence are mainly reflected by his views on nature, society and human beings in his works. Lawrence's transcendental colors are a complete and organic theoretical system. There are close relationships among every aspect of Lawrence's transcendental colors, for nature, society and human beings are inseparable and not isolated. Instead, they form an organic whole with every aspect influencing the other two. Thus, it is not reasonable to discuss one part without discussing the other two. The exploration of Lawrence's transcendental colors has both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, it provides a new perspective of understanding Lawrence and his works and helps people to form a new idea about him; practically, it not only makes people aware of the significance of nature for human beings and the importance of the individual's self-perfection and regeneration, but also promotes the implementation of environmental protection and people-oriented policy.