Vanguard of revolution: the impact of D. H. Lawrence's The Rainbow on social attitudes, literary criticism, and British and American fiction: 1915-1965

Abstract

A major problem concerning D. H. Lawrence is establishing his impact on elements of his world. The conventional Edwardian society, with its legacy of Victorian morality, was ripe for revolution. In that context, The Rainbow burst forth like the first shot of a war between opposing legions: tradition versus avant garde. The novel's impact on social attitudes, literary criticism, and conventions of fiction was both subtle and dramatic, but, ultimately, highly influential. Social attitudes had been shaped by taboos and legal censorship. Departing from literary conventions and subjected to suppression, The Rainbow extended the reading public's awareness of issues of literary art and initiated relocation of social response. Public demand, shown in reprintings and sales, indicates a healthy acceptance of the exploration of psychological and sexual motivation and the complexities of human nature. The Rainbow's impact on social attitudes, one element of Lawrence's world, was subtle, but significant. Another element influenced by The Rainbow was literary criticism. Its unique content, based on philosophical ideas of blood-consciousness and intuition, demanded new interpretive skills. Lawrence's artistry and ideas first went unexplored, although some critics wrote about Lawrence himself, leading to further study. F. R. Leavis initiated analysis of The Rainbow rather than Lawrence's life and new critical techniques gradually led to explication of the novel's complex philosophical ideas and artistry. The Rainbow also influenced fiction itself. Some authors modeled fictional characters on Lawrence, but his philosophical concepts, his focus on marriage and the senses, and his concern with innovative writing techniques all influenced subsequent fiction. Understanding The Rainbow's impact on social attitudes helps us understand our modern society; understanding its impact on criticism helps us grasp new theories and methods; and understanding its impact on fiction helps us to learn that artistic rendering leads to an enriched understanding of human experience. Understanding such influences, then, helps us more fully fathom literature's influence on social attitudes, intellectual inquiry, and art. By arousing suspicion and animosity with The Rainbow's challenge, then curiosity and appreciation with its mysteries and complexities, D. H. Lawrence, ultimately, taught us all the meaning of great artistry.