RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

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pleasure, but as soon as the novelty ends, their relation starts
to fall apart, only to be united again when the couple
rediscovers themselves in the flesh.
Mind is not involved in
their relation as it was not for Tom and Lydia.
The big
difference between the two couples is that Tom and Lydia accept
their individual differences.
They forget the particular "I" to
become the "we" of their section.
Will and Anna start as "we"
and finish' as "I", Anna and Will realize their differences
as a way to be separate.
Their only meeting is in the darkness,
in the flesh when no one is really him/herself; they are just
flesh united by the instinct of sex, not by the instinct of love.
From the first night Will and Anna spend together, Anna
proves to be the one who is more detached from the outside world.
On the honeymoon the couple forgets what is outside the door of
the cottage.
Night and darkness surround the two in a sphere of
joy so that what happens outside that sphere does not matter:
It was very well at night, when the doors were
locked and the darkness drawn round the two of them.
Then they were the only inhabitants of the visible
earth, the rest were under the flood. And being
alone in the world, they were a law unto themselves,
they could enjoy and squander and waste like
conscienceless gods (p.144).
Anna, as I said, really feels at ease as she is, provided that
no one disturbs her.
Will, however, can only feel secure when
his conscience is not working.
In darkness he is fulfilled. But
when the day comes and his conscience is awakened he feels
guilty.
The presence of the outside world comes in the morning
and "he could not help feeling guilty, as if he were committing
a breach of the law - ashamed
that he was not up and doing"(ibid).
Anna mocks at his preoccupation.
For her it is enough to be
locked at home enjoying the pleasure of her honeymoon.
The idea
is that Will is a conventional being whereas Anna is not.
This