Necessary Physical Contant in D.H. Lawrences Women in...

Necessary Physical Contant in D.H. Lawrences Women in Love and Platos Symposium D.H. Lawrence’s novel, Women in Love, presents a complex model of female-male and male-male relationships. Lawrence’s model relies heavily on a similar model presented in Plato’s Symposium. The difference between the two works lies in the mode of realization; that is, how one goes about achieving a ‘perfect’ love relationship with either sex. Lawrence concentrates on corporal fulfillment, characterized in his recurring reference to obtaining a â€Å"blood oath,† while Plato concentrates on a mental, or â€Å"divine† bond. Lawrence’s concentration on corporal fulfillment of love only superficially differs from Plato’s concentration on the mind: both come to the†¦show more content†¦This interpretation does not draw a distinct enough line between Plato and Lawrence’s philosophies: whereas the â€Å"dark flood of electric passion† may be transcendental, the connection itself, rooted solely within co rporal exchange, is not. Lawrence narrates that the â€Å"strange fountains† of Birkin’s body are â€Å"more mysterious and potent than any she had imagined or known, more satisfying, ah, finally, mystically-physically satisfying† (359). The mysteriousness of this connection is how, â€Å"in touch,† the body functions to bring about â€Å"the maximum of unspeakable communication †¦ that can never be transmuted into mind content †¦ the mystic body of reality (366). Lawrence is stating that the body functions much like the soul in Plato’s philosophy in that both are â€Å"mystic.† Lawrence’s description of bodily exchange being â€Å"mystically-physically satisfying† conveys that both the mind and body are inextricably linked: the body is needed to establish a mental connection. That mental connection is explained when Ursula describes to Hermione that Birkin â€Å"wants [her] to accept him non-emotionally,† and, â€Å"He wants [her] to accept him as †¦ an absolute (333). In other words, Lawrence’s view of a perfect union comprises of two human beings accepting each other as they are: neither has to conform to the other: they exist as separate and distinct entities. When their love is finally consummated, Lawrence states that â€Å"[Ursula] acquiesced—but it was accomplished without her