Our next story reading and discussion is:
The Witch a la Mode
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This story was begun in the spring of 1911; Lawrence was 25 years of age and had just lost his mother, to a long struggle with cancer; as most of you know, Lawrence had an unusually close relationship to his mother, which is greatly explored in "Sons and Lovers" and his biographies. In this period, he had also broken off with several key women in his life and he had a severe illness, in which he nearly died himself. Many biographers claim he was greatly altered after this illness and became even more sensitized to the world around him, especially the natural world. See references below, for more information on this time period in Lawrence's life.
The story is about a young man, going back to visit with a family he had been close to, because of his close ties to their daughter, Winifred. We find out early on, that he is betrothed to another woman, who is referred to in the story as Connie or Constance. He originally, was on his way to visit his fiancé, when he took a slight detour to stop the night and see Mrs. Braithwaite, obviously hopeful of meeting up again with his old flame. He uses the excuse, that he is too far from Connie’s house, to travel there at this hour of the night, using his fatigue as a further excuse to venture any further. As anticipated, he does meet up with Winifred and there is an intricate verbal matching of wills and intentions that pursues; with many interesting references to witchcraft, etc and much symbolism for all of us to muse on and try to interpret.
From D.H.Lawrence The Early Fiction by Michael Black:
I can go into that in more detail later and explain what he means by that last line...there is more explanation in my book. First we have to read the story, of course.Quote:
..the short story ‘The Witch a la Mode’ explores the whole context of witchcraft, lamplight, and the long kiss which is vampire-like. The idea of a spirituality like a pressure-lamp, which burns so intensely that it consumes the vessel, the person concerned, links this passage to Miriam Leivers, in Sons and Lovers. There, too, we encounter the notion of ‘leaking’ – or a reversal of that process (‘as if he had not sufficient sheathing to prevent the night and the space breaking into him’).
In the same reference book I found this:
*Helen Corke was one of Lawrence intimage girlfriends. In "Sons and Lovers" the character of Clara is partly based on Helen Corke, along with other women Lawrence knew at that time period.Quote:
The Lawrence-figure in ‘The Witch a la Mode’ is called Bernard Coutts; and the links here are with the young teacher in ‘Lesson on the Tortoise’, and with Cyril Mersham. But the woman is based on Helen Corke*, and a whole set of themes is derived from that relationship.
Biograhical references below from D.H.Lawrence A Calendar of his Works by Sager
Louie Burrows was Lawrence's finance at one time. Therefore the character of Connie was probably partly based on her.Quote:
1911 at 12 Colworth Road, Croydon in school terms until the end of September, when the Jonese moved to 16 Colworth Road. On 29th July Lawrence, Ada and Louie Burrows* went to Prestatyn in North Wales for the fortnight. Lawrence spent frequent weekends at the Burrows home in Quorn.
This next part is from Lawrence's diary or a letter; in the Timeline book:
During this time period, it seemed that Lawrence was struggling greatly with his writing, especially that of Paul Morel, which later became Sons and Lovers. Somedays he could not even write a word. Also,= to note, would be the fact that he was working at the same time (while writing these short stories and his novel) at Croydon as a school teacher. His severe illness that almost claimed his life after his mother’s death, halted any further working in a teaching environment. Also, what stood out to me, when reading more about this time period in The Calender of his Works, was the fact, that Lawrence was very much fluctuating between his sketching, drawing, painting and his writing. If he wrote one day, he concentrated on his visual art the next one or even few days, in-between. In my own opinion, in this time frame the stories reflect very much this sad personal time in this young writers life and also his intense and visionary skill at painting with words.Quote:
SUMMARY …and , in the sick year after [the death of his mother]. The collapse for me of Miriam [Jessie Chambers], and of Helen [Corke], and of the other woman, the woman of ‘Kisses in the Train’ and ‘Hands of the Betrothed’[Louie Burrows]. Then, in that year, for me, everything collapsed, save the mystery of death, and the haunting of death in life. I was twenty-five, and from the death of my mother, the world began to dissolve around me, beautiful, iridescent, but passing away substancesless. Till I almost dissolved away myself, and was very ill. [CP 851]
Lawrence continued to work on Paul Morel. He wrote the first versions of the stories ultimately known as ‘The Witch a la Mode’[C215 A71], ‘The Old Adam’[A71], ‘Daughters of the Vicar’[A6], ‘Second Best’[C9 A6], ‘The Shades of Spring’[C18 A6] and rewrote most of his earlier stories…..
12 APRIL The third story was probably ‘Intimacy’ (‘Witch a la Mode’). ‘Intimacy’ was certainly written about his time [Corke 210]. The story describes a musical evening at the home of the pianist Laura Macartney at Purley, Lawrence attended several such evenings in the spring and summer of 1911, including 6 April. In the story, however, it is ‘an evening in March’.
Also to note, is all the sadness and confusion he was experienceing at this time, having broken his ties with three woman he had been very close to, and the loss his mother.
So what does everyone say, shall we begin reading the story and start discussing, that is when everyone has completed their reading and is ready?
