D.H. Lawrence

Death in a Flower

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "Is not marriage an open question, when it isalleged, from the beginning of the world, that such as are in the institution wish to getout, and such as are out wish to get in?"(Brainy Quote). Emerson's expressions are alltoo true for many married people as well as those in serious relationships. It seems thatengaging in marriage is a step that many take only to find out it was a mistake. Nothingis ever perfect in relationships as well as in life and in death. D.H. Lawrence similarly illustrates the theme of relationships and their unsuccessfulness in life in his short story"Odour of Chrysanthemums". He realistically demonstrates these themes with "thepitiless self-discovery sometimes brought about only through the death of another" (72).In the story, Mrs. Elizabeth Bates, the protagonist, realizes the harsh realities of marriageas she waits for her husband to come home from the mineshaft one night. She isbombarded with the thought of him getting drunk at the local tavern and is furious at hisinconsiderateness to the children and her. When Elizabeth discovers the death of herhusband, she deals with the fact that she never loved him; he was simply a stepping stonefor her two children and her unborn child into the world. Through diction in "Odour ofChrysanthemums" , a depressing and thought provoking story, Lawrence majesticallyuses beautiful language and vivid scenes through imagery, foreshadowing, andsymbolism to portray the hard times in Elizabeth's life. The main theme in the story isthat truth and the relationships in life are often difficult and are sometimes not figured outuntil the ultimate tragedy, death.Conflict is very strong in Elizabeth's life. As the plot thickens, she begins todiscover the truths in her life through the events during the day. Realizing that herhusband is the root of much of the conflict, Elizabeth takes a deeper look at his own flesh

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 2

and blood: her son. "She saw herself in his [her son's] silence and pertinacity; she sawthe father in her child's indifference to all but himself" (75). Lawrence characterizesElizabeth through her son's action. She starts to see traits in her son that she had notnoticed before; moreover, the fact that she sees herself as quiet and determined in herson's personality makes her look like a warm nurturing mother. In contrast, she sees aselfish image in the child inherited from the father, characterizing the father as a badinfluence to the son.