The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence: Creative Flux, Genetic Dialogism, and the Dilemma of Endings (Historicizing Modernism)

Winner of the DHLSNA Biennial Award for a Book by a Newly Published Scholar Exploring draft manuscripts, alternative texts and publishers' typescripts, The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence reveals new insights into the writings and writing practices of one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Focusing on the most productive years of Lawrence's writing life, between 1909 and 1926 – a time that saw the writing of major novels such as Women in Love and the controversial The Plumed Serpent, as well as his first major short story collection – this book is the first to apply analytical methods from the field of genetic criticism to the archives of this canonical modernist author. The book unearths and re-evaluates a variety of themes including the body, death, love, trauma, depression, memory, the sublime, selfhood, and endings, and includes original transcriptions as well as reproductions from the manuscripts themselves. By charting Lawrence's writing processes, the book also highlights how the very distinction between 'process' and 'product' became a central theme in his work. Creative Flux, Genetic Dialogism, and the Dilemma of Endings Cover 1 Half title 2 Series 3 Epigraph 4 Title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Author biography 9 Contents 10 List of illustrations 13 Editorial preface to Historicizing Modernism 15 Acknowledgements 16 List of abbreviations 17 List of manuscripts 18 Note on the text 19 Introduction 20 Part One Critical frameworks 30 1 Anglo-American traditions, genetic criticism and recent developments 32 Introduction 32 Anglo-American critical traditions 33 Genetic criticism 45 Recent developments 49 Part Two 'Odour of Chrysanthemums' (1909–14) 60 2 Setting the scene 62 A 'mature' text? 62 Compositional history and alternative versions 66 Networks and emotions in the 'immature' early sections 67 Economic cuts 71 'Culmination' and the problem of endings 74 Part Three Women in Love (1913–21) 80 3 Re-evaluating the compositional history 82 Pre-genesis: Lawrentian preparations for writing 63 82 Rewriting: Multiple drafts 68 87 The outbreak of war 70 89 Return to 'The Sisters': Women in Love and the travails of typing 74 93 Coda 78 97 4 Early fragments and multiple drafts 103 Genesis I (1913-14): Plotlines, rough drafts and ‘real being’ as process 84 103 The Sisters I: 'he would empty every drop of blood out of his veins to warm her’ 90 109 The Sisters II: 'Do you love me?' 92 111 The Wedding Ring: 'It was a shell now' 94 113 Genesis II: 'Prologue' 100 119 Genesis II: 'The Wedding'; mapping 'A ghostly replica of the real' 104 123 5 Genetic dialogism in the notebooks 142 Introducing the early 'notebooks' 123 142 Adjectives, viewpoints, enchantment 126 145 Recoiling from the past: 'Memory was a dirty trick' 130 149 The sublime aesthetic object: 'There, in the infolded navel of it all, was her consummation' 153 The rewritten dialogues: 'One must turn one's face away from the old' 136 155 6 Genetic dialogism in the typescripts 160 Introducing the typescripts 141 160 Process or product 142 161 Rewriting dialogues/dialogic rewriting: 'Sisters' and 'Shortlands' 144 163 Cuts: 'As if too much was said' 149 168 Smashing the mirror: 'Class-Room' and 'Moony' 155 174 'Exeunt' 160 179 Part Four The Plumed Serpent (1923–6) 182 7 Criticism, composition and writing depression 184 Introducing The Plumed Serpent 184 Protocols and preparations 188 Writing and revision 189 (1) MSI 171 190 Chapter One: 'Now we're seeing the real thing.' 171 190 Chapter Three: '"What is it that oppresses, or depresses you?" asked the general.’ 193 (2) MSI to MSII: Focalization and expansion 178 197 (3) MSII: Light revision 182 201 (4) TSII: Overview and recap 182 201 Coda 202 8 Writing an ending 206 The dilemma of writing an ending 206 'Here!': Four versions 208 Version one: Life by the lake 209 Version two: 'Tell them it is all a joke, and their symbols are pretty play-things, and they are all great-god Peter-Pans.’ 213 Versions three and four: 'It was as if she had two selves' 219 Endings: 'You won't let me go!' 224 Conclusion 230 Epilogue 238 Bibliography 240 Index 251 "Exploring draft manuscripts, alternative texts and publishers' typescripts, The Many Drafts of D. H. Lawrence reveals new insights into the writings and writing practices of one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Focusing on the most productive years of Lawrence's writing life, between 1909 and 1926 - a time that saw the writing of major novels such as Women in Love and the controversial The Plumed Serpent, as well as his first major short story collection - this book is the first to apply analytical methods from the field of genetic criticism to the archives of this canonical modernist author. The book unearths and re-evaluates a variety of themes including the body, death, love, trauma, depression, memory, the sublime, selfhood, and endings, and includes original transcriptions as well as reproductions from the manuscripts themselves. By charting Lawrence's writing processes, the book also highlights how the very distinction between 'process' and 'product' became a central theme in his work."-- Provided by publisher Series Editor Preface -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- List of Abbreviations and Note on the Text -- Introduction -- Part One: Critical Frameworks -- Chapter One: Anglo-American Traditions, Genetic Criticism, and Recent Developments -- Part Two: 'Odour of Chrysanthemums' (1909-1914) -- Chapter Two: Setting the Scene -- Part Three: Women in Love (1913-1921) -- Chapter Three: Re-Evaluating the Compositional History -- Chapter Four: Early Fragments and Multiple Drafts -- Chapter Five: Genetic Dialogism in the Notebooks -- Chapter Six: Genetic Dialogism in the Typescripts -- Part Four: The Plumed Serpent (1923-1926) -- Chapter Seven: Criticism, Composition, and Writing Depression -- Chapter Eight: Writing an Ending -- Conclusion -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Index