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RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

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344<br />

novella analysed in this dissertation as follows:<br />

a. The Trespasser — an ambiguous closed ending in dialogue<br />

b. Sons and Lovers — an ambiguous closed ending in<br />

narrative<br />

c. The Rainbow — an ambiguous closed ending in narrative<br />

d. Women in Love— an open-ended story in dialogue<br />

e. "The Fox" — ■ an open-ended story in dialogue<br />

f. The Plumed Serpent — an ambiguous open-ended story in<br />

dialogue.<br />

Although some of the stories have similar characteristics, they<br />

must be seen individually to draw comparisons.<br />

In The Trespasser it is necessary to recall some of the<br />

events which have led up to the ambiguous closed ending.<br />

Helena,<br />

the 'dreaming woman1, is the main protagonist and the survivor<br />

of a love affair which ended in tragedy.<br />

Her lover killed<br />

himself after having spent a holiday with her on the Isle of<br />

Wight.<br />

Siegmund, a married man, is marked by his weak personality.<br />

With Helena, as well as with his wife, he has never been able to<br />

take any decision. He depended very much on both women. Helena<br />

has been for him a kind of mother to whom he was obedient, even<br />

though she destroyed him.Helena was incapable of giving herself<br />

entirely to him.<br />

Sexually he was frustrated and Helena fed his<br />

frustration.<br />

The only thing she was able to do was to demand<br />

from him a spiritual love which he could not give her.<br />

And as he<br />

was unable to defend his own points of view due to his weakness,<br />

he decided after a long and tormented conflict to kill himself.<br />

He could not have Helena; he could not divorce his wife; he could<br />

not have the love of his children, therefore his self-pity led<br />

him to suicide.<br />

Helena, after the result of this tragedy in<br />

which she was directly involved, fights to get Siegmund's violin.

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