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The Virgin and the Gypsy by D H Lawrence

A study by Rachel Fuller

Outline and explore the tensions of the novel as they are represented by the language of the novel.

Tensions are fundamental to the structure of "The Virgin and the Gypsy". The whole novel is built around a series of dichotomies such as religion and desire, civilisation and nature and life and death. There is also an exploration of tensions within the characters and their outlook on life. There are many aspects of Lawrence's use language that help to convey the sense of conflict. In this text, Lawrence uses symbolism, figurative language and imagery to make the tensions vivid and emphatic.

The tension between religion and desire can be seen most clearly in the character of Yvette. Her upbringing in a world of religious conventions and beliefs, supposedly in an environment of forgiveness, love and, as the narrator says, "so called morality" represses all feelings of passion and desire. This naturally leads to confusion within Yvette, as her background is in conflict with her natural instincts, especially as she was wanting to be confirmed sexually by the gypsy. However, these natural and instinctive feelings "seemed to wound her" as her religious upbringing denies all thoughts of passion.

The rector's love for his lost wife Cynthia seems by contrast to Yvette's feelings and her sense of what love is, to be pure and holy. His feelings were "sacred" and she was "enshrined" in his heart. This would seem to be a perfectly moral religious love he has for her. However the rector still has, according to the narrator, a "furtive passion" for Cynthia, so even the rector cannot properly dismiss this sexual aspect of his love for his lost wife nor can he dismiss desire itself, that feeling Yvette is so overwhelmed by. This is revealed when
"The absolutely naked insinuation of desire made her lie prone and powerless in the bed"
Thus, even devoted religious people experience the tension of love and desire.

Yvette was brought up in an atmosphere of "cunning self sanctification" suggesting that the Saywells bestow holiness upon themselves and create "complete stability in which one could perish safely". Their religion seems to be a religion that they can manipulate to convey "unison" within the family and so deceive their community. In their hearts, all the Saywells are described as "life Unbelievers" even though their whole religious life is based around belief. From this I think that "life" doesn't seem to be important to the Saywells. They live a "stagnant sewerage sore of life" implying that there is a sense of life being wasted and destroyed. The are was "stale till it stank" which is a direct contrast to the fresh air of gypsy life. This suggests that the rectory's old people and the religious world of the rectory is stale and all the life has gone from it.

The tension between religion and desire can be seen between the characters of the rector and the gypsy and the language that Lawrence uses to describe them. Lawrence uses religious jargon to describe the rector's feelings for Cynthia, to him she was "pure" and he had "worshipped" her as if she was his god, perhaps to emphasise that his feelings and beliefs are holy and without desire.

He uses irony to describe the gypsy who is the symbol of desire and is described as having "pure line" on his face and a "pure nose". However, "Pure" has religious connotations as Christians are cleansed in order to become "pure". This is often achieved through being baptised or confirmed. Lawrence describes Yvette's desire for the gypsy as a desire to be "confirmed". Therefore, instead of Yvette wanting to be received by the rector into Christianity she wants to be accepted by the gypsy and his traditions and conventions, and so accept and embrace passion and desire.

Paradoxically, the rector is not described as "pure" but as "snarling", "doggish" and a "mongrel". This implies that the rector is domesticated, owned and unwillingly tamed tamed. The fact that he is a mongrel suggests that he has a mixed nature. On one hand he is seen as a respected member of the community and a true believer but underneath the rector is an "unbeliever"; his heart's core is a "fat, awful worm" and according to the narrator he is "frantically afraid". This would make the rector's religious beliefs a facade and not a credible religion to believe in or enter into.

The gypsy on the other hand, is "bounding". "lurching" and has eyes "like a tigers". There verbs are explosive and full of life in contrast to the destructive and unpleasant verbs used to describe the rector: "snarling" and "recoiled". A tiger is strong, powerful, free and instinctive giving a much more appealing description than the one of the rector. This gives the reader a more appealing description of the gypsy than of the rector. It is the gypsy who is free, powerful and still ironically "pure" even though he is close to nature and it is the rector who is not what he seems and is powerless compared to the gypsy.

This figurative language using animal characteristics for the gypsy "tiger" and the rector "doggish" helps us to understand Yvette's tension within herself of religion and desire. Lawrence's use of language seems, to me, to suggest that, deep down, we are all animals. In the civilised world that prides itself on having morals and values the animals are domesticated and are not above the untamed animals. In fact, the untamed and uncivilised animals are more admirable in this context. From this, we can see why Yvette has desire for the gypsy and contempt for her father.

Yvette does not want to be pure and "clean" and to be seen as a symbol of purity, a goal set by her father. She wants the gypsy to "confirm" her in his ways. Being confirmed is fundamentally and traditionally a Christian ceremony of entry into the church community. The gypsy is represented as a non-religious person and so it would be completely against convention for him to confirm her in the religious sense of the word. This leads me to believe that Yvette wants to be "confirmed" sexually by the gypsy. Indeed, Yvette wants to be seen or recognised as a woman of flesh and blood and not as a symbol of innocence. However, the natural, instinctive, primitive thoughts that she does have for the gypsy frightens her because of her strict, religious upbringing in a "sterile" and "clean" environment. In contrast to Yvette's desire for the gypsy, she has a "repulsion and fear of every person". This would seem to imply that the rector has also these instinctive thoughts. Perhaps this is why the rector has a "repulsive" fear of Yvette because he can see the changes within her and would believe that Yvette is becoming "contaminated". Yvette could also be reviving tensions between religion and desire within the rector and in particular the feelings he once had for Cynthia.

The language associated with contamination and sewerage highlights the tensions that run throughout the novel. The quarry that the gypsies inhabited was "perfectly clean". They have "no sewerage" and there is "fresh air". In the rectory, life was "stagnant", "stale" and "stank". Again, this use of language conveys by contrast, a favourable and perhaps unexpected impression of the gypsies and their lifestyle. In contrast, the rectory that should represent holiness, purity and love has images used that convey filth and uncleanness. This is therefore an additional outward sign of the rector's impurity

The tension between life and death is also important to the development of the novel. All the "life believers", Cynthia. Major Eastwood, Mrs Fawcett and the gypsies. Cynthia is described as a "flow of life", the "sun in the home". This imagery gives an impression of life and vitality, something, I think, to be admired. Major Eastwood has resigned his commission in the army and Mrs Fawcett is divorcing her husband to be with him and they are now living isolated on "the moors". Thus Yvette is left with the "life unbelievers" who are intent upon destroying her.

This destructive element takes the form of the Saywells. Yvette is "crushed", "deflowered", "humiliated" and her "heart seemed to die". The gypsy, on the other hand, seems to have an opposite effect on her, she is "blossoming" when he is around her. Undoubtedly, Yvette's emotions are very fragile, "trailing the rays of her pride", as she is torn between the "life believers" and the "life unbelievers"

The symbolism of fire is important to the tensions explored in the novel as it is a symbol of passion, life but also of destruction. Lawrence uses this powerful contrasting symbolism to show that Yvette has passion and life but how easily these powerful life forces can die or be destroyed: "frail, precious flame". Fire, itself, encapsulates the tension of life and destruction because it can give life, warmth, light and is the essence of the sun. However, fire is can also be extremely destructive and once out of control, it can create mayhem and destroy everything in it's path.

The tensions between life and death, and death and destruction can be seen in the characters of Cynthia and the Mater and the language Lawrence uses to describe them. Cynthia is a "flow of life", a "sun" and, in the rector's eyes, a "white snow flower". The imagery used for Cynthia by the narrator gives a sense of life and warmth, but the rector's view, unsurprisingly, is one that conveys purity and freshness. When Cynthia left, all her qualities went as well and she left behind a "stagnant", "sordid" and unclean world for Yvette to inherit. The Mater is described as a "nettle", a "toad" and "gross" and, in contrast appears to be destructive, ugly and insignificant. These adjectives convey a very powerful negative image which emphasises what happens to the world when life is taken away and we are left with destruction.

The conflict between untamed nature and the mores of civilisation are also an important tension within" The Virgin and the Gypsy". Civilisation, in the form of the rectory, is depicted as "unclean", "stagnant", "artificial" and Yvette "hated it". The characters within the rectory are "grey faced" and the rectory itself is "bleak", "ugly" and made of "stone". This description of the rectory itself makes it seem lifeless and cold. In contrast we are offered the gypsy, the symbol of untamed nature, who wears "red", "yellow" and "green" and the gypsy woman who wears colours of "pink", "gold" and "green". All of these colours give an impression of life, vitality and freshness and lead the reader and Yvette to reject civilisation in favour of the natural world and its ways.

The characters within the civilised world also seem to have tensions surrounding failed relationships: the rector and Cynthia and Mr and Mrs Fawcett. This seems to be because the civilised world that the Saywells and the Fawcetts represent repress their sexual desires and instincts. A result of this is unhappy and failed relationships. However, the gypsies have a very procreative and successful relationship. The gypsy woman has "unyielding sex", "defiant pride" and would "despise the rectory morality". This would seem to be why Yvette "liked her", because the rectory and all it stood for was destroying Yvette's pride and passion. The gypsy woman is therefore someone for Yvette to look up to and admire because if she had the same attitude as the gypsy woman, she could not be destroyed by the Saywells.

The tensions within "The Virgin and the Gypsy", then, add to the complexity and importance of the novel as all the issues raised are fundamental to life. Without these themes, there would be no emotional dilemma within Yvette's psyche, no distinction between the natural and the artificial, or between what gives and destroys life. These are all complex ideas brought to our attention by Lawrence throughout this novel in the language as well as in the plot, characterisation and description. Lawrence's language helps emphasise the tensions and shows the differences and contrasts more vividly. Society's different outlook on life is most effectively conveyed by Lawrence's use of symbolism and imagery and through this the reader is able to have valuable insights into the characters personalities, thoughts and feelings.