Necessary Physical Contant in D.H. Lawrences Women in Love and Platos

Necessary Physical Contant in D.H. Lawrences Women in Love and Platos SymposiumD.H. Lawrences novel, Women in Love, presents a complex model of female-male and male-male relationships. Lawrences model relies heavily on a similar model presented in Platos Symposium. The difference between the two works lies in the mode of realization that is, how one goes about achieving a perfect love relationship with either sex. Lawrence concentrates on corporal fulfillment, characterized in his recurring reference to obtaining a blood oath, while Plato concentrates on a mental, or divine bond. Lawrences concentration on corporal fulfillment of love only superficially differs from Platos concentration on the mind both(prenominal) infer to the same philosophy of bodily exchange as being a necessary component of relations with either sex.As Barry J. Scherr points out in his hold on the relationship between Women in Love and the Symposium, Excurse chapter 23 has been recognized by critics as a central chapter of Women in Love (210). The reason for this appraisal is that Excurse presents both a realization and articulation of Lawrences view of female-male relationships through the characters of Birkin and Ursula.The transmittance, or Excurse, comes through bodily exchange Ursula traced with her hands the line of his loins and thighs It was a patrician flood of electric passion she released from him, drew into herself. She established a rich new circuit released from the darkest poles of the body and established in perfect circuit (358). It is through sexual intercourse, or, in the very least, bodily contact, that the connection between Ursula and Birkin is established. Scherr states that This scene betwe... ...al connection to take place in order to establish a pregnant bond. These bonds, if properly achieved, are the ideal models of relations between the two sexes. Superficial differences between the two works philosophies manifest in a difference in importan ce Lawrence stresses the physical connection as paramount, while Plato describes that both physical and mental connections are necessary.Works CitedGriffith, Tom, trans. Symposium of Plato. Los Angeles University of California P, 1989.Hecht, Jamey. Platos Symposium Eros and the Human Predicament. New York Twayne, 1999.Lawrence, D.H. Women in Love. New York Random House, 1922.Scherr, Barry J. Lawrences Dark Flood A Platonic Interpretation of Excurse Paunch 64 (1990) 209-246.Strauss, Leo. On Platos Symposium. Ed. Seth Benardete. Chicago University of Chicago P, 2001.