Marxism and Bolshevism in Lady Chatterleys Lover.docx
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Marxism and Bolshevism in Lady Chatterleys Lover.docx
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MarxismandBolshevisminLadyChatterleysLover
MarxismandBolshevisminD.H.Lawrence'sLadyChatterley’sLover
Author(s):
GeorgM.Schwarzmann
Source:
SouthAtlanticReview. 73.2(Spring2008):
p81. From LiteratureResourceCenter.
DocumentType:
Criticalessay
FullText:
COPYRIGHT2008SouthAtlanticModernLanguageAssociation
ThenovelLadyChatterley'sLoverrepresentsalandmarkwritinginthehistoryoferoticliteraturebecauseofitssexuallyexplicitscenes,whichiswhyitcausedconsiderablecontroversyonitspublicationin1928.Butsexanderoticismconstituteonlyoneaspectinthismultifacetedpieceofart.TheconflictbetweentheprotagonistsCliffordandhiswifeConstancetakesplacewithinthecontextoftheantagonismbetweentheworkingandtherulingclassesofEnglandofthattime.ThisleadstotheconclusionthattheauthormighthavebeeninfluencedbyKarlMarx'sviewthathistoryistobereadasanongoingstoryoflaborandclassstruggle.ThispaperwillexaminethissuppositionandanalyzethenovelLadyChatterley'sLoverfromtheperspectiveoftheMarxistpointofview,whichrevolvesaroundthefundamentalnotionsoftheHegelianmaster--slaveideaandtheconceptofclassstruggle.ItwillalsotakeintoconsiderationLawrence'spersonalopiniononMarxismandBolshevism.FinallyIwillportrayConstanceasanexampleofa"modern"personaccordingtotheMarxistviewofhistory.
IntheCommunistManifestoof1848MarxandEngelswrotethatthe"[...]historyofallhithertoexistingsocietyisthestoryofclassstruggle"(qtd.Ball127-128).ThecriticTerenceBallstatesthatdifferentclasses--mastersandslavesinslavesocieties,lordsandserfsinfeudalsociety,andlater,capitalistsandworkersincapitalistsociety--havedifferent,ifnotdiametricallyopposed,interests,aims,andaspirations.Aslongassocietiesaredividedintodifferentclasses,classconflictisinevitable(127).Marxbaseshismaster-slavemodelonHegel'sideathathistoryisdrivenbytheconceptofthemutuallyantagonisticmasterandslave.SaysHegelinhisPhilosophyofMind:
Butbecauselifeisarequisiteaslibertytothesolution,the
fightendsinthefirstinstanceasaone-sidednegationwith
inequality.Whileonecombatantpreferslife,retainshissingle
self-consciousness,butsurrendershisclaimforrecognition,
theotherholdsfasttohisself-assertionandisbytheformer
ashissuperior.Thusarisesthestatusofmasterandslave.
(443)
MarxviewshistoryaccordingtothisHegelianmodel,andhesuggeststhatanysocietycontainstwoantagonisticclasses,oneofwhichdominatestheother.Aslavesocietyhasadominantclassofmastersandasubservientclassofslaves.Infeudalsocietythetwocontendingclassesarethefeudallordsandtheirserfs.Andinanindustrialcapitalistsocietytheseclassesarethecapitalists--thebourgeoisie,Marxcallsthem--andthewagelaborers,orproletariat.Onebelongstothesubservientclassifoneismerelyameansoraforceofproduction,muchasapitponyorapieceofmachineryis.Amemberofthisclassdoesnotownbut,inordertosurvive,isforcedtotradeorsellone'slaboror"laborpower"toanotherforthatperson'spleasureorprofit.Andifoneownsorcontrolstheforcesofproduction,includingthehumanforces,thenonebelongstothedominantclass(Ball130).
Themaster-slaveidearesonatesthroughoutLadyChatterlej'sLover.Cliffordpersonifiesthemastersinceheconsiderstheminersworkingforhimasmereobjectsofpossession.Thus,
theminerswere,inasense,hisownmen:
buthesawthemas
objectsratherthanmen,partsofthepitratherthanasparts
oflife,andcruderawphenomenaratherthanhumanbeings
alongwithhim.(15-16)
Asthemasterisalwayswaryofhisslaves,Clifford"wasinsomewayafraidofthem[theminers],hecouldnotbeartohavethemlookathimnowhewaslame"(15-16).
Themaster-slaveconflictisalsoinsinuatedinClifford'srelationshipwithMrs.Bolton,theladyfromalowersocialclassthattakescareofhim.Byteachinghergamessuchaschess,piquet,orbezique,Cliffordrelisheshisbeingamemberofthesuperiorclass.Heenjoyededucatingherbecause"itgavehimasenseofpower."Mrs.Bolton,forherpart,"wasthrilled"because"shewascomingbitbybitintopossessionofallthatthegentryknew,allthatmadethemupperclass:
apartfromthemoney."Hintingatthemutualdependencybetweenmasterandslave,thenarratorpointsoutthatMrs.Bolton"wasmakinghim[Clifford]wanttohavehertherewithhim"andthis"wasasubtledeepflatterytohim,hergenuinethrill"(100).
Mrs.Bolton'sbehaviorisreminiscentofHegel'sideaofthedesireforrecognitionintherelationshipbetweenmasterandslave.InthePenomenologyofSpritHegelstatesthat"self-consciousnessachievesitssatisfactiononlyinanotherself-consciousness"(110).Thedesireforrecognitioninvolvesthewishtobeseenasapersonworthyofrecognition.Itisacorehumandesire,centraltooursenseofwell-being,oursenseofwhoweare.OnlywhenSirCliffordofthesuperiorclassrecognizesMrs.Bolton'sworkandefforts,doesshefeelcontent,whichagainshowsherdependenceonhim.Buthealsoneedsherinordertobefullyawareofhisbeinghermaster.Therefore,
onlywhenhewasalonewithMrs.Boltondidhereallyfeela
lordandamaster,andhisvoiceranonwithheralmostaseasily
andgarrulouslyasherowncouldrun.Andhelethershave
himorspongeallhisbodyasifhewereachild,reallyasifhe
wereachild.(109)
Theoddmother-sonrelationshipbetweenCliffordandMrs.BoltonleadstotheconclusionthattheriftsbetweenConnieandherhusbandmightnotonlybemotivatedbyhislackofpotencybutalsobyClifford'sunresolveddependencyonhismother.Thatwouldexplainhiscoldnessandemotionaldetachmentfromher.AFreudiananalysisofLadyChatterlej'sLovermightyieldadditionalexplanationsforthecausesofClifford'sandConnie'sgrowingapartbutitdoesnotconstitutethepremiseofthisstudy.
Cliffordbelievesintheincompatibilityoftherulingandtheservingclasses.Heconsidersthemuncongenial,andeachshouldsticktotheirownparticularfunction.Cliffordclaimsthat,
whenitcomestoexpressiveorexecutivefunctioning,I
believethereisagulfandanabsoluteone,betweentheruling
andtheservingclasses.Thetwofunctionsareopposed.And
thefunctiondeterminestheindividual.(183)
Byassertingthat"thefunctiondeterminestheindividual"CliffordechoestheMarxistideathattheindividualmodeofthinkingisconditionedbythesocialandeconomicenvironmentandtheworkitdemandsfromthehumanbeings.Marxpointsoutthat,
themodeofproductionofmateriallifeconditionsthegeneralprocessofsocial,politicalandintellectuallife.Itisnottheconsciousnessofmenthatdeterminestheirexistence,buttheirsocialexistencethatdeterminestheirconsciousness.(qtd.Ball140)
Belongingtothesubservientclassdehumanizespeopleanddegradesthemtothevalueofamachineorananimal,whichthemastercanusetoincreasehisprofit.CliffordexplainstoConniethattheminers"arenotmen"but"animalsyoudon'tunderstand,andnevercould."Hecontinuesthat"Nero'sslaveswereextremelylittledifferentfromourcolliersortheFordmotor-carworkmen"(182).
AccordingtoMarx,capitalismenslavesandhumiliatestheworkersandreducesthemtoanimals,machines,orautomata.ThisviewisexpressedinthegamekeeperMellors'diatribeagainsttheindustrialrevolutionandwhatithasmeantfortheworkingclasses.Heexclaimsthat"it'sashame,what'sbeendonetopeopletheselasthundredyears:
menturnedintonothingbutlabor-insects,andalltheirmanhoodtakenaway,andalltheirreallife."Mellorsaddsthathewould"wipethemachinesoffthefaceoftheearthagain,andendtheindustrialepochabsolutely,likeablackmistake"(220).
Themaster-slaveoppositionemergesagainwhenConniespendsafewdaysinVenice,wheresheemploysthegondolierGiovannisothathetakesherandhersisteraroundthecanalsofVenice.ThenarratorpointsoutthepoorItaliangondolieri'seconomicdependencyontherichtouristsfromupperclasses.Inordertosurvive,thegondolieriGiovannineedsthemoneyofthedominantclassandevenshedshispersonaldignitytobeabletofeedhisfamily.Therefore,"hewasperfectlyreadytoprostitutehimselftothem,iftheywantedhim:
theywouldgivehimahandsomepresent,anditwouldcomeinhandy,ashewasjustgoingtobemarried"(260).
ItisthehostilitybetweenSirCliffordandhisgame-keeperMellorswherethemaster-slaveconflictbecomesmostaccentuated.Cliffordpossessesachairwithanenginethatenableshimtomovearoundhisestate.Oneday,duringawalkwithConnie,theenginebreaksdownandheisforcedtoaskMellorsforhelp.Onthisoccasiontheclassdistinctionbecomesobviouswhenthekeeperphysically,butalsofiguratively,liesunderthemastertorepairthemachine.Atthissight,thenarratorhintsat"therulingclassesandtheservingclasses!
"(189)
Laterthetensionbetweenthetwomenbecomesapparentagain.Thenarratorpointsoutthat"thetwomaleswereashostileasfireandwater"and"theymutuallyexterminatedoneanother"(192).Connie,whosympathizeswiththeworkers,isfedupwithClifford'sclass-consciousnessandthewayheexploitshisworkers.Sheremindshimofhisabuseofpower:
Youhaveonlygotmorethanyourshareofthemoney,and
makepeopleworkforyoufortwopoundsaweek,orthreaten
themwithstarvation.[...]Youonlybullywithyourmoney,
likeanyJeworanySchieber.(193-94)
ConnieadmonishesCliffordthatheearnsm
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