THE FIGURE OF WOMEN IN THE LIFE OF D.H LAWRENCE MANIFESTED IN SONS AND LOVERS

Abstract

Lawrence allegedly narrates his Sons and Lovers departed from the experiences he runs. He appears some figures of women like Lady Beardsal, Louis Burrow and Jessie Chambers to inspire Paul Morel’s mother, Miriam and Clara within the novel. Departed from this finding, I search the relation between his work and women surround him. However, women have unintentionally formed his paradigm toward the world that becomes the space of battlefield in the beginning of 20th century. Lawrence construe the possibility to achieve a balancing point demanded for a better life. He starts asking the imbalance condition focused between men and women. Aristotle’s mimetic theory is applied to see how the figure of women in Lawrence’s real life manifested in his novel and how Sons and Lovers becomes an alternative form to disclose Lawrence’s individual feeling. Aristotle once states that all human actions are mimetic and that men learn through imitation (Aristotle, 1902:18). This study is conducted in several phases. At the first, I compile, classify, and verify the data from Flame into Being. The Life and Work of D. H. Lawrence and D. H. Lawrence: A Personal Record to see the real life of D.H Lawrence related to women surround him. The first step results information about the position of women in his real life and his novel. However, it is not absolute manifestation that means there is Lawrence’s imagination to construe his reality. Therefore, there is always some moments that look different from his social life. Meanwhile, the thesis does not research the sameness and the difference between D.H Lawrence’s social life and his novel. It goes further by analyzing Lawrence’s imagination and motive to write his masterpiece as an alternative way to release his feeling resulted in catharsis. Therefore, the second step is gathering information and data from Aristotle’s Poetic to show D.H Lawrence creative process in re-creating the reality into the world of imagination in the novel. This step results a portrait of his ability to conceive his reality. The novel is the alternative way and the escapism from social burden to treat women he knows in his life. Sons and Lovers discloses his all ideas about the ideal position for men and women that many people in the beginning of 20th contrastingly always maintain the orthodox values in England. The tragedy happens when the main character, Paul morel, cannot cope with the three women. His feeling becomes hollow. What happens then is a kind of tragedy from immature man who does not find his true love. Lawrence indeed transforms this fear and pity into an aesthetical work.