RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

odies in general) than he is by women's bodies.
Lawrence also
repeats the idea (quoted on the page before this one) that the
men recognize in each other the knowledge of their mutual
attraction, but that "all this knowledge was kept submerged in
the soul of the two men.
Outwardly they would have none of it"
(p.93).
Furthermore, Lawrence explains in the prologue Birkin's
preference for men, although outwardly he would prefer a woman
to rouse himself to passion:
All the time, [Birkin] recognized that,
although he was always drawn to women, feeling
more at home with a woman than with a man, yet
it was for men that he felt the hot, flushing,
roused attraction which a man is supposed to
feel for the other sex. Although nearly all
his living interchange went on with one woman
or another,although he was terribly intimate
with at least one woman, and practically never
with a man, yet the male physique had a
fascination for him and for the female
physique he felt only a fondness, a sort of
sacred love, as for a sister (pp.103-4).
This perhaps explains why Birkin often felt a terrible fear of
making love to Ursula and also denied her good looks.
The
prologue also explains why the two raen are always hiding
something when they look into each other's eyes.
In the novel
they are often seen disguising warm looks while Birkin.is caught
admiring Gerald's beautiful face and body.
This is seen when
both travel to London:
Birkin could not help seeing how beautiful
and soldierly [Gerald's] face was, with a certain
courage to be indifferent...
And [Gerald] looked again at Birkin almost
sardonically, with his blue, manly sharp-lighted
eyes. Birkin's eyes were at the moment full of
anger. But swiftly they became troubled,
doubtful, then full of a warm, rich
affectionateness and laughter (p.51).
Also in the train Birkin tells Gerald that people are liars to
themselves and, although at the moment he was referring to the
world as a whole, the implication may be that both men have