Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels
The Study of Thomas Hardy is one of the most misunderstood Lawrencian works, but at the same time it is one of the most influential. Hardy is not a mere pretext that the writer uses to discuss his metaphysics and aesthetics – as many critics have claimed: Lawrence writes on Hardy in order to underst...
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| Yayımlandı: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/fathom, |
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| Materyal Türü: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Dil: | Anglais |
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FATHOM
2017
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| Online Erişim: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:fathom_712 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:fathom_712 https://doi.org/10.4000/fathom.712 urn:doi:10.4000/fathom.712 en https://journals.openedition.org/fathom/712 2017-03-10T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/gaio All rights reserved Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels FATHOM Association française sur les études sur Thomas Hardy info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2270-6798 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/fathom Di Gregorio, Giuseppina tragédie inconscient métaphysique humanité identité Lawrence (D. L.) moralité sexualité tragedy unconscious metaphysics humanity identity Lawrence (D. H.) morality sexuality The Study of Thomas Hardy is one of the most misunderstood Lawrencian works, but at the same time it is one of the most influential. Hardy is not a mere pretext that the writer uses to discuss his metaphysics and aesthetics – as many critics have claimed: Lawrence writes on Hardy in order to understand himself. A subtle analysis of the Wessex novels allows him to name the new subject he attempts to describe, the unconscious. In the famous “carbon identity letter”, D. H. Lawrence detects a chemical element that is more valuable than the diamond itself, because it represents the true nature of human beings, something that underlies their actions and feelings, which is “non-human, in humanity”: an unrecognizable ego. According to Virginia Woolf, there is “a little blur of unconsciousness” in Hardy’s Novel, as if he were not cognizant of the implications of his writing, leaving “for his readers to make out his full meaning and to supplement it from their own experience”. From Thomas Hardy’s lesson, Lawrence learns the worth and the danger of metaphysics, inheriting the two great themes that shape his literary production, the human psyche and sexual dimension. The bound that ties these two eminent writers is deeper than a simple relation between master and disciple: both of them break with tradition and produce better works when the unconscious drives their actions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the complex relationship, shedding new light on Hardy’s novels in order to appreciate his “state of soul”. L’Étude sur Thomas Hardy est l’une des œuvres les plus incomprises de D. H. Lawrence. Hardy n’est pas un simple prétexte pour parler de sa métaphysique et de son esthétique, comme certains critiques l’ont prétendu : Lawrence écrit sur Hardy afin de se comprendre lui-même. Son analyse subtile des romans du Wessex l’aide à nommer le nouveau sujet qu’il veut décrire, à savoir l’inconscient. Dans la célèbre Lettre sur l’identité de carbone, D. H. Lawrence met au jour un élément chimique plus précieux que le diamant lui-même, car il représente la véritable nature des êtres humains. Il s’agit de quelque chose qui sous-tend toutes nos actions et tous nos sentiments, quelque chose qui n’est “pas humain dans l’humanité” : un ego méconnaissable. Selon Virginia Woolf, il y a “un petit flou d’inconscience” dans les romans de Hardy, comme si l’auteur “lui-même n’était pas conscient de ce qu’il a fait […], laissait à ses lecteurs le soin de déchiffrer la signification complète et de la compléter à partir de leur propre expérience”. De la leçon hardyenne, Lawrence apprend la valeur et le danger de la métaphysique et hérite des deux grands thèmes de sa production littéraire : le sexe et l’inconscient. Le lien qui unit Lawrence et Hardy est plus profond qu’une simple relation de maître à disciple : tous deux rompent avec la tradition et produisent de meilleures œuvres quand l’inconscient les guide. Le but de cet article est d’analyser leur relation afin de comprendre la dette profonde de Lawrence à l’égard de Hardy, ainsi que d’éclairer autrement les romans de Hardy pour évaluer “l’état d’âme” de l’auteur. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
tragédie inconscient métaphysique humanité identité Lawrence (D. L.) moralité sexualité tragedy unconscious metaphysics humanity identity Lawrence (D. H.) morality sexuality |
| spellingShingle |
tragédie inconscient métaphysique humanité identité Lawrence (D. L.) moralité sexualité tragedy unconscious metaphysics humanity identity Lawrence (D. H.) morality sexuality Di Gregorio, Giuseppina Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| description |
The Study of Thomas Hardy is one of the most misunderstood Lawrencian works, but at the same time it is one of the most influential. Hardy is not a mere pretext that the writer uses to discuss his metaphysics and aesthetics – as many critics have claimed: Lawrence writes on Hardy in order to understand himself. A subtle analysis of the Wessex novels allows him to name the new subject he attempts to describe, the unconscious. In the famous “carbon identity letter”, D. H. Lawrence detects a chemical element that is more valuable than the diamond itself, because it represents the true nature of human beings, something that underlies their actions and feelings, which is “non-human, in humanity”: an unrecognizable ego. According to Virginia Woolf, there is “a little blur of unconsciousness” in Hardy’s Novel, as if he were not cognizant of the implications of his writing, leaving “for his readers to make out his full meaning and to supplement it from their own experience”. From Thomas Hardy’s lesson, Lawrence learns the worth and the danger of metaphysics, inheriting the two great themes that shape his literary production, the human psyche and sexual dimension. The bound that ties these two eminent writers is deeper than a simple relation between master and disciple: both of them break with tradition and produce better works when the unconscious drives their actions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the complex relationship, shedding new light on Hardy’s novels in order to appreciate his “state of soul”. |
| author |
Di Gregorio, Giuseppina |
| author_facet |
Di Gregorio, Giuseppina |
| author_sort |
Di Gregorio, Giuseppina |
| title |
Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| title_short |
Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| title_full |
Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| title_fullStr |
Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels |
| title_sort |
carbon identity: a lawrencian reading of thomas hardy’s novels |
| publisher |
FATHOM |
| publishDate |
2017 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/fathom |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/fathom.712 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/fathom/712 |
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1877242349730398208 |