THE WHITE PEACOCK,published in 1911,Lawrence started the novel in 1906 and then rewrote it three times.The curly versions had the working title of Laconia.
It involves such Lawrcnrian themes as the damage associated with mismatched marriages,and the border country between town and country.A misanthropic gamekeeper makes an appearance,in some ways the prototype of Mellor's in Lawrence's last novel,Lady Chatterley's Lover.The book includes some notably description of nature and the impact of inclustrialisation on the countryside and the town.Its provincialism may be compared with the novels of George Eliot and Thomas Hardy.
乔治和莱斯利来自不同的社会阶层,却同时爱上了美丽的少女莱蒂。莱蒂对英俊、强健的乔治产生了爱慕之情,然而在一阵单纯、甜美的嬉闹之后,莱蒂又模糊地感到现实生活仅有爱情还不够,于是便选择了优裕却没有爱情的生活,嫁给头脑简单、精神空虚的富家子弟莱斯利。乔治在悲痛绝望中借酒浇愁,从此沉沦下去。在这部作品中,劳伦斯意在揭示人性在现代社会中的迷失,揭示淳朴自然的田园生活与散发着铜臭的工业文明的对立。
《白孔雀》的书名来自蹲在天使石像上的一只孔雀“这妄自尊大的蠢货……它是女人的灵魂……要不就是魔鬼的心灵。”由此点明小说的主旨意在探索女性心理,其中既有劳伦斯中学时代的恋人杰茜的影子,而女主人公莱蒂这一形象又与他后来创作的《恋爱中的女人》有着诸多相似之处,而劳伦斯也逐渐成长为20世纪富争议的情爱小说大师。
D.H.LAWRENCE(1885-1930),one of the greatest figures in 20th-century English literature.Lawrence saw six and intuition as ways to undistorted perception of reality and means to respond to
the inhumanity of the industrial culture.From Lawrence's doctrines of sexual freedom arose obscenity trials,which had a deep effect on the relationship between literature and society.
In 1912,he wrote:"What the blood feels,and bclicvcs,and says,is always truce."Lawrence's life after World War I was marked with continuous and restless wandering.
"Pour us a drop of tea,"he said to Emily.
"I don't know that I shall wait on such brutes,"she replied,relenting,and flourishing the teapot.
"Oh,"said he,taking another piece of bread and butter,"I'm not all alone in my savageness this time."
"Men are all brutes,"said Lottie,hotly,without looking up from her book.
"You can tame us,"said Leslie,in mighty good humor.
She did not reply.George began,in that deliberate voice that so annoyed Emily:
"It does make you mad,though,to touch the fur,and not be able to grab him"-he laughed quietly.
Emily moved off in disgust.Lottie opened her mouth sharply to speak,but remained silent.
"I don't know,"said Leslie."When it comes to killing it goes against the stomach."
"If you can run,"said George,"you should be able to run to death.When your blood's up,you don't hang half way."
"I think a man is horrible,"said Lottie,"who can tear the head off a little mite of a thing like a rabbit,after running it in torture over a field."
"When he is nothing but a barbarian to begin with"said
Emily.
"If you began to run yourself-you'd be the same,"said
George.
"Why,women are cruel enough,"said Leslie,with a glance at Lottie."Yes,"he continued,"they're cruel enough in their way"-another look,and a conucallittle smile.
"Well,"said George,"what's the good finishing!If you feel Iike doing a thing-you'd better do it."
……