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RESEARCH ARTICLE
MAPPING THE PROGRESS OF WOMEN FROM D.H LAWRENCE’S
WOMEN IN LOVE TO E.L JAMES’ FIFTY SHADES TRILOGY
Palak Arora
(M.A. English, IV Sem, ASLA, Amity University Gurugram)
DOI: 10.333329/joell.7.1.69
ABSTRACT
Conferring to the norms is the way of life but stringent forces like
feminism worked hard to carve a niche in the society for their own
standing individuality. Amid their four waves now we had arrived at an arc
of redirecting these efforts to a point of acceptance that the rights they
are fighting for are achieved and from here post feminism starts. This
research paper aims to map the projection of women in two texts namely
DH Lawrence’s Women in Love and EL James Fifty Shades Trilogy and the
implication of this post-feminist resulting in the concept of life force
propounded by GB Shaw. The effluent force through which the women
channelize their energies is euphemistically called the force of life,
evolving through which early phases of feminism viewed it as a bondage
but with the emergence of post feminism this very notion got
transformed into liberating life force. The research in context to these two
works tries to find out the effects of feminism on the channelization of life
force.
Keywords: Feminism, Post-Feminaism, Paricharchy, Life-force, Individuality,
The Author retains the copyright of this article Copyright© 2020VEDAPublications
The Author agrees that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
69 Palak Arora
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INTRODUCTION movement that challenges, and ultimately aims to
Dismantling all the previous vestiges of moral and breakdown, the patriarchal structures of a society. It
social values, an era of postwar begins with highly means different things to different people at
mechanized and individualistic mindset. DH different times and has many overlaps, for example
Lawrence, a prominent unabashed writer of this the suffrage movement and right to inheritance have
postwar and pre-feminist century evolves on the been central themes at different times (Mishra 709).
threshold of the concept of the ‘New Woman’ with Catering to an alienated world and vaguely
works like “Women in Love.” Emancipation of women addressing feminine issues, women took a stance for
from patriarchy is the most fantasized concept in the their emancipation by holding on the most suffused
realm of all waves of feminism and Lawrence’s view female qualities and liberating themselves from the
of pre-war women, as aptly pointed out by Hilary artifice of conforming societal codes and rebelling on
Simpson, suggests that he sought to have harboured the front foot. Patriarchy makes a woman merge
a firm faith in woman’s capacity to disrupt the order herself into others and neglect her own self. (Mishra
of manly accord. However, the contemporary world’s 50). This intricate issue of female becoming more like
conception of women is framed through male and detaching themselves from their spirit is
ecclesiastical disciplinary conception with concurrent dealt by Hilary Simpson in DH Lawrence and
streams of feministic thought process both working Feminism where she examines this attitude by
adjunct to the antecedent image of women. Though pointing to Lawrence’s attitude “from a liberal, pro-
the flagship of feminism had been a century old, the feminist position before the first world war to the
implicit effect fails to show up in the real world rabid post-war vision of women as a destructively
forcing the movement to get cut in waves as an dominant sex, and of programmes for masculinist
analogy to an unprecedented tale of unfinished revolution” (Simpson 90).
agony. Hélène Cixous, a second wave feminist, Paving the way for twenty-first century post-
envisions women’s libidinal economy different from feminism where womanly objectification is
that of male’s libidinal economy and pertaining to transformed to subjectification by traversing the
this feminism, Lawrence put forward his views in The whole gender paradigm to a concentrating
Symbolic Meaning: individualism. Post-feminism ushered into newer
ideologies for a better assimilated way of perceiving
“What woman knows, she knows because
self-worth in diversified thinking and bodily
man has taught it to her. What she is, that is
projection. With the proliferation of beaming ‘power
another matter. She can never give
feminism,’ EL James with her Fifty Shades Trilogy
expression to the profound movements of
portrayed a woman of post-feminist era clamouring
her own being. Man is the utterer, woman is
over the dark romantic genre. She presented the
the first cause.”(Lawrence145)
female character, Anastasia Steele, with exquisite
It is not only difficult but impossible to impose a refinement. The apprehensive and dilapidated
sense of individual entity when such curt thoughts of attitude of feminism got transformed in post
male hegemony prevail. A view propounded by a feminism giving birth to the notion of ‘have it all’
feminist philosopher Simon de Beauvoir is that ‘one where women tend to view their lives more fulfilling
is not born a woman but eventually becomes one.’ by striking out the balance between career, marriage
Toril Moi contemplates on the issue further in her and children instead of the venerable feminism
Feminist, Female, Feminine to come up with a viewing marriage as a foundation. This very thought
detailed argument that “feminists *…+ must therefore process that prevailed at the time of feminism
always insist that though women undoubtedly are curbed the mentality of female embracing their will
female, this in no way guarantees that they will be to get married or have children besides their career
feminine “(123). Feminism is a critical social which resulted in the sheer loss of life force. Life
70 Palak Arora
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force is a theory propounded by GB Shaw in his work as in DH Lawrence’s Women in Love where Gerald
Man and Superman, based on the philosophy of and Gudrun found their inner sphere to be devoid of
eugenics. Shaw advocated the doctrine of female effectual feelings and only triggered their relation on
drive and superiority through their womb which is coitus grounds. The impeding dehumanising or rather
staunchly opposed by second-wave feminists but mechanised forces in the relationship where Gudrun
cordially received by postfeminists as they view it on wants only ‘a highly attractive individual of sufficient
the grounds of celebrating the femininity of females. means’ which itself renders her inner self devoid of
any communal feelings and aspirations for her
POST-FEMINISM IN WOMEN IN LOVE AND FIFTY relationship with Gerald. Lawrence’s projection of a
SHADES TRILOGY postwar woman remained isolated on her stance of
Assertiveness to women’s individuality, repudiated keeping life force at bay in a relationship resulting in
by the patriarchy from years and years makes itself a her fragmented personality as Gudrun herself
case for all waves of Feminism. Be it, Wollstonecraft, describes: "one of life's outcast, one of the drifting
Simon De Beauvoir or Helen Cixous as feminists of lives that has no root" (Lawrence 504) whereas
different waves remain concurrent to one point i.e. Gerald faced no such complication despite having a
subjective treatment of a woman on the grounds of fairly dark past he describes himself as “immune and
her individuality. The womanly image of an altruistic perfect" (Lawrence 560). A constant fear to confirm
Cinderella does stand in the path of self-actualisation her individuality rendered Gudrun on a state where
where conceptions of a subservient, asexual and she feels the thrust and conundrum of her will: "why
angelic wife are placed by poems like ‘Angel in the wasn’t there somebody who would take her in their
House’ by Coventry Patmore (1854) leading women arms and hold her to their breast, and give her rest,
of the second wave feminism go awry with their pure, healing rest"(Lawrence 623). This itself is self-
conceptualisation of an ideal woman. As in the explanatory about the verge where the feminist
ubiquitous characterisation of feminism is pervasive attitude of Gudrun took her to a ground where she is
with thought pieces like Kate Millet’s Sexual Politics repudiating the very needs she possesses in her inner
(1969) that stratify marriage as ‘interior colonisation,’ being. Life from this one-sided perspective appears
a kind of relationship based on dominance and as: "Life does not centre at all. It is artificially held
subordination, defined by Max Weber as Herrschaft together by the social mechanism"(Lawrence 73)
and T.S Eliot once observed it as of ‘male subsiding with the views of Whelehan in Overloaded
manufacture’ leading to the staunch views of that feminism made women “unattractive,
feminists as finding their way to liberation in man- unmarriageable and miserable,” (Whelehan,
hating stratagem. This male-dominance has resulted Overloaded 17).
in the general failure of woman to find a proper niche
for her in society as well as literature. Whatever On the other hand, leaving all trepidations
images of woman prevail in literature, they are the behind, the writings of the twenty-first century
male pictures, whether in Indian or in British or emerge as of a new dawn for post-feminist women.
American literature. She is often viewed either as a Post feminism, as explained by Gill, is “the shift from
Madonna or a Whore. It is only in the twentieth objectification to subjectification; the emphasis upon
century that with the changing values, women have self-surveillance, monitoring and discipline; a focus
emerged in literature. It seems that hardly any upon individualism, choice and empowerment; the
systematic study has been made of women, articulation or entanglement of feminist and anti-
especially in Indo-Anglian literature (Mishra 51). This feminist ideas; a resurgence in ideas of natural sexual
process of merely focusing on productive career difference” (Gill 255). This extenuating wave of
trying to invigorate the lost identity of female does feminism is more liberating as it dwells on the
work but it also at the same time produces man- grounds of gender agreement on their mutual
woman relationship with mechanical relentlessness disagreements. EL James in her work Fifty Shades
71 Palak Arora
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Trilogy presents her protagonist Anastasia Steele to Bible. Shaw was agnostic towards the orthodox
be a fairly reasonable human being who followed the creeds for trailing myths, hankering around the
conventional life path unconventionally laid for sensibilities of generations, creating a caricature to
women. Her relationship with Christian Grey, a look up to for the demarcation of life’s unresolved
multimillionaire started on a contract of her being his circulation. Life force is the energy exuded by the
submissive and he on an ascendant position i.e. of a female to basically lure the men into a physical
dominant. Paving way for the conventional and connection so as to procure babies, providing
rather dogmatic life path, their relationship shifted fulfilment to the female. In perspective of a French
when Ana raised her voice on various issues starting philosopher HENRI BERGSON, this life force is the
from her choice of having intercourse to the way she OLAN VITAL i.e. spirit of life. Women, facing
finds it comfortable. Eva Illouz sees Ana as “the insurmountable challenges to restore the flow of life,
model of assertiveness envisioned by feminism”, prospect over men as predators to cage them in a
because for her gender disparity is non-existent and conundrum of daily life to reach the finality of their
the major issue that stands on her path is the will to existence through begetting children and procuring
hold to her own will. This post-feminist attitude is evolution.
well elucidated in the interpretation of Ayelet
Assuring the theory to get fructified both the
Shacharwho presents the liberating approach in
works project a flow of living energy transforming it
Theorizing Twilight as “having it all” (happiness, true
into the actions of the female characters. However,
love, a loving partner, fulfilment, belonging, money,
in Fifty Shades Trilogy Christian is projected as a
security, “power,”) with all intricacies involved in it
dominant to the extent of even stipulating the
“having it all” actually means retreating to traditional
activities of the submissive but the girl he fell for
notions of femininity. (Shachar155). As a post-
surprisingly doesn’t possess the submissive bone in
feminist woman, Ana not only presents her case with
her body. His curt behaviour is more like a
firmness but also sticks to its but what differentiates
repercussion to the setback he bore in his childhood,
her approach from feminism is the decision she
taking a toll on him. Though Ana is more untouched
makes at the end of it as in when she stood for not
to these complications in life and having fewer and
changing her name at her workplace exclaiming that
simpler aspirations she seems to comply with the
“I don’t want to get railroaded because the girl you
norms of life. After her meeting with Christian who’s
fell in love with will be crushed. And what’ll be left?
ravenous in his sexual interests, she tried to initially
All that would be left is a vacuous social X-ray, you’ve
acquiesce with his dominant and submissive
got to let me make my own decisions, take my own
contractual relationship, but gradually a bone of
risks, and make my own mistakes, and let me learn
contention came in their relationship. From here on
from them. *…+ I want some independence. That’s
Ana starts to gradually lead Christian to a new dawn
what my name means to me. (Freed 166) As soon as
in their relationship as he was drawn towards the
she gets to know the predilection of Christian with
lingering innocence through which she channels
her assuming his surname, she puts her relationship
herself. Leaving little ways to being presumptuous,
on a higher stance than merely haggling for her own
Ana’s force of direction became acutely clear on the
assumed rights.
first day at their home after marriage where she asks:
THEORY OF LIFE FORCE IN WOMEN IN LOVE AND
ANASTASIA: You do you wanna have kids someday,
FIFTY SHADES TRILOGY
right?
Theory of life force is not an extrapolation of
CHRISTIAN: someday, sure
conventional scientific theories but creative energy
orchestrating the rhythmic flow of life effluence. A ANASTASIA: you don’t really sound sure.
theory propounded by George Bernard Shaw drawing
a parallel between the origins of mankind in the Christian distracting the conversation to avoid this
the question says:
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CHRISTIAN: you know what I’m sure about? call to the primal forces of nature succinctly done.
That’s a great steak. The relationship of Gerald and Gudrun is
ANASTASIA: do you wanna have kids? contemptuous and there was a wave of uncongenial
contention. Constant strife rivalled in both of them to
CHRITSIAN: one day, not now. I’m not ready to share subdue each other as Gerald is portrayed as ‘god of
you with anyone. machine’ whereas Gudrun is like an aphotic character
The persistent working of the life force on the trying to find the way in life through the crude idea of
female’s part is quite evident on the other hand the modernism. Their relationship is subverted to such
male protagonist is a procrastinator in the matter of an extent that Birkin in the offered Gerald
procreation. Owing to the facts at the end of the Blutbruderschafta vow of complete commitment as
trilogy Ana manages to get pregnant and delineate brothers for life, it is a symbol of his unfulfilling
her emotion towards the baby to the extent of even relationship with Gudrun which is devoid of a life
abandoning Christian and the whole world for the force. Assigning the qualities of MAGNA MATER
child. (mother and matter of all substance) to Gudrun,
Gerald succumbs to the concomitant relation with
ANASTASIA: I will choose this baby over anybody, coz
her which has an expectant motherly love filled with
that is what decent parents do.It’s what
carnal pleasure.
your mother should have done for you,
I’m so sorry she didn’t Christian. The drive of Thanatos (death instinct) is
You are not happy about this baby, I got that. voraciously prevalent in Gudrun and Gerald that
So, we can either do this together or either I will do obstructs the life force to further ensure its way in
this without you. the relationship. When Gudrun was involved with
The triggering life force to reach a pedestal to rest Loerke, Gerald found no one on his side to fasten his
after a strenuous task is over is throbbing through ties with life, so after attempting to strangle Gudrun
Ana while she figured it out, in the end, convincing he found “what bliss! oh what bliss at last what
Christian to have the baby. satisfaction at last” and went to the ghastly
mountains to pursue his death as if it is the womb of
CHRISTAIN: I want to have this baby with you.
his mother. LACAN defines this drive for death as ‘a
Life force is the will to eschew anything that attempts nostalgia for a lost harmony and desire to return to
to subvert the inner call of the female to procreate, a the preoedipal fusion with the mother’s breast, the
theory supported by a French Naturalist Jean loss of which marked on the psyche in the weaning
Baptsite Lamarck who propounds that to evolve and complex” and further in 1946, he links this Thanatos
actualize the self is the innate drive in life. Lamarck’s to the suicidal tendency narcissism. The only bond
biological concept revolves around an organism’s that could save him through life force was Gudrun
tendency to self-transformation and adaptation to but she abhorred the idea of procreating and having
the environment for survival. This tendency of life children, which we got to know in the beginning: ooh,
force when failed to get accomplished in life would but how she hated the infant crying in the night. She
beget death instinct which is conspicuous in WOMEN would murder it gladly; she would stifle and bury it”.
IN LOVE, as the failed manifestation of the energy This tentative dismissal of life force is evident in the
gauges itself into Thanatos. rabbit scene where a primitive creature symbolizing
GERALD: there’s one thing about our family, you life and zest is designated with terms as ‘lusty’,
know’ once anything goes wrong, it can never be put ‘demonical’ and wild, to render the situation of
right again not with us. I’ve noticed it all my life – you blooming sentimentality a crude form of self-
can’t put a thing right, once it has gone wrong. expression. According to FREUD, “sexuality is an
ambiguous concept, on the other hand, it is self-
Though Women in Love’s ending is castigated in a preservative because it secures the survival of species
more or less traumatic event i.e. Gerald’s death, a
73 Palak Arora
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through procreation” and this procreating is a Widdowson. London and New York: Longman, 1992. (Reprinted
from H. Simpson’s D. H.Lawrence and Feminism.
formative process of life force, denied channelizing
London: Croom Helm, 1982.)
by Gudrun which rendered the relationship with a Moi, Toril. “Feminist, Female, Feminine.” The Feminist Reader:
death instinct. It is evident from the start as Gudrun Essays in Gender and the Politics of Literary Criticism.
felt “an unconquerable desire for deep violence By Catherine Belsey and Jane Moore. Malden, MA:
Blackwell, 1997. 117-32. Print.
against him.” Her fanatical dance in front of Gerald is
Nelson, Heather Lea, "The Law and the Lady: Consent and
an outrageous expression of her sadistic Marriage in Nineteenth-Century British Literature"
voluptuousness. A virile force of stagnation is (2015). Open Access Dissertations. 525.
prevalent in their relationship which makes it devoid Attwood, Fiona. “Through the Looking Glass? Sexual Agency and
SubjectificationOnline.”Rosalind Gill and Christina
of life force as put in apt words by Birkin: “Aphrodite
Scharff.203-214.
is born in the first spasm of universal dissolution then Shachar, Hila. “A Post-Feminist Romance: Love, Gender and
the snakes and swans and lotus – marsh flowers- and Intertextuality in Stephenie Meyer’s Saga.” Theorizing
Gudrun and Gerald – born in the process of Twilight: Essays on What’s at Stake in a Post- Vampire
World. Ed. Maggie Parke and Natalie Wilson. Jefferson,
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NC: McFarland & Company, 2011. 147-161. Print.
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