Gender issues in Women in Love (1920) and Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by D. H. Lawrence

Gender issues in Women in Love (1920) and Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by D. H. Lawrence

 The characteristics of the British modern society

In the period of the postwar the British society was very untidy because of the effects of the First World War. That is to say, the life of the British people was very disastrous because of the social conflicts which exist between men and women. In fact, we noticed this problem in all Victorian novels where the domination of men over women is very noticeable especially in the domain of sexual relationship. Furthermore, this sexual perversion pushed Lawrence to denounce this bad custom that men and women used to live at that time. As E. M. Forster declares in his book A passage To India: “Lawrence urged men and women to live, to honor the quick of themselves, to glory in the exhilarating terror of this brief life” (Sunday Times) This means that Lawrence has oriented his writings on the new fashion to rebuild a new British modern society where men and women would not live in a total world of darkness. It means that he had deeply denounced the depravation of custom in the British modern society which existed after and before the First World War. But it does not mean that Lawrence‟s novels are genuinely pornographic as some commentators and critics have analyzed them. Thus, this idea can be illustrated as Jean Paul Satre says: „„each writer is situated in his time, so he is responsible for any word he will say and any silence as well.‟‟1 Though the author had really experienced the same life due to his attitude as being a sensitive man. Certainly, Lawrence has used this obscene tone in order to demonstrate his own philosophy about the way in which the British modern society is ravaged to change the mentality the physical and the moral illness of 1 Jean Paul Sartre, Essai situation, II Qu’est-ce-que la literature Edition Gallimard, Paris 1948, p. 13 these ordinary people who are deeply ravaged by the phenomenon of sexual perversion. In addition, he also uses this obscene tone to disqualify this sexual perversion that is the main cause of the social conflicts between male and female throughout the British modern society during the period of the postwar one. Because Lawrence realized that society would never be reformed through the political and spiritual leadership of superior men. That is why he decided to return to his former obscene themes to adapt another step to belittle the class of the aristocracy which is the initiator of these sexual perversions that spread in the British modern society. Because their life was only focused on the easy life such as: sex, drinking alcohol, so on and so forth. What Lawrence denies by proposing a new civilization in which he thinks that the British modern society should be imposed to change its people‟s psychology or behaviors. Furthermore, we noticed that the British past had not only known a bad foundation due to the disastrous influences of the western civilization but also it is true that these bad habits were clearly the notorious consequences that transform everywhere Lawrence‟s protagonists‟ who believe nothing because of their abstract ideas anchored in their mentality. Which are contrary to the establishment of the social values. That is, the image of the British society was seen like a bar or a dancing in which the only goal was to avoid the social moralities and to encourage the bad habits such are: the inhuman intimacy between men and women, the sexual fulfillment or the sexual perversion which are synonym of the depravation of custom. Indeed, to illustrate this argument Lawrence states: “(…) so long as you can forget your body you are happy. And the moment you begin to be aware of your body, you are wretched. So, if civilization is any good, it has to help us forget our bodies, and then time passes happily without knowing it. Help us to get rid of our bodies altogether.” (Lady Chatterley‟s Lover, p116) This statement shows that the life of these ordinary people was meaningless and abstract because they were deeply dominated by the power of sexual perversions, and inhuman civilizations and immoral values to some extent that could not be avoided. That is to say the human values and the social norms were totally missing and ignored by many ordinary people. For Lawrence, referential civilizations and moral values should allow society to be reformed in a right way. So that it can help its people to control their own physical body by obeying the full social rules. Consequently, these human values should permit people to be respected and honored depending on the environment in which they can enjoy their living in a right and desirable manner without losing their human and moral values. So that these people can keep in their heart and thoughts the real traditional moral values on which everyone must submit depending on their belief or their origins without losing their human values. In this view point the latter should broadly enable them to be differentiated from the animals‟ field. Unfortunately, all these expected moral values were completely unseen in the British modern society at that time. Simply because the effects or the results of the First World War and the consequences of the industrial revolution were the main gaps that prevent the British people from being conscious in their dignities and honesties. That is to get rid of these social depravations. In short, Lawrence‟s philosophy is to guide men and women to live together in a modern and respectful society which allows them to share a joyful or a paradise life without being dominated by the sexual perversion. In fact, all Lawrence‟s yearning was to rebuild a new British modern society where everybody will know their place and to live a luxurious life far from the animals‟ one. Besides, during the Victorian era, the industrial society had also played its part in the life of the working class despite its advantages to men who glorified their leader for being honored to become head of their families. But during this Victorian era, it seems that women were treated like wild animals due to the hard work they used to undergo in order to satisfy their men‟s full desire. This means that, the British people became completely lost and absent-minded. Simply because they were ill-treated by their bosses and they were acting like mad people as the spiritual leader that should defend them did not exist anymore. For instance, the relationships between Gerard, Rupert Birkin and their so-called darlings: Gudrun and Ursula respectively in Women in Love or Mellors and his ex-wife, Bertha Coutts in Lady Chatterley‟s Lover did not respond to the moral values. As a matter of fact, what was astonished in that situation was that the British intellectuals at that time were very proud of their way of life. It seems that they were instinctively living in a place where wild animals are kept to reproduce. That is why Lawrence demonstrated that they were morally dead and physically paralyzed. And that dirty life was opposite to the social standards or to the moral values in which every human society is defined. So to speak, these abstract concepts which were spread in that British society gave a boost to these people to be obscene and not be responsible at all. Therefore, they thought that the only solution to enjoy life was to privilege sexuality, adultery, betrayal, spend nights in the bar, drinking alcohol, hating one another. Thus, to get rid of their daily social matters, which is a contradiction of the human morality

Social Conflicts

At the beginning of the novel, the two Bragwen sisters: Gudrun the oldest and her younger sister Ursula who are the main characters in Women in Love were obsessed by the social issues. In other words, they were talking about marriages, good suitors and all social matters which are related to the social and cultural exchange. That can be interested in the relationship between man and woman in a British modern society dominated by the power of the western civilization. The latter has completely transformed the life of the British people into a hopeless adventure. That is to this western civilization had psychologically transformed men and women into endless social conflicts. In fact, this is the main social matters that opposite all Lawrence‟s protagonists. We mean Ursula, Gudrun and their future lovers: Gerald and Birkin who are the main protagonists and the closest friends as their daily interactions can be seen throughout the novel. Whereas in Lady Chatterley‟s Lover, the social conflicts between men and women were very dense and hot. If one deeply analyzes the social interaction between the different characters who were obsessed by the phenomenon of the sexual intercourse. As a matter of fact, these intellectual men consider a woman like an object and they think that they can satisfy easily their own sexual satisfaction on these women. That is, the weak women they can share sexually whatever the occasion may present. Indeed, this conversation between characters is very hot because they have not the same feeling or the same opinion on daily social problems. Even if they tried to be one person or a close friend and fiancée. Throughout the novels, one can notice that Lawrence addresses to the superior of the British society who did not change or reform the plight that has deeply caused the main social conflicts. This plunged the British society into a chaos where its people were always suffering about the lack of the social values or moralities. Lawrence also found that this society was terribly destroyed and had no statute. Because of the result of the effects of the postwar one and the new introduction of the western civilization that transform the British modern society in numerous social conflicts. What change the environment of men and women into a deep social war that exist between them. So, these social issues can be justified when Birkin was conversing with his former fiancée, Hermione he declared: “We are all different and unequal in spirit. It is only the social differences that are based on accidental material conditions. We are all abstractly or mathematically equal, if you like. Every man has hunger and thirst, two eyes, one nose and two legs. We are all the same in point of number. But spiritually there is pure difference and neither equality nor inequality counts (…) your democracy is an absolute lie. Your brotherhood of man is a pure falsify.”4 As a matter of fact, one can remark that the main social problems which exist between Lawrence characters are based on the leadership that men always want to impose on the psychology of women. On the one hand, one can sustain the idea that men are mentally or physically superior to women as far as their mentally or physical force are concerned. This is true because it is something natural even if some feminist writers contested it. In fact, this idea can be sustainable as Martin Luther King in his work published in 1531 to epitomized the conservative outlook of women by noting that: „„Women ought to stay at home, the way they were created indicates this, for they have brood hips and a wide fundament to sit down, keep at house and bear and raise children.‟‟ 5 On the other hand, these social issues between men and women are diverse if we analyse the reactions of Lawrence‟s characters. Simply because they are mentally very weak because of their abstract ideas. They usually focus on castigating women‟s physical attraction but they do not judge their intellectual capacity. For men, when they are not sexually satisfied, a woman represents nothing in a given society where she lives. Or she did not deserve to live long because of their pride. Moreover, if one analyzes carefully the psychology of Lawrence‟s women, we dare say that they are more intelligent than men because they are good 4 Lawrence, D. H. Women in Love, London, Penguin Group, 1920 p. 125 5 Judish, Cook, Women in Shakespeare, London, edited by virgin Books, 1990, p.12 intellectuals contrary to men. Because they always dominate them about the debate in the domain of gender issues. That is why their unions cannot be successful. These social contradictions between men and women are among the main causes of the social matters that opposite them. What clarify their bad cohabitation. Therefore, the effects of all these different opinions are the main social conflicts that men and women are generally confronted or cohabited in this society. In sum, Lawrence tries to demonstrate that men and women were haunted with numerous social problems namely, the problem of different ideas regarding to the modern society. For example, the Brangwen sisters: Gudrun and Ursula were discussing about their future marriages and they dream to meet the honest and serious men whom they can trust and whom they can share their eternal life. But this dream had broken simply because they did not only have the same ideas and the same belief or philosophy about love. Consequently this union will never be achieved or fulfilled because Gudrun is a clever girl. And she knows how to choose a good suitor. Furthermore, she is interested in the new technology what pushes her to choose Gerald Crich. The latter has inherited a factory of the coal mine from his father and he believes also the development of the new technology. As for Ursula, she is the first woman who falls in love with Rupert Birkin. An alienated and conceit man who believes nothing in the advancement of the new technology. As a matter of fact, he contradicts everything which is good about what modern society imposes on modern people. In spite of all this, Ursula keeps on sharing her love with him. Likewise, their men were totally different too. This difference can be explained by the vain thoughts or limited ideas while addressing to women. In this regard, they try to impose on these females their bad philosophies as far as their close relationships are concerned. Women, however, refuse to be dominated mentally. Besides, physically speaking, these women are weak and fragile because they are very sensual and sexually irresistible. That is why men consider them as objects. Due to their sexual attraction towards men meaning women cannot resist when they see a man. It means that like them, their men were alienated and they were obsessed by the problem of sexual desire. That they believe it is the only way out to lead an enjoyable life in the British modern society. For instance, Gerald, Gudrun‟s Lover was the most complicated and the most unsupportable man because of his confused thoughts and his conceited ideas. In other words, he intended to marry his Lover but he had no feelings about love towards women. His only desire was to satisfy himself sexually by discovering Gudrun‟s body. But he did not carry about a serious relationship, though he warns any man to approach her meaning he is jealous to her. One can say that this is the main problem which exists between all Lawrence‟s characters. To illustrate this, Thomas Hardy asserts in Tess of the D‟Urbervilles that „„…Ordinary men take wives because possession is not possible without marriage ….ordinary women accept husbands because marriage is not possible without possession‟‟. 6 This means that there is neither love nor affection in this couple. But the only satisfaction is to discover sex and to enjoy it like an animal without thinking about the preservation of the human values. So to speak, for these weak men owning a woman for a marriage is meaningless. For them, God has created and united a man and a woman only to share sexual satisfaction in inhuman way. Lawrence demonstrates that this is where the social matters really exist. Besides, there is another problem, Birkin‟s ex-fiancé, Hermione Roddice, she was jealous to see after her separation with Birkin, the couple Ursula-Birkin 6 Hardy, Thomas, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, , New York and London : Harper and brothers Publishers, 1891, pp. 181-183 together. She found that it was abnormal to see Birkin having a new relationship with another woman whom he did not really love. For Bertha, Rupert Birkin had no feelings of love even no consideration over women. For Hermione, to avoid this jealousy, she utters this suffering to Ursula: “I can only feel that it would be disastrous, disastrous at least, to marry in a hurry. Can‟t you be together without marriage? I do feel that marriage would be fatal for both of you. I think for you even more than him and I think of his health7 This means that man and woman can enjoy their life depending on the man‟s good or bad mood. Because he can change anytime and their marriage can become unsuccessful. In other words, it is a warning that Hermione gives to Ursula because she knows this man better than her. And she is sure that Birkin will not accept an eternal relationship with a woman. Because of his conceited and confused ideas. In revenge, he only needs women for the sexual attraction. In reality, Hermoine Roddice considers Birkin as an unhealthy man, and he is not physically and morally strong. That is why it is difficult to live with him. Hermione argues that “Where there are no minds, it was useless to appeal for reason.”(Lawrence 1920:339)8 .That is to say, she assures that Birkin is totally mad and it is risky to share a sexual life with such an alienated man. But Ursula does not mind in Hermione‟s declaration because she knows that she loves Birkin too much and Birkin too, tries to love her in spite of refusing to marry her. But he prefers only to live with her as his own lover without celebrating their marriage.