Lawrence's people : levels of character in three of the Prussian officer stories : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at Massey University

Abstract

This thesis examines D.H. Lawrence's presentation of character in three stories from his first published collection, The Prussian Officer and Other Stories. Chapter One provides a brief historical survey of the criticism of Lawrence's work, and relates past misunderstandings of Lawrence's methods of characterization to present ones. It also attempts to explain what it is about Lawrence's art that provokes these misunderstandings.

Chapters Two, Three, and Four, through contextualised analyses of, respectively, "The Prussian Officer," "Daughters of the Vicar," and "The White Stocking," attempt to do justice to the detached, subtle, and discriminating intelligence that Lawrence demonstrates in his presentation of different levels of character. In particular, I draw attention to those distinctions he makes at the deeper levels, which critics have often ignored. Throughout, I consider the stories as firmly belonging to the body of Lawrence's great creative art.

Concluding the thesis is a brief afterword, which defends my particular method of approach to the stories. Such a method of contextualised interpretation is considered necessary to a sensitive appreciation of Lawrence's varied presentation of character.