The Life of DH Lawrence - Term Paper Example

?The Life of D. H. Lawrence (DH Lawrence) “Even today, more than 70 years after his death, Lawrence remains an enthralling figure. Hailed as a geniusby some, labelled an out-of-fashion misogynist by others, he's probably best known for his novels Sons and Lovers and Lady Chatterley's Lover”(DH Lawrence: celebrating a literary life). David Herbert Richards Lawrence was one of the greatest English literature writers during the initial half of the twentieth century. Apart from being a great novelist, DH Lawrence was also a poet, play righter, essayist, literary critic and painter. Even though he was not against industrialization, he warned the public about the dangers associated with injudicious industrialization. In fact there are only few subjects which failed to grab the attention of DH Lawrence. Since many of his opinions were against the traditions and existing laws of English social life, he earned many enemies during his life span. In fact he forced to live in exile just like the current literature writers Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasrin because of the controversial remarks he made against English social life through his literatures. His liberal views about sexual life earned him the reputation or title as a pornographer during the latter stages of his life. In short, DH Lawrence was a misunderstood a person during his life period even though he got wide recognition at present. This paper analyses the life of DH Lawrence and his contributions as a novelist, poet, play writer, essayist, literary critic and painter. “David Herbert Lawrence was born on September 11, 1885, in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, central England. He was the fourth child of a struggling coal miner who was a heavy drinker. His mother was a former schoolteacher” (DH Lawrence). His mother had better education than his father and therefore his father developed some inferiority complex which caused many problems in the family. As his father spent majority of his earnings for drinking, only the mother’s earning were used for the family expenses. However, her earnings were not sufficient enough to meet the living expenses of a big family and therefore DH Lawrence faced poverty during his childhood life. In fact his bitter early childhood experiences made him tougher as he grown up. DH Lawrence was a smart student during his childhood and has completed his school studies with some scholarships. After the completion of school education or matriculation, he failed to get college education because of poverty in his family. He accepted various jobs like clerk, school teacher etc immediately after the completion of his school education in order to support his family. At the age of 25, DH Lawrence lost his mother. In fact, “he helped her die by giving her an overdose of sleeping medicine” (DH Lawrence). Even though mercy killing is acceptable up to certain extent in the current society, it was not so in the past. Lawrence’s action of assisting his mother die brought many criticisms during that period. The conservative English society was not in a position to accept such activities at that time. DH Lawrence suffered lot of criticisms because of this act and even though his intentions were positive. DH Lawrence started his literature writing even before the death of his mother. In 1909, a number of Lawrence's poems were published by Ford Max Ford in the English Review. The appearance of his first novel, The White Peacock (1911), launched Lawrence into a writing career. In 1912 he met Frieda von Richthofen, the professor Ernest Weekly's wife and fell in love with her. Lawrence's novel Sons and Lovers appeared in 1913 and was based on his childhood. In 1914 Lawrence married Frieda von Richthofen, and traveled with her in several countries. Lawrence's fourth novel, The Rainbow (1915), was about two sisters growing up in the north of England. Lawrence started to write The Lost Girl in Italy. He dropped the novel for some years and rewrote the story in an old Sicilian farmhouse near Taormina in 1920 (DH Lawrence). The beginning of First World War brought many changes and challenges in DH Lawrence’s life. He was labeled as a traitor by English authorities during this period. He was accused of doing spy works for Germany during this period even though he had no connections with the Germans. Since he was targeted by the authorities, he forced to wander around the country in order to save his life. All these bitter experiences made him tougher and tougher. It should be noted that even during childhood, he failed to enjoy a better life and the saga continued during his adult life also. “Lawrence's best known work is Lady Chatterly's Lover, first published privately in Florence in 1928. It tells of the love affair between a wealthy, married woman, and a man who works on her husband's estate” (DH Lawrence). The conservative English society was not in a position to accept this book even though Lawrence got wide recognitions outside. English society labeled this book as a pornographic material and banned its publications in England. Apart from Lady Chatterly's Lover, Lawrence wrote many bother books such as Aaron's Rod, Kangaroo, The Plumed Serpent, The Man Who Died, Movements In European History, Psychoanalysis And The Unconscious, Studies In Classic American Literature etc during his illustrious career as a writer. Even though, DH Lawrence better known as a novelist, his contributions as a poet was also substantial. He had written many poems about the beauty of nature during his life span. “He believed in writing poetry that was stark, immediate and true to the mysterious inner force which motivated it. His collections of poetry include Look! We Have Come Through, (a collection of poems about his wife); Birds, Beasts, and Flowers and Pansies(Academy of American Poets). Many of his poems were banned in England as in the case of his novels because of the alleged pornographic contents. DH Lawrence had liberal views about sex which often reflected in his novels and poems. The conventional English society during that period was controlled more by religious beliefs and traditions and the opinions of DH Lawrence with respect to sex were unacceptable to Christianity at that time. (Kennedy) As in the case of his novels and poems, his paintings were also controversial. Sex themes were presented in most of his paintings and many of such paintings were banned in England at that time. “Many of Lawrence's paintings are hilarious - awful and a bit weird. His attempts to draw the human body make you think of Jim Shaw's collection of paintings bought in American thrift stores, or the bad bodies that populate John Currin's deliberately kitsch daubs”(Jones). It should be noted that the paintings of Lawrence which were labeled as obscene in 1920’s and 30 are becoming more popular now in Britain. In fact many Lawrence’s painting exhibitions are currently going in Britain which clearly suggests that many of the criticisms labeled against his works were baseless. In fact Britain is currently repenting for the mistakes it committed against DH Lawrence. Many of his unacceptable works in 20’s and 30’s are currently accepted as great works. D. H. Lawrence was a great essayist also. He has expressed his opinions on various issues through different thought provoking essays published in the beginning of twentieth century. Some of his famous views are given below. Criticism can never be a science: it is, in the first place, much too personal, and in the second, it is concerned with values that science ignores. The touchstone is emotion, not reason. We judge a work of art by its effect on our sincere and vital emotion, and nothing else. Brute force crushes many plants. Yet the plants rise again. The Pyramids will not last a moment compared with the daisy. And before Buddha or Jesus spoke the nightingale sang, and long after the words of Jesus and Buddha are gone into oblivion the nightingale still will sing. Because it is neither preaching nor commanding nor urging. It is just singing. And in the beginning was not a Word, but a chirrup (D. H. Lawrence British novelist essayist, and poet). Typhoid and pneumonia caused several health problems to DH Lawrence at different times of his life span. Even though, he escaped from near death many times, finally he had succumbed to the destiny in 1930. “In February 1930, D. H. Lawrence went into the Ad Astra Sanatorium in Vence. He discharged himself from the sanatorium on 1st March, and rented a house in the town. He died the following day and was buried in the local cemetery on 4th March” (Spartacus Educational). To conclude, DH Lawrence was one of the greatest literature writers of Britain In the twentieths century. He failed to get enough recognition Britain during his life span even though he got recognition outside Britain. He was forced to suffer lot of accusations such as traitor, pornographer etc during his life span. However, he is currently well accepted in British society. British people realized their mistakes and currently they are organizing exhibitions of Lawrence’s paintings. The ban for many of his literature works has been removed in Britain at present. In short, DH Lawrence was a great literature writer who failed to get enough recognition during his life span in his home country. Works Cited Academy of American Poets. “DH Lawrence”. 2012. Web. 05 February 2012. “D. H. Lawrence British Novelist Essayist, and Poet”. 2012. Web. 05 February 2012. “DH Lawrence”. Web. 05 February 2012. “DH Lawrence: Celebrating a Literary Life”. 2006. Web. 05 February 2012. Jones, Jonathan. “A Life in Pictures”. 2003. The Guardian, Saturday 8 November 2003. Web. 05 February 2012. Kennedy, Maev. “Lawrence 'Obscenities' Finally Get a Showing”. The Guardian, Saturday 22 November 2003. 05 February 2012. Spartacus Educational. “DH Lawrence”. Web. 05 February 2012. Read More