Depiction of a personal crisis in the story Odour of Chrysanthemums by D. H. Lawrence
Depiction of a personal crisis in the story Odour of Chrysanthemums by D. H. Lawrence
(essay)
D. H. Lawrence was an English representative of modernism, novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter whose life was dominated by poverty as he was born as a coal miner’s son in 1985 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire in central England. He completed the Nottingham University and later worked as a teacher. During the First World War he and his wife, whom he met just after releasing his first novel, were accused for being German spies and later in 1919 were allowed to emigrate. Since that they spent most of their lives travelling and visited various countries around the world that also inspired his literary work.
D.H. Lawrence died in France on March 2, 1930. At the time of his death, his public reputation was that of a pornographer who had wasted his considerable talents. He had many enemies thanks to his opinions such as feminists who rejected attitudes toward women and sexuality depicted in his books. However, what Lawrence actually celebrated was spontaneity, sexuality and human instinct. Besides, he described dehumanizing effect of modernity and industrialization. This essay focuses on his short colliery story the Odour of Chrysanthemums that was written in 1909 and published later after revision in 1911 in the Prussian Officer volume. Lawrence later also adapted the story into a play, The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd. According to Henry Moore, young Lawrence and his sister often visited their auntie in Brinsley. This aunt remarried after her husband had been killed in a mining accident. Moore claims that “years later Lawrence used this aunt as the leading character of this story…”1 It is also sad that many of his female characters are inspired by his mother. Moreover, the event of bringing home the body of Mr. Bates in the story closely resembles the situation when Lawrence’s older brother died and his coffin was brought to their parlor at
(essay)
D. H. Lawrence was an English representative of modernism, novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter whose life was dominated by poverty as he was born as a coal miner’s son in 1985 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire in central England. He completed the Nottingham University and later worked as a teacher. During the First World War he and his wife, whom he met just after releasing his first novel, were accused for being German spies and later in 1919 were allowed to emigrate. Since that they spent most of their lives travelling and visited various countries around the world that also inspired his literary work.
D.H. Lawrence died in France on March 2, 1930. At the time of his death, his public reputation was that of a pornographer who had wasted his considerable talents. He had many enemies thanks to his opinions such as feminists who rejected attitudes toward women and sexuality depicted in his books. However, what Lawrence actually celebrated was spontaneity, sexuality and human instinct. Besides, he described dehumanizing effect of modernity and industrialization. This essay focuses on his short colliery story the Odour of Chrysanthemums that was written in 1909 and published later after revision in 1911 in the Prussian Officer volume. Lawrence later also adapted the story into a play, The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd. According to Henry Moore, young Lawrence and his sister often visited their auntie in Brinsley. This aunt remarried after her husband had been killed in a mining accident. Moore claims that “years later Lawrence used this aunt as the leading character of this story…”1 It is also sad that many of his female characters are inspired by his mother. Moreover, the event of bringing home the body of Mr. Bates in the story closely resembles the situation when Lawrence’s older brother died and his coffin was brought to their parlor at