Lit Openers
Episode 8: The Plumed Serpent
by David Herbert Lawrence
Interactive Biography Chart
ESSENTIAL BIOGRAPHIC INFO |
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| Author Name: | David Herbert Richards Lawrence | |
| Pseudonym: | primarily published under his initials: DH Lawrence | |
| Nickname: | Bert / Bertie (used within his family) | |
| Date of Birth: | 11/09/1885 | |
| Place of Birth: | Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England | |
| Date of Death: | 02/03/1930 | |
| Time Period: | Early 20th century | |
| Type of Education: | Formal academic and vocational (Teacher Training) | |
| School/University: | Nottingham High School, University College Nottingham | |
| Places where the author lived: | Eastwood (Nottinghamshire), Croydon (London), Cornwall, Italy, Germany, Australia, Taos (New Mexico, USA), Mexico, and Vence (France). | |
| Peculiar events: | - The Elopement: In 1912, Lawrence eloped with Frieda Weekley, the German wife of his former professor. - War Suspicions: During the First World War, the couple lived in Cornwall but were harassed and eventually expelled by the authorities, who suspected them of spying for Germany due to Frieda's heritage. - The Savage Pilgrimage: Lawrence spent much of his later life in voluntary exile, travelling the world in search of a "purer" society and a climate to ease his tuberculosis. - The Obscenity Scandal: The publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover caused an international scandal due to its explicit language and themes. It was banned in the UK for decades. In 1960, thirty years after Lawrence's death, Penguin Books faced a landmark obscenity trial (R v Penguin Books Ltd) for publishing the unexpurgated version. The "not guilty" verdict was a turning point for British literary freedom. | |
LITERARY PRODUCTION |
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Main works |
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| Complete title: | "Sons and Lovers" (1913) | |
| Genre: | Semi-autobiographical novel / Bildungsroman | |
| Synthesis: | This novel explores the emotionally suffocating bond between Paul Morel and his mother, Gertrude. It depicts Paul's struggle for independence and his difficulty in forming romantic relationships, set against the backdrop of a Nottinghamshire mining community. | |
Other works |
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| Title: | "The Rainbow" (1915) | |
| Genre: | Modernist Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | Following three generations of the Brangwen family, this work examines the transition from traditional rural life to an industrialised society. It was suppressed by the authorities shortly after publication for its "indecent" themes. | |
| Title: | "Women in Love" (1920) | |
| Genre: | Psychological / Philosophical Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | A sequel to The Rainbow, focusing on sisters Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen. It explores complex human relationships and Lawrence's critique of the modern world's destructive impact on the human spirit and vitality. | |
| Title: | "Sea and Sardinia" (1921) | |
| Genre: | Travel Book / Travelogue | |
| Brief Synthesis: | This non-fiction work chronicles a brief journey taken by Lawrence and his wife Frieda from Sicily to the interior of Sardinia. It captures Lawrence's vivid, often irascible impressions of the landscape and people, reflecting his search for a "primordial" way of life untouched by modern industrialisation. | |
| Title: | "The Plumed Serpent" (1926) | |
| Genre: | Political / Philosophical Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | Set in Mexico, the story follows an Irish woman who becomes involved in a movement to revive the ancient Aztec religion. It explores Lawrence's theories on leadership, ritual, and his rejection of Western Christianity. | |
| Title: | "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (1928) | |
| Genre: | Social Novel | |
| Brief Synthesis: | Lawrence's final novel depicts the affair between an aristocratic woman and her husband's gamekeeper. It serves as a critique of the sterile, industrialised English class system and a celebration of physical and emotional connection. | |
Ep 8 The Plumed Serpent ANSWERS
Created for LnT
by Anna-Maria Bellomo
Former High School English Teacher
Created for LnT
by Anna-Maria Bellomo
Former High School English Teacher