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Durham E-Theses The sleeping beauty motif in the short stories of D. H. Lawrence Backhouse, J. L. How to cite: Backhouse, J. L. (1969) The sleeping beauty motif in the short stories of D. H. Lawrence, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10079/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk AJjaTRACT OF THESIS 'jitle; The Sleeping Beauty l>iotif in the bhort Stories of J.H. Lav/renoe. by J.L. Backhouse, B.A. In this thesis, ten tales covering almost the whole of D.H. Lawrence's writing career have been analysed in terms of the 'Sleeping Beauty' motif or "the myth of the. awakened sleeper" - a motif which has heen noted briefly in Lawrence's fiction by several critics. Chapter One begins with a discussion of the Sleeping Beauty legend, its origins and its variants, and leads on to a comparison and contrast of two early tales. The \7itch a la Mode and The Daughters of the Vicar; these are, respectively, examples of Lawrence's treatment of the motif in symbolic and realistic terms. There is a further contrast in that these stories introduce the two types of 'Sleeping*Beauty• women, respectively - i.e. those who reject the awakening v/hich offers liberation, and those who accept "the lover's kiss that awakens the Sleeping Beauty." In Chapter Two The Horse-Deafer*s Daughter, You Touched Lie and The Fox are examined; they possess marked similarities of character and setting, but are sufficiently-varied treatments of the motif to warrant individual analysis. Chapter Three is concerned with The Princess and None of That, both variants on the negative aspect of the theme, in that they deal with 'Sleeping Beauty' heroines who ultimately reject any awakening. The. Princess is a mature and skilful treatment of this aspect of the theme, whereas Uone of That is shown to he technically and artistically a regression, Vifith Sun, Glad Ghosts and The Virgin and the Gipsy, all written during the last period, there is a return to the 'Sleeping Beauty' women who are awakened to new states of being, Syraholism, particularly in Sun, plays an important role, and it is fully discussed. The thesis concludes with a general discussion of the motif as it appears elsewhere in Lawrence's fiction, and of its relevance to his own life; in this connection, evidence is adduced from the novels and the correspondence. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY MOTIF IN THE SHORT STORIES 0 P D. H. LAWRENCE A THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF M.A. BT J. L. BACKHOUSE. B.A. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. CONTENTS INTROIiUCTION •« •« Page i. CHAFi'BB I Page 1. CHAPTER II Page 41 o ChAPl'BR III Page 105. GHAP'rER IV Page 155» CONCLUSIUH Page 223. BIBLIOGRAPHY Page 238. INDEX Page 242. -1- Introduction The title of this thesis is taken from The Intelligent Heart, Harry T. Moore's account of Lawrence's life and work, in which brief references to the 'Sleeping Beauty' motif occur in connection with a number of tales. Moore notes that the themeof the "sleeping princess" is central to five stories and to at least one novel; he also inter• prets Lawrence's romance with Frieda in similar terms. In the present study, ten tales, including those noted by Moore, have been analysed and interpreted; they cover almost the whole of Lawrence's writing career. The first chapter deals with Moore's 'Sleeping Beauty' references in full, and at the same time there is a discussion of the nature-inyth which lies at the root of the Sleeping Beauty legend. The remainder of the chapter consists of an examination of two early tales, The Witch I la Mode and The Dau^ters of the Vicar. These form an effective contrast; althou^ The Witch h. la Mode reveals technical skill in the handling of symbolism, its chief fault lies in the too insistent use of symbols. The characters, too, are hardly convincing as real people. In The Daughters of the Vicar we find a greater depth of characterization, with realistic elements and symbolism much more in harmony. This contrast is heightened by the fact that we -11- are introduced, in the two stories, to the two major variants of the "sleeping princess". Winifred Varley of The Witch ^ la Mode rejects the 'awakening' experience, whereas the second tale deals with a 'Sleeping Beauty' heroine who achieves freedom from the 'thorns' of social and emotional entanglement. The Daughters of the Vicar, too, has greater complexity as a tale; it introduces the theme of the "dual epiphany" or double awakening - an aspect of the main motif which continues into the second phase of writing. Chapter Two is devoted to three tales v/ritten diiring this second period. It begins with biographical material, some of which is closely related to at least' one of the stories. These, The. Horse-Dealer's Daughter, You Touched Me and The Fox, share a Midlands background. You Touched Me and The Fox have certain similarities to The Daughters of the Vicar, but are sufficiently clear variants of the 'Sleeping Beauty' motif to warrant detailed analysis. In these tales, too, the role of the 'intruder' or 'outsider' - the equivalent of Prince Charming - who eventually frees the •Sleeping Beauty' heroine from her imprisonment, which may be restrictive environment, old-maidhood or unnatural relationship, is also discussed at length, in an attempt to demonstrate the evolution of this character from a passive to a dominant figure. The negative aspect of the motif introduced in The V/itch ai la Mode is taken up once again in Chapter Three which deals with the later treat• ment of two failed "sleeping princesses" - women who ultimately reject any kind of 'awakening'. The two tales, based upon Lawrence's experiences in New Mexico - the relevant biographical background is given - are -iii- The Princess and None of That, and in character and setting they are a complete change from the typically English environments of most previous stories. The chapter concludes with a summary of the respective merits of each tale, showing the immense superiority of The Princess in the handling of character, setting and symbol as opposed to None of That, which is artistically a disappointment. In the final chapter we return to European settings with three stories which deal with the positive aspect of the motif in distinctly different ways. All the heroines accept the transfiguring experience of love, but their respective 'awakenings' take new forms. In previous tales 'awakening' was usually achieved at the cost of alienation from a particular society; in Sun, Glad Ghosts and The Virgin and the Gipsy this is not so. Having achieved personal regeneration of one kind or another, the three 'Sleeping Beauty' women remain within their own society. In Glad Ghosts, there is an accompanying revitalization of the society itself; in the other instances, the tales end with the suggestion that the 'resurrected' heroines will somehow contrive to re-invigorate society from within, fortified by their ovm regeneration. The conclusion of the thesis commences with a summary of the various 'Sleeping Beauty' heroines in the tales, both positive and negative. At the same time the variations which occur in each woman from tale to tale are carefully noted. The character of the 'intruder' is also summarised, with incidental reference to his variants in the novels. The relation of the 'Sleeping Beauty' motif to Lawrence's own romance - a fact which is touched upon in connection with minor characters in The Virgin and the Gipsy -IV- is then discussed. The views of two critics are considered in this respect, and evidence from Frieda Lawrence's letters is adduced. Specific references to the Sleeping Beauty or variants of the 'sleeping princess' in Lawrence's novels and letters are fully discussed to demonstrate that he often had the motif in mind in one form or another and used it consciously in his work, suitably varied or modified. There is also a summary of the evidence, mainly from his letters, to show his interest in sun-symbolism - symbolism which is central to at least one tale, plays a part in others and which is inherent in the Sleeping Beauty legend as a whole. Those critics who have recognized the presence of the myth of the awakened sleeper' as an integral part of Lawrence's fiction are acknowledged; finally, there is a discussion, with appropriate references, showing the relevance of the theme to Lawrence's outlook on life. CHAPTER I This study is an exploration of the 'Sleeping- Beauty' motif and its variations in the short stories of D. H. Lawrence. The term is used by Harry T. Moore in The Intelligent Heart to describe a distinctive theme which can be recognized in certain tales throughout most of Lawrence's writing career.