01 · Explore
D.H. Lawrence and the Revolt Against Dehumanisation
D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was a writer whose life and work were deeply influenced by his upbringing in a coal-mining town and his extensive global travels.
Lawrence was the son of an uneducated miner and a teacher mother. His background gave him a unique perspective on the industrial society of his time. His writings are characterized by a revolt against puritanism, mediocrity, and the dehumanisation caused by industrialization.
His global perspective was shaped by living in various countries at different times, including Italy, Germany, Australia, Tahiti, and Mexico. In his essay 'Why the Novel Matters', Lawrence challenges the conventional ways we perceive ourselves, arguing against the idea that we are merely a body containing a spirit or a mind. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of the 'living' self, where every part of the body is as vital as the mind.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
In which countries did D.H. Lawrence live during his life?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF page 1.
02 · Explore
The Concept of 'Man Alive'
Lawrence introduces the central theme of the essay: the idea of 'man alive' as a whole, indivisible entity.
Lawrence uses the example of his hand writing to illustrate that the body is not just a 'bottle' for the soul. He argues that his hand is as much 'him' as his brain or mind. It has its own life, learns through touch, and possesses its own 'rudiments of thought'.
He defines the boundary of the self at the fingertips. Anything that is 'me alive' is me, including freckles, hair, and skin. He specifically identifies finger-nails as 'ten little weapons' that cross the 'mysterious Rubicon' between the living self and the inanimate universe, like his pen. He dismisses the idea of the body as a mere vessel or 'tin can' as nonsense, asserting that the whole living person is what truly matters.
The Boundary of the Living Self
- 1
Man Alive
The whole living entity including body, mind, and soul.
- 2
Finger-nails
The 'ten little weapons' crossing the Rubicon between the living and inanimate.
- 3
Inanimate Universe
Things like pens or clay that are not alive in the human sense.
Lawrence defines the self as everything that is 'alive' within the physical boundaries of the body, with nails marking the transition to the inanimate.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
What metaphor does Lawrence use for finger-nails?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 1, 2.
03 · Explore
The Fragmented View of Specialists
Lawrence critiques parsons, philosophers, and scientists for focusing on only parts of the human experience rather than the whole.
A parson focuses on the soul in heaven, but Lawrence argues that 'paradise is in the palm of your hand'. He mentions St. Francis of Assisi, who turned himself into an 'angel-cake' for others but had to apologize to his body on his deathbed for the wrong he did it. Lawrence is not interested in what comes after life, but in life itself.
A philosopher talks about 'pure spirit' and 'infinity', but Lawrence believes these are just abstractions. He humorously compares a philosopher who decides only thoughts matter to a rabbit who might decide nothing but 'little pills' (droppings) matter. Scientists are also criticized for treating the living person as dead matter, examining bits like the heart or liver under a microscope while ignoring the 'man alive'.
| Specialist | Focus Area | Lawrence's Critique |
|---|---|---|
| Parson/Saint | Souls/Spiritual Food | Ignores the body; St. Francis had to apologize to his body for neglecting it. |
| Philosopher | Pure Spirit/Ideas | Like a rabbit valuing only its 'little pills', they value only thoughts over the whole man. |
| Scientist | Organs/Glands | Takes the man to pieces and treats him as dead matter. |
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
What was St. Francis of Assisi's apology to his body?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 2, 3, 4.
04 · Explore
The Novel: The Bright Book of Life
Lawrence explains why the novel is the most important form of communication, as it addresses the whole person.
He describes books as 'tremulations on the ether'. While poetry, philosophy, and science are also tremulations, only the novel can make the 'whole man alive tremble'. Other texts only affect 'bits' of a person: Plato makes the 'perfect ideal being' tremble, while the Ten Commandments set the 'old Adam' (the sinful nature) shivering. Only the novel gets the 'whole hog'.
Lawrence classifies the Bible, Homer, and Shakespeare as 'supreme old novels' because they are 'all things to all men'. They communicate to the wholeness of a person, beyond any specific part like the 'selfless spirit' or the 'ideal being'.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
How do the effects of Plato and the Ten Commandments differ from a novel?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 4, 5.
05 · Explore
Change, Integrity, and the Flow of Life
Lawrence rejects the idea of 'absolutes' and embraces the constant change inherent in living.
He argues that there is no absolute good or right. Life is a 'strange assembly of apparently incongruous parts' that are always flowing. He critiques the 'Word of the Lord' as a stale vibration; while the Bible says the Word stands forever, Lawrence argues it becomes boring and 'staler and staler', whereas the grass is what truly renews its youth.
Integrity is about being true to the 'man alive' who changes. If a partner never changed, love would cease because it would be like loving an inanimate 'pepper-pot'. To stay fixed in one idea of oneself is to become like a 'lamp-post'—a dead, static thing.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Why does Lawrence prefer 'grass' over the 'Word of the Lord'?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 5, 6.
06 · Explore
The Novel as a Guide to Living
The novel serves as a tool to help individuals distinguish between being truly alive and being a 'dead man in life'.
Lawrence suggests that many people walk around as 'carcasses'—physically alive but spiritually or emotionally dead. He describes such people as being like a 'pianoforte with half the notes mute'. The novel helps develop an 'instinct for life' rather than a rigid theory of right and wrong.
In a novel, we see that what is right in one case might be wrong in another. Right and wrong are not fixed rules but an instinct of the 'whole consciousness'—bodily, mental, and spiritual at once. The purpose of the novel is to help us achieve 'the wholeness of a man'.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
What imagery does Lawrence use for people who are not fully alive?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 7, 8.
07 · Explore
Grammar: Intransitive and Linking Verbs
The text provides examples of specific verb classes used to describe states of being and actions.
Intransitive verbs are verbs that take only a subject and do not require a direct object. For example, in 'The grass withers', 'withers' is intransitive. These can be followed by prepositional phrases called complements, such as 'The chameleon creeps from a brown rock'.
Linking verbs (copulas) like 'be', 'become', and 'seem' connect the subject to a complement that describes it. This complement can be an adjective phrase (e.g., 'My hand is alive') or a noun phrase (e.g., 'You're a novelist').
Identifying Copulas
The novel is the book of life.
In this sentence, 'is' is the copula (linking verb). It connects the subject 'The novel' to the noun phrase complement 'the book of life'.
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
Identify the copula and the category of the complement in: 'Nothing is important.'
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 9, 10.
08 · Explore
Spelling and Pronunciation: 'ch' and 'gh'
The essay's vocabulary highlights the varied pronunciations of the letter combinations 'ch' and 'gh'.
The combination 'ch' can represent three different sounds: /k/ as in 'character' (often Greek/Latin origin), /tʃ/ as in 'church', or /ʃ/ as in 'champagne' (often French origin). When 'ch' is followed by a consonant, it is almost always pronounced /k/.
The combination 'gh' is pronounced /g/ at the start of words (e.g., 'ghost'). In the middle or end of words, it can be pronounced /f/ (e.g., 'rough') or remain silent (e.g., 'taught').
| Combination | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ch | /k/ | chameleon, chord, archive |
| ch | /tʃ/ | char, chin, mischief |
| ch | /ʃ/ | chef, machine, sachet |
| gh | /g/ | ghastly, ghetto |
| gh | /f/ | cough, laughter |
| gh | Silent | plough, drought |
Pause & Try
Think it through first. Writing and checking your answer is free with an account.
Question
How is 'ch' pronounced in words of French origin like 'chef'?
Sign in to see the answer
Write your own answer and compare it with ours. It’s free.
Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: chapter PDF pages 10, 11.