The Rainbow - D.H. Lawrence

Summary

The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence chronicles the lives of three generations of the Brangwen family, a farming family from Nottinghamshire, England, spanning from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. The novel explores the evolving nature of human relationships, the conflict between sensual and spiritual desires, and the search for individual fulfillment against a backdrop of societal change and industrialization. It begins with Tom Brangwen, a simple farmer, and his marriage to Lydia Lensky, a Polish widow, focusing on their struggle for connection and understanding. The narrative then shifts to their adopted daughter, Anna, and her intense, often tumultuous, marriage to Will Brangwen, detailing their passionate yet conflicted union. Finally, the story centers on their eldest child, Ursula Brangwen, an independent and intellectual young woman who rebels against conventional society in her quest for love, identity, and a meaningful existence, exploring various relationships and experiences before envisioning a new, more integrated future symbolized by the rainbow.

Book Sections

Section 1: The Brangwens of Marsh Farm

The novel opens with the Brangwen family, farmers rooted in the land of Marsh Farm in Nottinghamshire. Their lives are deeply connected to the cycles of nature, and their consciousness is primarily sensual and practical. While the men are content with their agricultural existence, the women yearn for a connection to the wider, more intellectual and spiritual world beyond their village. This generational yearning sets the stage for the family's future developments.

Character Name	Characteristics	Motivations
Tom Brangwen (Sr.)	Farmer, unthinking, sensual, deeply connected to the land, seeks a deeper spiritual connection despite his simple life.	To find a fulfilling companionship and spiritual union beyond mere physical existence; to establish a stable family and lineage.
The Brangwen Women	Sensual, intuitive, but also yearn for intellectual and spiritual stimulation beyond their rural confines.	To connect with the world, to elevate their existence beyond the purely physical, to find partners who can offer both sensuality and intellectual companionship.

Section 2: Tom and Lydia

The story focuses on Tom Brangwen, a bachelor in his mid-forties, who feels a profound spiritual emptiness. He meets Lydia Lensky, a Polish widow with a young daughter, Anna, who has endured significant hardship. Tom is drawn to Lydia's quiet suffering and foreignness, and they marry. Their early marriage is a struggle for communication and intimacy, marked by mutual misunderstanding and a sense of isolation. Lydia, still grieving her first husband and wary of new attachment, struggles to open up, and Tom, unaccustomed to expressing deep emotions, finds himself frustrated. Over time, they slowly build a bond, finding a unique, unspoken understanding and sensual connection that transcends conventional language. Lydia gives birth to their son, Tom Jr., and they raise Anna together.

Character Name	Characteristics	Motivations
Lydia Lensky	Polish émigré, intellectual, sensitive, private, reserved, deeply scarred by past trauma and loss.	To find peace and security after hardship; to protect her emotional vulnerability; to rebuild a life, even if imperfectly.
Anna Lensky (later Brangwen)	Daughter of Lydia by her first husband, spirited, intelligent, observant, initially reserved due to her foreignness and mother's quiet suffering.	To find her place in the world, to understand the dynamics between her mother and stepfather, to seek a passionate and fulfilling life.

Section 3: Anna and Will

The narrative shifts to Anna Brangwen, now a young woman, and her growing awareness of the world. She develops a passionate, almost obsessive, relationship with her maternal uncle's son, Will Brangwen, a craftsman who is deeply religious and earnest. Their courtship is intense and fraught with unspoken desires. After their marriage, their relationship is characterized by a powerful, sensual bond but also by profound conflict arising from their differing natures. Will is spiritual, fascinated by art and religion, but also rigid and prone to emotional suppression. Anna, more earthly and sensual, finds his spiritual intensity stifling and resists his attempts to dominate her. Their marriage becomes a battleground for individual wills, with periods of intense passion alternating with bitter estrangement. They have many children, but their conflict ultimately leaves both feeling unfulfilled in certain aspects of their lives.

Character Name	Characteristics	Motivations
Will Brangwen	Craftsman, deeply religious, artistic, passionate, but also rigid, insecure, and prone to emotional suppression and seeking control.	To find spiritual union and fulfillment through art and religion; to master his environment and relationships; to experience intense passion.

Section 4: The Children of Anna and Will

This section focuses on Anna and Will's growing family and the childhood of their eldest daughter, Ursula. The children grow up in a vibrant but often tense household, absorbing the complicated dynamic between their parents. Ursula, in particular, observes her parents' struggles and begins to form her own independent ideas about love, relationships, and societal expectations. Her childhood is marked by a strong connection to nature and a burgeoning awareness of her own sensuality and intellect.

Section 5: Ursula at School and College

Ursula, now a teenager, begins her education and starts to question the traditional roles and values presented to her. She attends secondary school, where she becomes attracted to her teacher, Winifred Inger, an intelligent and independent woman who offers Ursula a glimpse of a different kind of female identity. This intense, almost homoerotic, friendship eventually cools as Ursula seeks a different kind of fulfillment. Later, Ursula attends college, immersing herself in intellectual pursuits and social activism. She desires to escape the confines of her rural upbringing and explore the wider world, driven by a powerful longing for absolute experience and understanding.

Character Name	Characteristics	Motivations
Ursula Brangwen	Rebellious, intellectual, sensual, independent, idealistic, strong-willed, searching for meaning and fulfillment beyond conventional life.	To discover her true self; to experience absolute love and spiritual union; to find a fulfilling role in society; to transcend limitations.
Winifred Inger	Teacher, intellectual, independent, somewhat cynical, representative of a more modern, liberated woman.	To live an independent life; to challenge traditional norms; to influence young minds.

Section 6: Ursula and Anton Skrebensky

At college, Ursula falls in love with Anton Skrebensky, a young soldier of Polish descent who is a friend of her uncle. Their relationship is passionate and intense, marking Ursula's first significant sexual awakening. Skrebensky represents the established world, a man who is comfortable within societal structures and his role as a public servant. Ursula, however, feels that he lacks a deeper, spiritual dimension she craves. She yearns for a transcendent connection that Skrebensky, despite his affection, cannot provide. Their relationship is characterized by Ursula's desire for an overwhelming, all-consuming union, and Skrebensky's more conventional, public-oriented approach to love. They separate when Skrebensky leaves for South Africa.

Character Name	Characteristics	Motivations
Anton Skrebensky	Soldier, intellectual, charming, representative of the conventional, public world, comfortable with societal roles, but ultimately lacking a transcendent spiritual depth for Ursula.	To find companionship and love within established social norms; to fulfill his duty and personal desires without radical upheaval.

Section 7: Ursula as a Teacher

After college, Ursula takes a teaching position in a working-class school, hoping to find purpose and contribute to society. However, she quickly becomes disillusioned with the rigid, oppressive school system and the difficult, often unruly, children. The experience is physically and emotionally exhausting, and she finds herself stifled and despairing. She yearns for a life of greater authenticity and freedom, feeling trapped by societal expectations and her own unfulfilled desires. This period of her life represents a profound crisis of faith in conventional institutions.

Section 8: The Return of Skrebensky and the Final Break

Skrebensky returns from South Africa, and he and Ursula rekindle their relationship. They engage in a deeper, more physically intimate affair, and Ursula hopes to find the spiritual fulfillment she seeks through their physical union. However, she eventually realizes that Skrebensky still cannot provide the ultimate, transcendent connection she craves. She feels him to be an "instrument" rather than a partner in a shared spiritual journey. Their fundamental differences become irreconcilable, particularly Ursula's rejection of Skrebensky's conformity to social norms and his inability to match her passionate, spiritual quest. She ultimately breaks off their engagement, leaving Skrebensky to marry someone else.

Section 9: Ursula's Vision

Isolated and pregnant, possibly by Skrebensky, Ursula is involved in an incident with a herd of horses that leaves her traumatized and results in a miscarriage. This experience marks a turning point, a stripping away of illusions and a confrontation with primal forces. Recovering, Ursula experiences a profound spiritual awakening. She rejects the sterile, mechanical, and conventional world around her, realizing that humanity has lost its vital connection to nature and a deeper self. She sees a vision of a "rainbow" arching over the industrial landscape, symbolizing a new covenant, a promise of a more integrated and fulfilling existence for humanity, where the sensual and spiritual are reconciled and individuals can grow into their full potential, free from the constraints of a decaying society. This vision represents her hope for a future where true individuality and connection are possible.

Literary Genre

• Bildungsroman: A coming-of-age story, particularly focusing on Ursula Brangwen's psychological and moral growth.
• Family Saga: Chronicles the lives of multiple generations of the Brangwen family.
• Modernist Novel: Explores themes of alienation, the search for meaning, psychological realism, and experimentation with narrative form and consciousness.
• Philosophical Novel: Delves into deep questions about human nature, sexuality, spirituality, and the meaning of existence.

Author Facts

• David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930): An English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic, and painter.
• Early Life: Born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, to a coal miner father and a former schoolteacher mother. His early life was marked by the class differences within his family, which heavily influenced his works.
• Controversial Works: Lawrence's novels often dealt with themes of sexuality, industrialization, and the subconscious, which were considered highly controversial during his time.
• Censorship: The Rainbow was famously censored and banned for obscenity shortly after its publication in 1915, leading to its withdrawal from sale for over a decade. Its sequel, Women in Love, faced similar issues, as did Lady Chatterley's Lover.
• Literary Style: Known for his intense psychological realism, lyrical prose, and exploration of inner lives and relationships.
• "Rananim": Lawrence dreamed of establishing an ideal community, which he called "Rananim," a sort of utopian artists' colony, though it never fully materialized.

Morale

The central morale or message of The Rainbow is the necessity for individuals to strive for a complete, integrated existence that transcends conventional societal norms, balancing the sensual and spiritual aspects of life. It emphasizes the importance of profound, authentic connection between individuals, free from the constraints of industrialized society and rigid moral codes. The novel suggests that true fulfillment comes from breaking free from old patterns and daring to create a new way of being, where the human spirit is not stifled but allowed to blossom in harmony with both nature and a deeper, often subconscious, self. The rainbow itself symbolizes this promise of a new covenant, a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, and a hope for a revitalized humanity.

Curiosities

• Censorship and Obscenity Trial: The Rainbow was published in September 1915 and almost immediately faced an obscenity trial in November of the same year. It was declared obscene, all copies were confiscated and destroyed, and it remained banned in Britain for 11 years. This event deeply affected Lawrence and his career.
• Autobiographical Elements: The novel draws heavily on Lawrence's own life, particularly his upbringing in the Nottinghamshire mining community and his observations of family dynamics and relationships. Ursula Brangwen is often seen as a semi-autobiographical portrayal of Lawrence himself or women he knew, particularly his early intellectual and romantic experiences.
• Sequel: The Rainbow is the first part of a two-part saga; its sequel is Women in Love (1920), which continues the story of Ursula and her sister Gudrun Brangwen. Initially, The Rainbow was conceived as a single novel titled 'The Sisters'.
• Biblical Allusion: The title The Rainbow is a direct allusion to the biblical symbol of God's covenant with Noah after the Great Flood, signifying a promise of new beginnings and hope after destruction. Lawrence uses it to suggest a new covenant for humanity, moving beyond the sterile modern world.
• Controversial Portrayal of Sexuality: Lawrence's frank and often poetic exploration of physical and psychological sexuality was groundbreaking and shocking for its time, delving into the subconscious motivations and primal urges that drive human relationships, often using symbolism rather than explicit detail.
• Setting as a Character: The Nottinghamshire landscape, particularly the Marsh Farm and the encroaching industrialization, is not just a backdrop but an active force, shaping the characters' lives and representing the tension between nature and modernity.