Autobiographical Background in Sons and Lovers

Contents:
D.H.Lawrence: life, writings and critical reception; Similarities between Lawrences background and Sons and Lovers; Conclusion; ibliograp!".

D. H. Lawrence: Life and Writing Career

David Herbert Richards Lawrence was born on ## September #$$%, in a mean brick !ouse on slanting &ictoria Street, 'astwood, near (otting!am. He was t!e fourt! of t!e fi)e c!ildren of *rt!ur +o!n Lawrence ,#$-./#01-2 and L"dia eardsall ,#$%#/#0#3 2. He publis!ed as D.H.Lawrence and !ad a brief writing career w!ic! lasted onl" twent" "ears. His first appearance in print was in #030 w!en an 'nglis! maga4ine publis!ed a group of !is poems. Lawrences first no)el, publis!ed in #0##, was The White Peacock. 5t was followed b": The Trespasser (1912), Sons and Lovers (1913), The Prussian O icer and Other Stories (191!), The "ain#o$ (191%), Wo&en in Love (192', in (nited States), )n*+and, ,- )n*+and (1922) and, in t!e same "ear: .aron/s "od, t!en 0an*aroo (1923), The P+u&ed Serpent (1921) etc.

, 8rom: silksoundbooks.com2

6!e "ears of D. H. Lawrence, #$$% to #073/ t!e "ear of !is deat! of tuberculosis, in &ence, 8rance/ crossed a period of frig!tening c!ange from a world of apparent order and contentment to a world of c!aos and sick ner)es. His writings were not popular or commerciall" successful during !is lifetime. * few readers found in !is work a strange and compelling beaut", but Lawrence was known to t!e wide public onl" as the author of indecent! books t!at were from time to time suppressed. He has written boldl" of se#ual $atters not because he believed in passion e#clusivel" but because he believed it should be brought into balance with intellect.! ,Harr" 6. 9oore, D.H.Lawrence: His Life and Work)

 A few si$ilarities between Lawrence!s life and his novel

8amil":

*. 6!e 8at!ers 5mage

*rt!ur +o!n Lawrence /fat!er of t!e no)elist/ went to work in t!e pits in !is c!ild!ood, and alt!oug! !e remained a miner until !e was an old man, !e ne)er became an"t!ing more t!an a butt"/foreman of a section of t!e coal/face wit! t!ree or four men under !is direction : t!e industrial e;ui)alent of a corporals!ip. He was a grumbler w!o pre)ented !is own ad)ancement b" continuall" wrangling wit! !is immediate superiors. <utside t!e pit, !e was popular wit! !is fellow/ workers. He !ad a good )oice and for some "ears sang in t!e c!oir at rinsle" C!urc!. *da, !is daug!ter, remembers !im as a !andsome, rudd"/faced man wit! dark, flas!ing e"es and a beard: =!e boasted t!at a ra4or !ad ne)er touc!ed !is face.

=9orel was t!en twent"/se)en "ears old. He was well set/up, erect, and )er" smart. He !ad wa)" black !air t!at s!one again, and a )igorous black beard t!at !ad ne)er been s!a)ed. ,2hapter 34 T5) )."L6 ,.""3)7 L38) O8 T5) ,O")LS, p.#%2

= ut alt!oug! !e was )er" stead" at work, !is wages fell off. He was blab/ mout!ed, a tongue/wagger. *ut!orit" was !ateful to !im, t!erefore !e could onl" abuse t!e pit/managers. ,C!apter 5, p. #>2 <n t!e 6uesda" morning 9orel rose earl". He was in good spirits. ?uite earl", before si@ oAclock, s!e !eard !im w!istling awa" to !imself downstairs. He !ad a pleasant wa" of w!istling, li)el" and musical. He nearl" alwa"s w!istled !"mns. He !ad been a c!oir/bo" wit! a beautiful )oice, and !ad taken solos in Sout!well cat!edral. ,C!apter 5, , p. 29 ) B5f "our mot!er put "ou in t!e pit at twel)e, itAs no reason w!" 5 s!ould do t!e same wit! m" lad.C B6wel)eD 5t wor a sig!t afore t!atDC BE!ene)er it was,B said 9rs. 9orel. ,2hapter 3334 T5) 2.ST39: O88 O8 ,O")L;T5) T.039: O9 O8 W3LL3.,, p. $1 2

. 6!e 9ot!ers Fortrait

L"dia eardsall was a member of a proud (otting!am famil" t!at !ad lost its mone" in !er grandfat!ers time; for a w!ile in !er "out! s!e was a sc!oolteac!er. E!en s!e married t!e ga" and )ital collier, after !a)ing been Gilted b" a refined "oung man, s!e !ad little idea of w!at it was to be a coal miners wife. ut s!e learned as soon as !er !usband took !er to !is nati)e town of rinsle", a place about s!e was )er" disappointed. Howe)er, !is mot!er !ad t!e strongest influence on D.H. Lawrence because, after t!e disappointment of !er marriage L"dia gi)es all !er affection to !er sons ,t!e writer and !is two brot!ers: Heorge *rt!ur and Eilliam 'rnest2. +o!n Eort!en argues t!at Bs!e needed !er c!ildren to make up for t!e disappointments of !er life.B 6!us L"dias deat! w!ic! was due to cancer, in #0#3, was a turning point in Da)id Herberts life.

,Ficture taken from *da LawrenceAs book:/ A6!e 'arl" life of D H LawrenceA. 2 from pic ure !epas .or".uk

=9rs. 9orel came of a good old burg!er famil", famous independents w!o !ad foug!t wit! Colonel Hutc!inson, and w!o remained stout Congregationalists. Her grandfat!er !ad gone bankrupt in t!e lace/ market at a time w!en so man" lace/manufacturers were ruined in (otting!am. ,C!apter 5, p. #12 =6!is was a new tract of life suddenl" opened before !er. S!e reali4ed t!e life of t!e miners, !undreds of t!em toiling below eart! and coming up at e)ening. He seemed to !er noble. He risked !is life dail", and wit! gaiet". , C!apter 5, p.#$2 =(ow s!e !ad two sons in t!e world. S!e could t!ink of two places, great centres of industr", and feel t!at s!e !ad put a man into eac! of t!em, t!at t!ese men would work out w!at SH' wanted; t!e" were deri)ed from !er, t!e" were of !er, and t!eir works also would be !ers. ,C!apter &: F*IL L*I(CH'S 5(6< L58', p. #%>2

There was another silence. We sll be taking my mother home as soon as we can, said Paul. Whats a-matter with her? asked Dawes, with a sick mans interest in illness. hes got a cancer. ! "ha#ter $%&' T() *)+), ), #. -./0

 D. H. Lawrence J
* somew!at sickl" c!ild, Da)id Herbert was a little cut off from ot!er bo"s, and t!us life of t!e mining town stamped !im permanentl". ut life in suc! an area was, !owe)er, less limited t!an mig!t be t!oug!t. Lawrence and !is friend, +essie C!ambers, read )er" seriousl" and ad)enturousl": C6!e" spent a great deal of time toget!er working and reading, walking t!roug! t!e fields and D.H. Lawrence in !is woods, talking and discussing. +essie was interested in "out! e)er"t!ing, to suc! a degree t!at !er intensit" of perception almost amounted to a form of wors!ip.K ,*nn C!ambers Howard, +essieAs sister2 Lawrence started work as a factor" clerk for a surgical appliances manufacturer in (otting!am. Soon afterwards, !is eldest brot!er, Eilliam 'rnest Lawrence, b" now a successful clerk in London, fell ill and died on ##t! <ctober #03#. esides writing, Lawrence was a keen painter all !is life.

+essie C!ambers

 Jand Faul 9orel

=9eanw!ile Eilliam grew bigger and stronger and more acti)e, w!ile Faul, alwa"s rat!er delicate and ;uiet, got slimmer, and trotted after !is mot!er like !er s!adow. He was usuall" acti)e and interested, but sometimes !e would !a)e fits of depression. , C!apter 555, p. >.2 =*t eig!t oclock !e climbed t!e dismal stairs of +ordans Surgical *ppliance 8actor", and stood !elplessl" against t!e first great parcel/rack, waiting for somebod" to pick !im up. , C!apter &, p.#%$2 =<ne e)ening in t!e summer 9iriam and !e went o)er t!e fields b" Herods 8arm on t!eir wa" from t!e librar" !ome. So it was onl" t!ree miles to Eille" 8arm. 6!ere was a "ellow glow o)er t!e mowing/grass, and t!e sorrel/ !eads burned crimson. , 2hapter <334 L.7=.97=:3"L LO<), p. 1--2 =He was not strong enoug! for !ea)" manual work, !is mot!er said. He did not care for making t!ings wit! !is !ands, preferred racing about, or making e@cursions into t!e countr", or reading, or painting. , 2hapter <, p. #7$2

Conclusion:
D. H. Lawrence included in Sons and Lovers !is own e@periences and portraits of people !e knew. *lt!oug! t!ere are man" similarities in t!e e)ents and portraits in Lawrences fiction t!e reader s!ould a)oid to see t!is no)el Gust like a slice of t!e aut!ors life but as a free/standing no)el. 5n fact, from t!e )er" start Lawrence !ad not set out to write an autobiograp!": w!en !e rewritten t!e book for t!e fourt! time, t!e aut!or was con)inced t!at, b" !is labour of =pruning it and res!aping it and filling it !e !ad generali4ed !is material to suc! a degree t!at !e could call it = a great traged"Jt!e traged" of t!ousands of "oung men in 'ngland. D. H. Lawrence is not interested in particularit" but in life as a w!ole. 6!is idea is also suggested in !is essa": W56 T5) 9O<)L ,.TT)"S w!ere !e states: =6!e no)el is one brig!t book of life. ooks are not life. 6!e" are tremulations upon t!e et!er. ut t!e no)el as a tremulation can make t!e w!ole man ali)e tremble.

ibliograp!"
D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, edited wit! an introduction and notes b" Helen aron and Carl aron, publis!ed b" 6!e Fenguin Hroup; D.H.Lawrence, Wh- the 9ove+ ,atters, on: individual.u oron o.ca#amli #w!$% !e%novel%ma ers.! m& 8rank Lermode and +o!n Hollander, ,odern >ritish Literature ; Harr" 6. 9oore, 7.5. La$rence4 5is Li e and Works& D.H.Lawrence, 8ii ?i @ndrA*ostiBi, traducere de *ntoaneta Malian, editura Folirom, 5aNi, 13##; 6on" Finkne", 7.5. La$rence, publis!ed in #003 b" Har)ester E!eats!eaf.