An Exploration Of Spatial Form In The Rainbow

D.H. Lawrence is one of the most prominent and controversial writers of the twentiethcentury in English literary world. He is regarded as a literary genius. A number of his worksmake enormous scholars and specialists interested, especially The Rainbow. The Rainbow isfamous for its poetic language, tremendous images, symbols, and metaphors, whichcharacterize the modernization. In1945, Joseph Frank put forward the notion of spatial formin narrative in his paper Spatial Form in Modern Literature, which provides a fresh and anew perspective for the analysis of The Rainbow. D. H. Lawrence makes full use ofjuxtaposition and reflexive references in The Rainbow, which present the spatial features ofthe novel. The usage of juxtaposition keeps everything visual and simultaneous. It breaks thetime flow and defamiliarizes the reading process. Therefore, the readers have to reread andmake their sequential conclusion from the novel itself. Through reflexive references, thereaders connect these disparate elements and recreate a united system in their perceptions andunderstand every reference at a moment. Juxtaposition leads the novel to gain the textualspace and the reflexive references have the readers acquire their perceptional space. In otherwords, juxtaposition and reflexive references make everything on one plane. Seemingly, allthings coexist at one moment. They dissolve the time sequence and try their best to make thenovel simultaneous.This thesis is constituted by three parts. Chapter One is to have a study of the physicalspace, and to expose its active effect towards the theme. Chapter Two analyzes the textualspace and demonstrates that juxtaposition disturbs the chronological sequence in the narrativeand to put the actions, which take place at different levels simultaneously, back and forth. Theactions and plots on the different levels at the same time make the diachronic languageacquire synchronic effect, which satisfy the spatial form in the text. Chapter Three is toclarify the perceptional space of the readers and expound the perceptional space throughreflexive references. Under the condition of rereading, the readers are aware of some imagesand scenes and regard them as references and then fuse them together reflexively accordingto their comprehensions in minds. Through the process of combining and fusing, theperceptional space is formed. The exploration of the spatial forms endows The Rainbow with a new view and presentsthe interrelationship among these spatial forms. Not only does it give a sort of vitality butalso it makes the readers possess a key to appreciate The Rainbow profoundly andsystematically.