D. H. Lawrence s The Rainbow : The Struggle for Intimacy

Critics have naturally been attracted to the male-female relationships in D. H. Lawrence s corpus. This article aims to contribute to the discussion of this theme by focusing upon the threat posed by the desire for knowledge of the Other and upon the danger of an intimacy that seeks to violate the essence of self. It examines the three major heterosexual relationships (Tom and Lydia, Will and Anna, and Skrebensky and Ursula) in Lawrence s The Rainbow (1915). Each couple struggles to achieve a healthy intimacy, which is difficult because the desire for an intimate union entails risks to an individual s autonomy and integrity. Tom and Lydia succeed mainly because Tom recognizes the limits to the knowledge of the Other, the paradoxical mystery of Otherness that should not be violated, anticipating what Luce Irigaray has called the remainder that cannot be consumed in the relationship. Will fails to reach a harmonious union between himself and Anna in the marriage because of his desire to consume and possess Anna in totality, not knowing that it is wrong, causing her to rebel and strike back. His desire stems from his inability to stand alone. The best they can manage is a subdued friendship. The struggle between Skrebensky and Ursula ends in utter failure due to Skrebensky s weakness as Ursula dominates him, destroying the vital integrity of his selfhood. This essay seeks to clarify the relationship between men and women by focusing upon intimacy, selfhood, and autonomy.