Lady_Chatterley's_lover_Review

Literature Review of Lady Chatterley’s Lover
师大外语学院英语语言文学班宋美琼05090201015
D.H. Lawrence was one of the most controversial English writers of the 20th century because
of his being audacious in the erotic writing and original in describing sexual relationship. Many critics on D.H. Lawrence‘s Lady Chatterley’s Lover have focused their attention on the novel’s social critique, gender issues, and the main characters’mental and psychological development, pointing out this novel has criticized the western industrial society and explored the ideal relationship between sexes and the irrational aspects of human mind. D.H Lawrence’s abundant sex description between Chattley and Mellor has made a sharp contrast to the unbearable so-called husband and wife life without any sex enjoyments, which shows Chatterley’s insatiable lacks The loss or absence in Chattley could be boiled down to the discontented feeling to Cliff’s biased class notion and also, the regret to the attack of industrial civilization to the natural ancient England.
About the relationship between Lawrence’s sex description or Chattley’s loss given by the society, different views and opinions, either sharp or strict, mild or direct, have been given to, not only Lawrence’s belief, but also to this nature-originated work, which were at first been regarded acrimonious or indissoluble, but gradually begin to catch the interests and focus of the modern critics. For all of these changes, this disputable work turned its face from a pornography coprology to a giant including naturalism and psychoanalysis that couldn’t be entombed fully and deeply. Lots of specific or complex causes about the cause of the unfaithful deeds of the educated young lady in the fogeyish old England should be discussed.
1.Literature Review
1.1The Review in Western Countries
Written and then published in 1928, Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a novel “caused a scandal due
to its explicit sex scenes’, including previously banned four-letter words.”( Mc GRath：2008，3 ) The editor Michael Quales pointed in the preface that it is not as easy as others’ willing to publish
a book loyal to Lawrence’s designed origin. And also, the printer Ms. Morrison strongly refused to print the manuscript for Lawrence after having finished the first two so-called pornographic chapters.
At the beginning of its publication, this novel was not welcomed by other especially its direct pornographic description on sexual behavior without considering the thought that the “complicated and direct sex is what Lady Chattley wants” (Mc Grath: 2008:3) for they didn’t find “the implication in interpreting Chattley’s rapture with Cliff and the combination with Mellor”.(Stagow, 2007:20 ) French philosopher Michel Foucault(1978) gives a serious criticism
on one of Lawrence’s point that writers should make describing sexual behavior with language a top priority, Foucault even thinks that Lawrence’s assertion would certainly make the future people in perplexity—They would definitely not understand why should a modern civilized people spends so much time and infinite energy in investigating so virtual condition.(Yuan, 2009:10)
And also, even though the sharp or direct correction or critic are not given by this group to Lawrence’s sex description, they skirt the obscure and “pornographic”words and they just appropriate the style or word or even inspiration.
“Having discussed the topic of human vs. nature as well as human humanbeings vs. human
beings, this book shows the reader the strange relationship between man and women” (Kong, 2004: 5) And also, the critics including Kong consider that Lawrence owns the idea that the industrialization enticed people’s mind to materials and money rather than noble things so that the pollution of the environment and distort of human beings’nature as well as the sex instinct are trampled and despised seriously. (Kong, 2000: 5)
The study of Symbolism is also used to analyze the book, they have given a specific cooperation and introduction to the Neumann and allegory specifically and fully to back Lawrence’s idea that the sex instinct and the sex intercourse are the nature of human beings and they should be liberated and then, enjoyed. (Lu, 2006: 113)
According to the Freudian school of critics, “D. H. Lawrence concentrates on the sexual and neoucentric complexes dominated by the Freudian and other school of psychoanalysis.”“They differ widely in content and technique, but are essentially alike in their purpose: to explain human motivation from the viewpoint of an internal mind, rather than from the view point of ancestral observance. (Luo, 2006：247)
Another group thinks that to Lawrence, sex is to him the counterweight of the male and female principle in the University: attract, repel, neutralize a new round of attraction and repelled, the forever difference and variable new thought or design. (He, 2005:2)
By another group who support and understand Lawrence’s view and technique, for example Worthen, striking an uncharacteristically maudlin note “extraordinarily tender and non-exploitative”.(Worthen, 2000:29) And to support his idea and writer, Wotthen ascribe the betray of Chatterley and the combination of she and Mellor to the changing political fashion, and quotes Ursula K. Le Guin as a representative modern voice: “ He was a sexist and a racist, is there any argument?”(Allen, 2006: 34) The group including Worthen thinks that maybe because in writing of nature he looked outward rather than, as was his usual habit, inward. Even a simple, apparently careless thing or the most common sexual scene is described vivid and moving.
The Ness statesmen note that D.H. Lawrence had intended us to understand that Connie and Mellor had enjoyed anal sex, even an ambiguous description was then thought daring. The Independent On Sunday describes it as “just another artistic cliché. Mark Ravenhill, writer of a new plays at the National Theatre promises “plenty of buggery” shows as amazing enjoyable. The Guardian’s women page helpfully explains: this is all about anal sex in which people can’t take full pleasure. This argument used shows how sexual or direct the novel’s description is and why Conne can’t get enjoyment from Cliff. And also they point out that its not Cliff’s impotent in body but his lack or loss in spirit that lead to the failure of their marriage life because Cliff’s disabled originated even before he took up the arms.
1.2 The Review in China
In China, such an ancient and traditional country, it is even much latter than the western countries to allow the public publication or translation of this novel. Among the old writers, Yu Dafu and Ling Yutang are the two earliest writer or translator to translate and introduce this book to China. Yu points out in his The Reading of Lawrence’s novel that: the characteristics of this book in England are that it is finished based on an estranged, dull, and conventional as well as traditional society whose people own the false fashion, which makes Lawrence in trouble in the composing and publication of this book. Yu sees that in the book, the working class is the sufferers of the invasion of the capitalism and the control of the bourgeoisie. In this book Yu also refers that Lawrence expresses his vivid observation of the happiness of the sex intercourse by showing the technique of making love. “He has mentioned every part of women’s body but doesn’t make us feel embarrassed or vulgar, unnatural.”For this reason, many people or even some writers or critics regard it pornographic, some compared it with the treasure of Chinese so-called sexual novel The Golden Lotus.
When the angel turns to Ling Y utang, it is a little different, that is he regard the description of Lawrence’s sex intercourse scene or technique somehow subjective and free. He use the metaphor of dandy monk to describe Lawrence who remain the spirit of the happy sex in mind rather than focus on the body enjoyment simply from the physical combination of two sexes, so it is the reason why Connie couldn’t taste the happiness from her marriage with Cliff but could be crazy with a gate-keeper, who cares less fame and quail, and free of the restrict of industrial civilization.
In recent years, many ways of critic are used frequently and fully to comment on the famous for the open-door policy. All among these comments, the liberation of the sex and seek to the sexual happiness is the aura of the novel which attracts more and more readers. And people regard Connie’s betrayed loyal and right because of the real and true enjoyment from another real man. (Zhang, 2006: 25)
2.The limitation and my own comment
So much comment and critics makes this novel’s radiance even more shining and attractive for its sharp and fully comments. For many readers or critics, their focus on Connie’s betray and the baldness of sexual words description from Lawrence is always sex itself, little has been mentioned that the loss of Connie caused by both Cliff’s selfish capitalist’s exploitation and control. From the angel of the relationship Connie’s betray and the sexual words seen everywhere.
Bibliography
Allen, B. D.H Lawrence’s Decline, The New Criterion【J】, May 2006, P23-56
Mc Grath.C(2008) Lady Chatterley’s Lover【J】, New York Times, Pg9,Wk3
Worthen, J. D.H Lawrence: The Life of an Outsider【J】, New York: New York Journal, 2000, P29-31
Sragow，M（2007）Manage? Trios: Two lovers, One Garden in “Lady Chatterley”【J】New York Times, Pg20
Lawrence, Lady Chatterley’s Lover 【M】,Shanghai: Shanghai Translation Publishing House ,2007 张中载，《查泰来夫人的情人》吃官司【J】，北京：北京外国语大学学报，2006, P21-22。