From Institutionalized Gender To Natural Sex:Male-Female Relations In Women In Love

Since his own age, David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) has been a very controversial figure in the literary circle, mostly because of the frank and straightforward description of sex in his works. Studies on him and his works mainly focus on his exploration of male-female relationship and the irrational psychology of his characters. A few scholars also concentrate on the study of the language or context of his works, while some others explore the images, artistic features, etc. of his works. About Lawrence’s view towards feminism and Christianity, critics have not reached a consensus, but no one will deny the fact that, as in any other of his fictions, Lawrence has devoted a large amount of space to the depiction of sex, sexuality and male-female relationship in one of his masterpieces, Women in Love. Lawrence himself admits that he just focuses on the exploration of relationships between men and women, especially that in marriage. In her study of this novel, the present author has noticed that the male-female relationships in the novel is largely subject to the institutions and seem doomed to failure. Therefore, in this thesis, the present author will, with the help of theories of gender criticism, concentrate on the analysis of the institutionalized gender roles, gendered values and thinking patterns and institutionalized gender, and the revelation of the ways to transcend the institutionalized gender implied by the novel. She will also point out the profound and far-reaching significance of such transcendence.The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to Lawrence and his Women in Love, makes a general survey of Lawrence studies, particularly the studies of Women in Love, both at home and abroad, and then explains the objective and structure of the thesis. It will also define some important terms such as gender, institution and institutionalized gender. In the second chapter, the present author offers a detailed analysis of the institutionalized social and family roles undertaken by the main characters of the novel, their institutionalized values and thinking patterns, and institutionalized gender relationship between several pairs of lovers or couples. Based on the analyses in Chapter Two, the thesis further proposes in Chapter Three that the novel implies, to free themselves from the fetter of capitalist institutions and rigid religious rules, people are to transcend over the institutionalized gender and get back to seek natural sex, which is illustrated by the realization of the harmonious relationship between Birkin and Ursula. Chapter Four discusses the significance of the transcendence over institutionalized gender. The failure of Gerald and Gudrun’s relationship and the triumph of Birkin and Ursula’s union make it clear that in order to achieve an idealistic male-female relationship, gender equality should be retained. The importance of equality in gender relationship, at a larger level, applies to any kind of human relationship. The thesis also points out that the advocate of natural sex in the novel is also resistance to the strict outdated institutions of Christianity and Victorian morality. More importantly, the novel indicates that harmonious male-female relationship can be fulfilled through a celebration of carnal desire, through which the regeneration of the whole humanity can be achieved. The last chapter is conclusion which summarizes the previous analyses and restates the major points of the thesis. It stresses again that, in order to achieve balanced and harmonious gender relations, men and women should seek natural love and sex, and have mutual understanding, reliance and respect.