Lesson 2- Odour of Chrysanthemums by D H Lawrence(Part 1) -

2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee Name: __________________________ Section: _______

Lesson 2: ‘Odour of Chrysanthemums’ by D. H. Lawrence (Part 1)

WARM UP: TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

A. What’s the name of the protagonist? Who’s she waiting for at the beginning of the story?

B. How many children does the protagonist have?

C. What are the some speculations that the protagonist have about her husband while waiting?

D. Later on, the protagonist seeks help from someone during the search? Who does she seek help from?

E. What happens to the protagonist’s husband? Who visits her house to inform her of the news? F. How does the protagonist feel upon the dramatic discovery? G. What does the protagonist realize in the end?

The story is divided into three parts: (1) _________________, (2) ________________ and (3) ________________.

1) THE SETTING

The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. For some stories the setting is very important, while for others it is not. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story). What are the five aspects of setting?

___________________- geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?

___________________- When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)

___________________- Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?

___________________- What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local

colour (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?

___________________- What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee a. The mining village The story opens with a landscape of the mining village where the Bates’ family reside. Pay extra attention to the use of imageries that appeal to our sense of hearing and seeing. 1. The small locomotive engine, Number 4, came clanking, stumbling down from Selston — with seven full waggons. It appeared round the corner with loud threats of speed, but the colt that it startled from among the gorse, which still flickered indistinctly in the raw afternoon, outdistanced it at a canter. A woman, walking up the railway line to Underwood, drew back into the hedge, held her basket aside, and watched the footplate of the engine advancing. The trucks thumped heavily past, one by one, with slow inevitable movement, as she stood insignificantly trapped between the jolting black waggons and the hedge; then they curved away towards the coppice where the withered oak leaves dropped noiselessly, while the birds, pulling at the scarlet hips beside the track, made off into the dusk that had already crept into the spinney. In the open, the smoke from the engine sank and cleaved to the rough grass. The fields were dreary and forsaken, and in the marshy strip that led to the whimsey, a reedy pit-pond, the fowls had already abandoned their run among the alders, to roost in the tarred fowl-house. The pit-bank loomed up beyond the pond, flames like red sores licking its ashy sides, in the afternoon?s stagnant light. Just beyond rose the tapering chimneys and the clumsy black head-stocks of Brinsley Colliery. The two wheels were spinning fast up against the sky, and the winding-engine rapped out its little spasms. The miners were being turned up. 2. The engine whistled as it came into the wide bay of railway lines beside the colliery, where rows of trucks stood in harbour. 3. Miners, single, trailing and in groups, passed like shadows diverging home. At the edge of the ribbed level of sidings squat a low cottage, three steps down from the cinder track. A large bony vine clutched at the house, as if to claw down the tiled roof. Round the bricked yard grew a few wintry primroses. Beyond, the long garden sloped down to a bush-covered brook course. There were some twiggy apple trees, winter-crack trees, and ragged cabbages. Beside the path hung dishevelled pink chrysanthemums, like pink cloths hung on bushes. A woman came stooping out of the felt-covered fowl-house, half-way down the garden. She closed and padlocked the door, then drew herself erect, having brushed some bits from her white apron. 2

2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 1. In the above excerpt, you find description of both the nature and the mechanical world. Make a summary of the sound and visual imagery.

Imagery of the nature Imagery of the mechanical world Descriptions of plants

Descriptions of animals 3

2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 2. What happens to the animals and plants? Are the natural and industrialized world in harmony?

3. All in all, how would you describe the atmosphere of town? Do you think the peopleare happy with their lives in this town? Why or why not?

4. What kind of conflict(s) is/are revealed from the above scene?

5. Are there hints in the descriptive details of the setting that reveal the plight of Walter Bates?If yes, which part? (Look for the description about the “smoke from engine” and “the large bony vine”).

The details in the setting helps us predict what happens to the characters and the plot development. The literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story is called _______________________. This device often appears at the beginning of a story and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story.

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee b. Light VS Darkness Darkness was settling over the spaces of the railway and trucks: the miners, in grey sombre groups, were still passing home. The kitchen was small and full of firelight; red coals piled glowing up the chimney mouth. All the life of the room seemed in the white, warm hearth and the steel fender reflecting the red fire. cups glinted in the shadows He was almost hidden in the shadow. The garden and fields beyond the brook were closed in uncertain darkness. she saw the yellow lamps were lit Indoors the fire was sinking and the room was dark red. She opened the door once more and looked out across the darkness of the lines. They sat down to tea. John, at the end of the table near the door, was almost lost in the darkness. Their faces were hidden from each other. The girl crouched against the fender slowly moving a thick piece of bread before the fire. The lad, his face a dusky mark on the shadow, sat watching her who was transfigured in the red glow. Soon the room was busy in the darkness with the crisp sound of crunching As she dropped piece after piece of coal on the red fire, the shadows fell on the walls, till the room was almost in total darkness. proceeded to light the lamp that hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room act of putting the lamp glass over the flame. The copper reflector shone handsomely on her, as she stood with uplifted arm, turning to face her daughter. “You?ve got a flower in your apron!” said the child, in a little rapture at this unusual event. “Goodness me!” exclaimed the woman, relieved. “One would think the house was afire.” She replaced the glass and waited a moment before turning up the wick. A pale shadow was seen floating vaguely on the floor. “Go along, silly!” said the mother, turning up the lamp. The light revealed their suspense so that the woman felt it almost unbearable. The night was very dark. In the great bay of railway lines, bulked with trucks, there was no trace of light, only away back she could see a few yellow lamps at the pit-top, and the red smear of the burning pit-bank on the night. she saw the lights in the houses; twenty yards further on were the broad windows of the ?Prince of Wales?, very warm and bright 5

2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 1. Do most events of the story take place in light or darkness? Why?

2.“As she dropped piece after piece of coal on the red fire, the shadows fell on the walls, till the room was almost in total darkness.” – What is the relationship between this portrayal of light VS darkness and Walter’s death?

3. What does light enable the characters to see? What’s the significance of light?

4. The public house is ‘warm and bright’, compared to Elizabeth’s house and the surroundings. What does it reveal about Walter Bates?

5. “They sat down to tea. John, at the end of the table near the door, was almost lost in the darkness.” – Why do you think John, the son, is always kept in ‘darkness’ or ‘shadow’?

6. What’s the relationship between darkness and Elizabeth’s vision of the reality?

7. Why would Elizabeth and Walter “[meet] in the dark and

[fight] in the dark”? Why is the marriage shrouded in darkness?

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 2) CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND CHARACTERIZATION

Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Characterization is revealed through direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

Example: “The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered and did not disobey their mother.”

Explanation: The author is directly telling the audience the personality of these two children. The boy is “patient” and the girl is “quiet.”

5 ways of Indirect Characterization: - _________________________________________

- _________________________________________ - _________________________________________ - _________________________________________ - _________________________________________

4. She was a till woman of imperious mien, handsome, with definite black eyebrows. Her smooth black hair was parted exactly. For a few moments she stood steadily watching the miners as they passed along the railway: then she turned towards the brook course. Her face was calm and set, her mouth was closed with disillusionment. After a moment she called: 5. “John!” There was no answer. She waited, and then said distinctly: 6. “Where are you?” 7. “Here!” replied a child?s sulky voice from among the bushes. The woman looked piercingly through the dusk. 8. “Are you at that brook?” she asked sternly. 9. For answer the child showed himself before the raspberry-canes that rose like whips. He was a small, sturdy boy of five. He stood quite still, defiantly. 10. “Oh!” said the mother, conciliated. “I thought you were down at that wet brook — and you remember what I told you —” 11. The boy did not move or answer. 12. “Come, come on in,” she said more gently, “it?s getting dark. There?s your grandfather?s engine coming down the line!” 13. The lad advanced slowly, with resentful, taciturn movement. He was dressed in trousers and waistcoat of cloth that was too thick and hard for the size of the garments. They were evidently cut down from a man?s clothes. 14. As they went slowly towards the house he tore at the ragged wisps of chrysanthemums and dropped the petals in handfuls along the path. 15. “Don?t do that — it does look nasty,” said his mother. He refrained, and she, suddenly pitiful, broke off a twig with three or four wan flowers and held them against her face. 1. Read how Lawrence describes Elizabeth’s appearance in para. 4. What can you tell about her personality and attitude?

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 2. Examine the interaction between Elizabeth and her son. How’s their relationship?

3. What’s the boy wearing? What does it tell you about the family?

4. “Eh, he’ll not come now till they bring him. There he’ll stick! But he needn’t come rolling in here in his pit-dirt, for I won’t wash him. He can lie on the floor —Eh, what a fool I’ve been, what a fool! And this is what I came here for, to this dirty hole, rats and all, for him to slink past his very door.” – Why does Elizabeth consider herself ‘a fool’?

5. Read the excerpt below and examine the way Elizabeth and other people in the neighborhood talk? What’s the difference in their use of language? What does the difference reveal?

1. “Mr Rigley? — Yes! Did you want him? No, he?s not in at this minute.” 2. The raw-boned woman leaned forward from her dark scullery and peered at the other, upon whom fell a dim light through the blind of the kitchen window. 3. “Is it Mrs Bates?” she asked in a tone tinged with respect. 4. “Yes. I wondered if your Master was at home. Mine hasn?t come yet.” 5. “?Asn?t ?e! Oh, Jack?s been ?ome an ?ad ?is dinner an? gone out. E?s just gone for ?alf an hour afore bedtime. Did you call at the ?Prince of Wales??” 6. “No —” 7. “No, you didn?t like —! It?s not very nice.” The other woman was indulgent. There was an awkward pause. “Jack never said nothink about — about your Mester,” she said. 8. “No! — I expect he?s stuck in there!” 9. Elizabeth Bates said this bitterly, and with recklessness. She knew that the woman across the yard was standing at her door listening, but she did not care. As she turned: 10. “Stop a minute! I?ll just go an? ask Jack if e? knows anythink,” said Mrs Rigley. 11. “Oh, no — I wouldn?t like to put —!” 12. “Yes, I will, if you?ll just step inside an? see as th? childer doesn?t come downstairs and set theirselves afire.” 13. Elizabeth Bates, murmuring a remonstrance, stepped inside. The other woman apologized for the state of the room.

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 6. “The other sat, noting with faint disapproval the general untidiness of the room. Then she fell to counting the shoes of various sizes scattered over the floor. There were twelve. She sighed and said to herself, “No wonder!”— glancing at the litter.” – Why would Elizabeth evaluate the condition of Rigley’s kitchen? What doe this show?

7. Compare Elizabeth and Mrs. Rigley’s attitude to their husbands going to public house.

Read the excerpt below involving Elizabeth’s inner thoughts as the corpse of her husband arrives. Elizabeth?s thoughts were busy elsewhere. If he was killed — would she be able to manage on the little pension and what she could earn? — she counted up rapidly. If he was hurt — they wouldn?t take him to the hospital — how tiresome he would be to nurse! — but perhaps she?d be able to get him away from the drink and his hateful ways. She would — while he was ill. The tears offered to come to her eyes at the picture. But what sentimental luxury was this she was beginning? — She turned to consider the children. At any rate she was absolutely necessary for them. They were her business. She turned away, and calculated whether there would be room to lay him on the floor, between the couch and the chiffonier. She pushed the chairs aside. There would be room to lay him down and to step round him. Then she fetched the old red tablecloth, and another old cloth, spreading them down to save her bit of carpet. She shivered on leaving the parlour; so, from the dresser-drawer she took a clean shirt and put it at the fire to air. All the time her mother-in-law was rocking herself in the chair and moaning. One of the men had knocked off a vase of chrysanthemums. He stared awkwardly, then they set down the stretcher. Elizabeth did not look at her husband. As soon as she could get in the room, she went and picked up the broken vase and the flowers. 8. How does Elizabeth react to the arrival of her husband’s dead body? Do you think this is how a wife would normally react to the death of the husband?

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2015-16 Sem 1 / GEAS2103 Literary Appreciation / Bobo Lee 9. “She was grateful to death, which restored the truth.” – What ‘truth’ is being restored?

10. “She knew she submitted to life, which was her immediate master. But from death, her ultimate master, she winced with fear and shame. But from death, her ultimate master, she winced with fear and shame.” – Why is ‘life’ Elizabeth’s ‘immediate master’ and ‘death’ her ‘ultimate master’? Why is Elizabeth occupied with ‘fear and shame’ at the end of the story?

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