Lawrence's Criticism And Idealism In Lady Chatterrley's Lover-Criticism Of Industrial Society & Idealism Reflected In A Harmonious Society

D.H. Lawrence is a master writer and an unconventional figure in the twentieth century English Literature, whose excellence and far-sightedness stands the trial of time and demonstrates his uniqueness despite vicissitudes of fortune. His last and twice-revised novel Lady Chatterley's Lover is the embodiment of his most mature thoughts. In spite of the constant controversies over the pornographic description in the novel, the critics do not fail to discern this masterpiece and dig out its profound implications and prophetic visions. It is worth every pain to delve into such a rich and complex novel and every painstaking exploration will be rewarded with some new discoveries of the novel and its author.The thesis is intended to explore Lawrence's criticism of industrial society and his idealism of constructing a harmonious society in Lady Chatterley's Lover from the close analysis of three relationships: man and himself, man and woman, man and nature. His criticism is a reflection of his concern for ruin of the three relationships by the mechanized industry while his idealism explores the reestablishment of those relationships in a harmonious society.This thesis consists of two chapters apart from introduction and conclusion. The introduction bears a brief overview of Lawrence's literary status, the social background of the creation of Lady Chatterley's Lover, his criticism and idealism reflected in the novel, as well as some literary reviews concerning this novel home and abroad. Chapter one reveals Lawrence's criticism of the destructive effect the industrial society imposed on the deformed Clifford, the contorted marriage between Connie and Clifford and the relationship between mechanical Wragby Hall and its confined victims. Chapter two, corresponding to the previous chapter, unfolds Lawrence's efforts to transform the distorted situation and to build up harmonious relationships in his Utopian society via the analysis of the integrated Mellors, the vital communion of Connie and Mellors and Connie's nourishing interaction with the nature. The conclusion sums up Lawrence's criticism and idealism and points out their limitations.