Women in Love (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

by D. H. Lawrence

  —from The Death of the Moth (1942)

  HENRY MILLER

  It is against the stagnant flux in which we are now drifting that Lawrence appears brilliantly alive.

  —from Max and the White Phagocytes (1938)

  Questions

  1. In a foreword to Women in Love, D. H. Lawrence wrote, “In point of style, fault is often found with the continual, slightly modified repetition. The only answer is that it is natural to the author; and that every natural crisis in emotion or passion or understanding comes from this pulsing, frictional to-and-fro which works up to culmination.” In the light of these remarks, what do you think of Lawrence’s prose style? Is how he writes as significant as what he writes? Do you think Lawrence even cared about style?

  2. Does the novel convince the reader that people have to reinvent love, that relations between men and women have gone radically awry, or that industrialism is to blame?

  3. Beyond surface squabbles, why is it that Gudrun and Gerald cannot establish a relationship that is life-enhancing rather than destructive?

  4. Why does Birkin so dislike the word “love”?

  FOR FURTHER READING

  Biography

  Ellis, David. D. H. Lawrence: Dying Game, 1922-1930. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

  Kermode, Frank. D. H. Lawrence. Modern Masters series. New York: Viking, 1973.

  Kinkead-Weekes, Mark. D. H. Lawrence: Triumph to Exile, 1912-1922. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

  Sagar, Keith. The Life of D. H. Lawrence. New York: Pantheon,1980. ——. D. H. Lawrence: Life into Art. New York: Viking, 1985.

  Worthen, John. D. H. Lawrence: The Early Years, 1885-1912. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.

  Criticism

  Becket, Fiona. The Complete Critical Guide to D. H. Lawrence. London: Routledge, 2002.

  Daleski, H. M. The Forked Flame: A Study of D. H. Lawrence. London: Faber and Faber, 1965.

  Fernihough, Anne, ed. The Cambridge Companion to D. H. Lawrence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

  Holbrook, David. Where D. H. Lawrence Was Wrong about Woman. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University Press, 1992.

  Holderness, Graham. Women in Love. Open Guide to Literature series. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press, 1986.

  Howe, Marguerite Beede. The Art of the Self in D. H. Lawrence. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1977.

  Meyers, Jeffrey, ed. The Legacy of D. H. Lawrence: New Essays. New York: St Martin’s Press, 1987.

  Ross, Charles, L. Women in Love: A Novel of Mythic Realism. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991.

  Smith, Anne, ed. Lawrence and Women. London: Vision, 1978.

  Williams, Raymond. The English Novel from Dickens to Lawrence. 1970. Reprint: London: Hogarth Press, 1984.

  Other Works of Interest

  Baudelaire, Charles. Selected Poems. Chosen and translated with an introduction by Joanna Richardson. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Classics, 1975.

  Eliot, T. S. “Portrait of a Lady” in The Complete Poems and Plays 1909-1950. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952.

  Kierkegaard, Søren. A Kierkegaard Anthology. 1946. Edited by Robert Bretall. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1983.

  Other Works Cited in the Introduction

  Burgess, Anthony. Flame into Being: The Life and Work of D. H. Lawrence. New York: Arbor House, 1985.

  Lawrence, D. H. Sons and Lovers. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003.

  ——. The Rainbow. Everyman’s Library Series. New York: Random House, 1993.

  ——. The Selected Letters of D. H.Lawrence. Compiled and edited by James T. Boulton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979.

  Moore, Harry, T. The Priest of Love: A Life of D. H. Lawrence. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974.

  Oates, Joyce Carol. “Lawrence’s ‘Gotterdammerung’: The Tragic Vision of ‘Women in Love.’ ” Reprinted in D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love. Modern Library. New York: Random House, 1993.

  Rimbaud, Arthur. “Delirium I.” In A Season in Hell. Norfolk, CT: New Directions, 1945.

  a To take a step backward (or retreat) the better to jump (forward) (French).

  b Pants made of durable cotton.

  c Loose-fitting overcoat.

  d Defender of culture (German).

  e See the Bible, Matthew 7:26-27.

  f Nickname for Theobald.

  g Property spelled gynoecious, it means plants whose flowers are always female. †Androecious is the proper term, meaning plants whose flowers are always male.

  h Reference to the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which Eve gave to Adam; see the Bible, Genesis 2-3.

  i Reference to the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) in which the Lady uses images in a mirror to weave a tapestry.

  j Serpent guard of the oracle at Delphi slain by the Greek god Apollo.

  k Deep gorges at the bottom of broad valleys.

  l For me, she doesn’t exist (French). Ursula is clearly envious of Hermione, which may account in part for her sudden interest in Birkin, as Hermione and Birkin are an “item.”

  m Down to earth (French).

  n French classical dramatist Pierre Corneille (1606-1684).

  o Idon’t care (French).

  p Luxury hotel in Piccadilly in London.

  q Empire: a London music hall; Gaby Deslys: French music hall performer (1881-1920).

  r Mist bank around Brocken Mountain, in the Harz region of Germany, that magnifies and reflects an observer’s shadow.

  s See the Bible, Luke 10:25-37.

  t Bohemian district in London.

  u Fictional café modeled on the Café Royal on Regent Street.

  v Lines from the poem “Love Among the Ruins,” by Robert Browning (1812-1889).

  w Reference to a line from act 2, scene 3 of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

  x Early twentieth-century art movement that glorified machines and emphasized speed, power, and the overall restlessness of the modern age; Lawrence befriended some Futurist artists in Italy before World War I.

  y English novelist George Meredith (1828-1909), whose novels were known for their study of character.

  z Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), who served twice as British prime minister during Queen Victoria’s reign.

  aa A near-quote of a line from “On First Looking into Chapman’s ‘Homer,’” by John Keats (1795-1821).

  ab Fathers and Sons (1862), a novel, is considered the masterpiece of Russian writer Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883).

  ac One who returns (French); that is, a ghost.

  ad Priestess of classical Greek mythology to whom Apollo gave the power of prophecy, but whom nobody would believe.

  ae You, too, Palestra, will you dance?—yes, please (Italian).

  af Virgins of the Rocks (Italian). The Contessa is referring either to the novel by Gabriele d’Annunzio (1863-1938) or possibly to a painting by Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci, Virgin of the Rocks. ‡In the biblical book of Ruth, Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth and Orpah.

  ag See the Bible, Ruth 1:5 and 14-15.

  ah french folk song whose full title, “Malbrouk s’en va-ten guerre,” means “Malbrouk is going to the war.”

  ai What do you mean, Palestra? (Italian).

  aj Compare this line with that in the Bible, Matthew 22:21: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (King James Version).

  ak The sound man, clean-living and free from guilt; from Horace, Odes 1:22.

  al Female savior (Latin).

  am Mr. Over-foreman and Mr. Under-foreman (German).

  an Scottish sailor (1676-1721) who was marooned at sea and inspired Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) to write Robinson Crusoe.

  ao Well-nigh (dialect).

  ap Nymph in Greek mythology who escaped the amorous Apollo by changing into a laurel tree.

  aq Novel about innocent love by French writer Bernardin
de Saint-Pierre (1737-1814).

  ar Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), French painter.

  as Apples of Sodom: also called Dead Sea apples; fruit that is outwardly enticing but turns to ash when picked (see John Milton’s Paradise Lost, book 10, lines 560-71). Gall-apples: growths on trees created when insects lay their eggs on them.

  at See the Bible, Matthew 7:20.

  au Aquatic reptiles of the prehistoric era known as the Mesozoic.

  av Savirn of the world (Latin).

  aw Ornate chest that contained the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone.

  ax Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915), French naturalist.

  ay See the Bible, Genesis 9:2.

  az Tawdry banter.

  ba Pussycat (Italian).

  bb Beautiful savage (French).

  bc Annual art exhibition in Paris sponsored by the French government.

  bd Look, look at those people over there! Aren’t they incredible owls? (French).

  be Idiots (French slang).

  bf A few too many people (French).

  bg German folk song.

  bh Music training exercises involving body movements, created by Swiss composer Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950).

  bi Youngest daughter of King Lear, in Shakespeare’s drama of the same name; she is disinherited because she fails to flatter him.

  bj Great Mother (Latin).

  bk Sorrowful Mother (Latin), especially with reference to the Virgin Mary.

  bl The fear of death confuses me (Latin); the refrain from Lament for the Makaris, an elegy on the death of past poets, by William Dunbar (c.1460-c.1530).

  bm When the Midlands section of the Coal-Owners’ Federation tried to reduce wages in mid-1893, miners began a sixteen-week strike.

  bn In September 1893, troops were called in to put down riots in the Yorkshire and the Midlands collieries.

  bo Three half-pennies; the miners are taunting the soldiers.

  bp Also spelled suttee; the custom of a Hindu widow willingly being cremated on her husband’s funeral pyre.

  bq Type of mine foreman; Lawrence’s father held this position.

  br In the schools run by charities such as Christ’s Hospital, students who wore long, blue coats and yellow stockings.

  bs Winifred’s rabbit is named after Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), prime minister of Prussia and the first chancellor of the German Empire.

  bt “Winifred wants so much to do the portrait of Bismarck! Oh, but all the morning—... Bismarck, Bismarck, always Bismarck! It’s a rabbit, isn’t it, miss?” “Yes, it’s a big, black and white rabbit. Haven’t you seen it?” (French).

  bu “No, miss, Winifred has never wanted to show it to me. Many’s the time I’ve asked her, ‘What is this Bismarck, Winifred?’ But, she wouldn’t tell me. Her Bismarck, it was very mysterious.” “Yes, it’s a mystery, really a mystery” (French). “Is

  bv “Bismarck, it’s a mystery, Bismarck, he is a marvel” ... “Yes, he is a marvel”.... “Is he really a marvel?” “Sure!” ... “However, he isn’t a king...—he was only chancellor.” “What’s a chancellor?” (French and German).

  bw Dionysus, ancient Greek god of wine, is associated with licentiousness of all sorts; to follow the Dionysic way is to let oneself go.

  bx Small ceramic pot used by druggists for medicines.

  by Gown with long sleeves fastened with a sash; Bokhara, more commonly spelled Bukhara, is a major city in southern Uzbekistan.

  bz Disingenuous or false shame (French).

  ca In Greek mythology, Laocoön was a priest of Apollo who, while preparing a sacrifice, was crushed along with his twin sons by serpents.

  cb Odysseus, hero of Homer’s Odyssey, has himself tied to the mast of his ship while it sails past the island of the Sirens in order to resist the temptation of their song, which lures sailors to their death.

  cc Gerald is referring to resistance to the pleasures of the flesh of the type promised in the paradise of the Muslim religion.

  cd If young people knew (French).

  ce Conceited person, particularly one who thinks he is a Don Juan.

  cf Sandro writes me that he has met with the greatest enthusiasm, all the young people, both girls and boys, are all—(Italian).

  cg Damocles was a courtier of the king of Syracuse, Dionysius the Elder (c. 430-367 B.C.); to demonstrate how precarious are the fortunes of those in power, Dionysius had Damocles sit with a sword suspended by a thin thread over his head.

  ch At home; at ease in one’s house (French).

  ci Yes! ... remember the locality (dialect).

  cj Only (dialect).

  ck Last resort (French).

  cl Half a pound (Cockney dialect).

  cm Soldier of fortune (German).

  cn One must respect stupidities or nonsense (French).

  co “Guy”; in this context, has a pejorative sense.

  cp German name for Alsace-Lorraine, a much-contested area along the French-German border.

  cq To Basle—second class?—here you go. (French).

  cr We still have—?... We still have half an hour (French).

  cs Life, it’s an affair of imperial souls (French).

  ct What was [the material]?... Granite (German).

  cu high relief (Italian).

  cv Work—work? ... And what work, what work? What work is it that you have done? (French and Italian).

  cw So—... (Italian).

  cx So, just now—now (Italian and French).

  cy How old? (German).

  cz And your husband, how old is he? (German).

  da In Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung, Loki goes through a number of transformations (see note 2 to chapter XXIX).

  db Literally, from high to low (French); here used condescendingly.

  dc Look here, dear lady, that is an artwork (German).

  dd No, she was no model. She was a little art student (German).

  de Yes, she was pretty (German).

  df Little rapport (French).

  dg Tripoli, the capital of Libya, was under Italian control from 1911 until 1943.

  dh Look, ma‘am—... Please, don’t ever say ma’am ... (German).

  di Just do not say that. (German).

  dj Shall I say “miss”? (German).

  dk Fool (German).

  dl Letting go (French).

  dm Scoundrel (French).

  dn A single woman (German).

  do Love, love, love (French and German).

  dp Puny (French).

  dq This love, this kiss ... whether it must be or must not be (French).

  dr Mary’s hut (German); a German inn.

  ds Cookies and whiskey (German).

  dt Peak of joy (French).

  du Bilberry (German).

  dv Bilberry brandy (German).

  dw That’s sports, no doubt (French).

  dx Long live the hero, long live—(French).

  dy He is dead? (French).

  dz Toboggan run (Tyrol dialect).