DH Lawrence's Feministic Influence
DH Lawrence is one of the most studied and controversial writers of his time, and that fame has carried him into the world of modern feminist discussion. "The world he grew up in is of utmost importance in any study of his thinking" (Dix, Lawrence and Women 1). He was able to shine new light on the feminist movement of his time through such short stories as "Monkey Nuts" and "Tickets, Please", which both show the strength and will of modern women, as well as those from his time. To truly understand the meanings behind Lawrence's writings, his early life with the impact of his parents on and his views of women must be taken into account."It is morning again, and she is still here..." These are the words DH Lawrence wrote to a friend describing his terminally ill mother in 1913. "I look at mother my and think 'O Heaven-is this what life brings us to?' You see mother has had a devilish married life, for nearly forty years- and this is the conclusion- no relief." David Herbert Lawrence was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, in central England. He was the fourth child of a struggling, illiterate, uneducated coal miner who drank heavily. His mother was a former schoolteacher, greatly superior in education to her husband. Poverty,
He was educated at Nottingham High School, and later to Nottingham University, to which he had won scholarships. Clearly his position on sex roles is a mirror image of his times. (Lawrence 343) In "Monkey Nuts," set just prior to the armistice, Lawrence presents a new type of female character, Miss Stokes, who is one of the most independent and powerful women Lawrence develops. Stokes is able to force a strong, 23-year old soldier into a relationship and implied sex against his will, using her own latent willpower ( The soldier, Joe, is powerless to resist, though he clings to a chauvinist viewpoint, saying, "I'm not keen on going any farther--she bain't [sic] my choice" (Lawrence 372). Living in near poverty, his mother was determined that young David should not become a miner like his father. Millet would have trouble finding evidence of Lawrence's feelings of the "penis as deity" in this story, indeed. Clearly, these women are not submissive slaves in a sadistic, twisted rape fantasy. He spent most of whatever time he had free with his mother, and she did nothing to discourage this. The fact that Lawrence was able to weave his ideas into such interesting and realistic situations further emphasizes his understanding of women and their struggles. Though the sexually dominant Miss Stokes doesn't ultimately succeed in the end, she stops at nothing to bend Joe to her will once she realizes that she wants him. as well as the friction between his parents, dominated Lawrence's childhood. The difference in their social class was obvious, and could be seen in their daily lives.
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