تحليل شامل لرواية “Women In Love”

Book Record Format:
Title: “Women In Love”
Author: D. H. Lawrence
Synopsis: The story of two sisters who struggle with their own feelings, attitudes, and desires
about themselves, love and men.
Themes: The violence and passions, which lay beneath the surface of the characters’ egos
and how they allow their hidden desires to spontaneously display themselves.
Another theme is “love” as sex-war, in terms of domination or submission, defeat
or victory, of female vs. male. Underlying both of these themes, was the uncertainty
of the persons involved (in the two couples) as to whether of not they should commit
to love and if so, in what form, i.e., man-woman, “blood brothers”, or remain alone.
Point of View: Third Person
Characters/types:
Figurative Language/literary devices: note extensive or unique uses as well as describing the overall effect.
1. Which element was the most important to the development of the novel? Explain why.
The language was the most important element to the development of the novel. The author
uses words, which try to capture the sub-conscious desires of his characters, the hidden
processes of their psyches.
2. Identify the elements of plot below. Justify your answer.
A. initial incident - As Gudrun begins to dance in the fields during the “Water Party”, she un-
inhibits and reveals her inner self in an unconsciously suggestive exposure: her urge first to free
herself from repression, then to express herself, and then with the arrival of the highland bulls,
define and asserts herself against the other, the male.
B. climax - The discussion between Gudrun and Gerald in which it is clearly stated that they
do not love each other. After this point, Gerald is given into despair and kills himself.
3. Give an example of conflict. Identify the type of conflict and how it is / why it is not resolved.
The man’s hand coming down on the rabbit’s neck like a predator, the scene with the mare being beaten and the scene with the highland cattle set the tone for the struggles of the “human war”,
the battle between the sexes. In the first and second instances, the ‘male’ figure proves predominant, but with the cattle, the ‘female’ figure proves herself dominant.
4. Give an example of irony from the novel. Identify the type and explain how or why it is ironic.
The ‘Water Party’ chapter proves to be very ironic. It is supposed to be a happy and peaceful
get together but it ends in tragedy with the drowning of Gerald’s sister, Diana and the young doctor who tries to save her.
5. Identify a flashback from the novel and explain the effect of the use of this device.
Chapter XXIII, ‘Excurse’, begins by rediscovering the violence of ‘Moony’, in a flaming row between Ursula and Birkin over Hermione, as well as other things. The engagement rings which
he has brought signify the commitment he wants, and being red, dark blue, primrose, remind us
of the lanterns and of the challenge to harmonize oppositions in the human being and relationship.
6. Give an example of foreshadowing from the novel. Explain the effect of the use of this device.
The title of Chapter XXIV, ‘Death and Love’ seems to foreshadow how Gerald will go from his
dying father to kiss Gudrun under the bridge, then from his father’s grave to her bed, but which actually suggests that this pair of lovers will set foot on an opposite path through a different way
of love, leading to death. The contrasting emotions and passions displayed suggest an instability
to their relationship, which ultimately ends in Gerald’s death.
7. From what point of view is the story told? What effect does this point of view have on the reader? The story is told from the third person point of view. This makes the story more realistic and believable, convincing the reader of the instability and every changing attitudes
of the characters.
8. Describe the setting of the novel. During World War I in class ridden England, where people
are assumed to be as they appear.
9. Identify two major characters from the novel. For each character: A. Identify the type. B. Give three quotes, with page numbers, which illustrates the character.
Character one: Ursula Brangwen, the Idealist - longs for love from the opposite sex, optimistic.
A. “Ursula having always that strange brightness of an essential flame that is caught, meshed,
contravened. She lived a good deal by herself, to herself, working, and passing on from day to day, and always thinking, trying to hold on life, to grasp it in her own understanding.” (p. 9)
B. “She thought he (Rupert) seemed to acknowledge some kinship between her and him, a natural, tacit understanding, a using of the same language.” (p. 20)
C. "The flickering fires in his eyes concentrated as he looked into her eyes. Then the lids drooped with a faint motion of satiric contempt. They rose again to the same remorseless
suggestively. And she gave way, he might do as he would. His licentiousness was repulsively
attractive. But he was self responsible, she would see what it was.” (p. 413)

Character two: Gudrun Brangwen, the Protaganist - anti-male, cynical
A. “Perhaps one doesn’t really want them (children), in one’s soul--only superficially.”
A hardness came over Gudrun’s face. She did not want to be too definite. (p. 9)
B. “One must discriminate,” repeated Gudrun.-- “But he’s a wonderful chap (Rupert),
in other respects--a marvelous personality. But you can’t trust him.” (p. 21)
C. “She felt a new lease of life was come upon her, and she was happy like a child, very
attractive and beautiful to everybody, with her soft, luxuriant figure and her happiness.
Yet underneath was death itself.” (p. 467)
10. Give a one-sentence statement of theme for the novel.
Human beings portrayed as ‘civilized’ but who are not under their own control, but are
impelled by forces deep within them which are far below the level of their conscious
will or choice, and how this effects their outcome.
11. Identify one symbol from the novel and explain the symbolism.
The highland bulls are a symbol of the male; apparently strong but susceptible to
domination by the female (Gudrun).
12. Identify one allusion from the novel and explain the allusion.
The uninhibitted ‘dance’ is an allusion of the sexual freedom, which exists throughout the novel.
13. Identify six different types of figurative language or literary devices used in the novel.
For each type: A. Identify type. B. Give a quote with page number. C. Explain the effect.
1. A. Foreshadowing
B. Gerald: “We’ve all got to die, and it doesn’t seem to make any great difference, anyhow, whether you die or not.” (p. 203)
C. This reflects his indifference to life, which foreshadows his eventual suicide in the snow.
2. A. Simile
B. “Gerald, white like a presence in his summer clothes, was following down the open grassy
slope.” (p. 36)
C. Expresses the vulnerability of Gerald to the domination by Gudrun.
3. A. Metaphor
B. “The two sisters were like a pair of scissors, snipping off everything that came athwart
them; or like a knife and a whetstone, the one sharpened against the other.
C. Expresses at once the similarity and contrast between the two sisters. (p. 51)
4. A. Allusion
B. “Then he had been sent away to school, which was so much death to him.” (p. 221)
C. Represents his rebelliousness to authority and his despair, which will be his downfall.

5. A. Flashback
B. “It was a round opal, red and fiery, set in a circle of tiny rubies.” “It was a rose-shaped, beautiful sapphire, with small brilliants.” “It was a squarish topaz set in a frame of steel, or some other similar mineral, finely wrought.” (p. 303)
C. Chapter XXIII, ‘Excurse’, begins by rediscovering the violence of ‘Moony’, in a flaming row between Ursula and Birkin over Hermione, as well as other things. The engagement rings which
he has brought signify the commitment he wants, and being red, dark blue, primrose, remind us
of the lanterns and of the challenge to harmonize oppositions in the human being and in relationship.

6. A. Symbolism
B. “Gudrun was shocked by his appearance, and by the darkened, almost disintegrated eyes,
that still were unconquered and firm.” (p. 285)
C. Symbolizes the sickness of their relationship and the effect it is having on him, he is sinking
into despair.