Or
“Lawrence makes a
copious use of symbolism which is illuminating without being obtrusive”(Gamini
Salgado). Discuss.
Symbolism in literature
is a form of expression in which unseen realism is apprehended by
consciousness. It has a two-fold meaning. One lies on the surface and is very
easily understood by the reader. The other meaning is hidden in the writing and
becomes known to the reader only after a good deal of thought. Edmund Wilsory
in Axels’ Castle points out that when a writer wants to
communicate something uncommunicable he has to use certain symbols which embody
the uncommunicable experiences. He writes,
Each poet has his
unique personality; each of his moments has its special tone, its special
combination of elements. And it is the poets’ task to find, to invent, the
special language which will alone be capable of expressing his personality and
feelings.
D.H.Lawrence probes
deep into the consciousness of his characters with a clever use of symbols. He
uses this technique to increase the expressiveness of his language. His
imagination was so concrete that he seemed not to distinguish between the
reality and the metaphor or symbols. Lawrence makes an extensive use of symbols
in Sons and Lovers which add to the intrinsic richness of the
novel.
To understand the
symbolic implication of the language in novel, its plot must be kept in mind.
Even the very pattern of incidents is symbolic. Gertrude falls in love with
Mr.Morel, a handsome miner of coal pit and marries him to be disillusioned very
soon. When their sons grow Mrs. Morel turns to them for love. Here, the
conflict which is never bridged is born. William, the eldest son dies because
of his inability to compromise the claim of his mother and the claim of the
girl he loved. Paul the second son is also divided between Miriam and his mother.
If Miriam stands for spirit, his mother and also Clara stands for the body..
Ultimately Paul helps in expediting the mother’s death and goes out alone. This
plot structure implies that the characters have transgressed the natural life
and natural claims.
In the early part of Sons
and Lovers Lawrence is almost descriptive in style. But the description
of coal-pits is both realistic and symbolic. It is realistic
because it refers to the facts regarding the miners of Bestwood and symbolic
because the descent and ascent of the miners in the coal-pits is a symbol of
sexual rhythm. This symbolism of pits is identified with that of Mr. Morel
having irrational life principles.
The ash-tree
is used by Lawrence to show us the more sinister aspects of life, the dark
mysterious force of nature which finds their way into the fractured domestic
life of the Morels. It is symbolic of disharmony that exists between the
husband and wife in the Morel family and the inner terror of children.
The swing
at Willey Farm symbolises the tempestuous relationship between Paul and Miriam.
The swing goes up and down just as their relationship does. Also, Miriam can’t
achieve the same heights on the swing as Paul, symbolizing the gaping chasm
between their respective sex-drives.
Symbolism is not only a
technique to unfold the deep meaning but also a technique of characterization.
Miriam is shy and reserved whereas Clara is bold and sensuous. Clara asks them
to let the hens peck grains on their palms as she does. Paul
follows but when Miriam is asked to do the same she is afraid and cries with
pain and fear. Commenting on this incident Dorothy Van Ghent observes,
There is terse and
obvious symbolism, of the kind typical in Lawrence, in that sequence where
Clara’s red carnations splatter their petals over her clothes. This descriptive
passage conveys the animal dynamic which is the urgent phase of the phallic
power working in the boy and the girl.
The emotional lives of
the characters are much influenced by the active participation of nature. The
passion in Paul is aroused by the sight of moon (full moon,
orange in colour). Though Miriam is also deeply moved but Paul fails to get
across to her as she hesitates. Thus, the orange moon symbolises the aroused
passion in Paul.
The flower
symbolism is woven into the whole structure of the novel. The extraordinary
flower picking scene symbolising the characters takes place among the three
friends when they walk in an open field having many flowers. Miriam picks the
flowers lovingly and reverentially, yet she seems to derive life out of them.
Her relation to flower is that of possessorship which is also seen in her
relationship to Paul whom she cannot love without trying to absorb him. Clara’s
declaration that flowers should not be picked because it kills them shows that
she does not want to be picked by any man. Paul’s contact with flowers is
spontaneous. He loves them but respects their ‘otherness’, establishing them as
existence in their own right. Thus, on a closer reading of these floral symbols
one feels, that it depicts the attitude of various characters towards life.
Mrs. Morel has a vital and healthy attitude towards flowers. The scenes where
Paul brings her flowers are warm and gay. Since the love of Paul and Miriam
develops in the midst of natural surroundings, here the flowers are symbolic of
its freshness and innocence. They also symbolise the youthful beauty of Miriam.
Darkness
is another symbol used in Sons and Lovers. There is a passage
describing the meeting of Paul and Clara in the field where he looks into her
eyes.
They were dark and
shining and strange… darkness through this hour.
The darkness of phallic
consciousness is the symbolism of passionate life assertion strong and
ascertained. Darkness is the objective co-relative of sensual act.
There are various other
symbols in the novel like burned potatoes symbolizing Miriam’s absorption to
Paul, charred bread symbolizing Paul’s total absorption to Miriam etc. Hope and
optimism are symbolized at the end of the novel with the help of the gold
phosphorescence of the city.
Although Lawrence’s use
of symbols in Sons and Lovers is not so complex as in The
Rainbow and Woman in love, as such it helps us to grasp
the experiences offered. Unlike the French symbolists like Baudelaire,
who used symbols as suggestive evocation of timeless spiritual reality.
Lawrence has used his symbols to express the emotional attitude of his
characters as well as to show the relation between the human and non-human
world.
so informative and relevant to it's topic
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