Summary
The Rainbow is a landmark novel by British author D. H. Lawrence. Opening in the 1840s, this controversial work delves into the lives of three generations of the Brangwen family in rural England, exploring themes of industrialization, sexuality, and the human quest for fulfillment. While Lawrence's frank treatment of sexual desire led to the novel being banned in Britain for more than a decade after its initial publication in 1915, The Rainbow's exploration of passion and individual growth within the confines of English social structures has cemented its place in the literary canon.
Plot
The Rainbow follows three generations of the Brangwen family in rural England from the 1840s to 1905. The novel opens with Tom Brangwen, a farmer, who falls in love with and marries Lydia Lensky, a Polish widow. Their relationship forms the foundation of the story as they navigate the challenges of their cultural differences and Tom's role as stepfather to Lydia's daughter, Anna.
The narrative then shifts to focus on Anna Brangwen as she grows up and enters into a tumultuous marriage with Will Brangwen, Tom's nephew. Their relationship is characterized by intense passion and conflict as they struggle to find balance and understanding within their union. The couple's battles and reconciliations play out against the backdrop of an increasingly industrialized England.
The final and most extensive portion of the novel centers on Will and Anna's daughter, Ursula. As she comes of age, Ursula grapples with her own desires and ambitions in a world that is rapidly changing. She pursues higher education and becomes a teacher, experiences a same-sex relationship with a fellow instructor, and engages in a passionate but ultimately doomed romance with Anton Skrebensky, a soldier of Polish descent.
Throughout the novel, Lawrence explores themes of love, sexuality, and personal fulfillment as his characters strive to find meaning and connection in their lives. The story concludes with Ursula, having ended her relationship with Anton, experiencing a vision of a rainbow arching over the earth, symbolizing hope for a new era of human understanding and potential.
Themes
Generational change and conflict
The impact of industrialization on rural life
Sexual awakening and desire
Search for individual fulfillment
Struggle against societal constraints
Connection to nature and the land
Evolution of gender roles and relationships
Setting
Set in the rural Midlands of England, The Rainbow spans approximately 65 years, from the 1840s to 1905. This era marks a significant period of change in British society, as the country underwent rapid industrialization and urbanization. The novel captures the tension between traditional rural life and the encroaching modern world, reflecting the broader social and economic transformations of the time.
The story unfolds primarily in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, two counties in the East Midlands known for their picturesque landscapes and rich agricultural heritage. D. H. Lawrence vividly describes the farming communities and the natural environment, emphasizing the deep connection between the characters and the land they inhabit. As the narrative progresses, the setting expands to include more urban areas, mirroring the characters' evolving experiences and the country's shifting demographics.
While the novel doesn't focus on specific historical events, it subtly incorporates the backdrop of technological advancements, changing social norms, and the gradual erosion of traditional ways of life. The contrast between the rural Brangwen farm and the increasingly industrialized world beyond serves as a powerful metaphor for the characters' internal struggles and the broader societal changes of late Victorian and early Edwardian England.
Characters
Tom Brangwen: The patriarch of the first generation. A robust farmer deeply connected to the land, he marries Lydia Lensky and adopts her daughter, Anna. Tom struggles to understand his Polish wife but finds fulfillment in their relationship and in raising Anna. His life represents the traditional, rural way of living that is slowly changing.
Lydia Lensky: A Polish widow who marries Tom Brangwen. She is mysterious and foreign to Tom, representing a world beyond his rural English experience. Lydia struggles to adapt to her new life in England while maintaining her own identity. Her character embodies the theme of the “otherness” of the opposite sex.
Anna Brangwen: Lydia’s daughter, adopted by Tom. Anna grows up to be passionate and rebellious. She marries Will Brangwen and engages in a turbulent relationship with him, characterized by both love and conflict. Her character represents the transition between the old rural ways and the emerging modern world.
Will Brangwen: Anna's husband and Tom's nephew. An artistic and sensitive man who works as a woodcarver. Will struggles to find his place in the changing world and often clashes with Anna's strong personality. Their relationship is intense and often destructive, symbolizing the battle between the sexes.
Ursula Brangwen: Daughter of Anna and Will, and the central character of the third generation. Ursula is intelligent, passionate, and searching for fulfillment beyond the confines of her family and society. She experiences same-sex attraction, pursues education, and has a doomed love affair with Anton Skrebensky. Ursula's journey represents the modern individual's quest for self-realization and spiritual fulfillment.
Anton Skrebensky: A British soldier of Polish ancestry who becomes Ursula's lover. He represents the modern, mechanized world that conflicts with Ursula's search for deeper meaning. Their relationship ultimately fails.
Winifred Inger: Ursula's teacher, with whom she has a brief same-sex relationship. She introduces Ursula to new ideas and experiences, representing the expanding horizons of the modern world.
Baron Skrebensky: Anton's father and a Polish refugee. Though a minor character, he symbolizes the connection to a wider, cosmopolitan world beyond rural England.
Quick facts
D. H. Lawrence originally conceived the novel as the first part of a larger work called The Sisters, which he later split into two books, The Rainbow and Women in Love.
The Rainbow was banned in the UK shortly after publication in 1915 and remained unavailable there for 11 years.
More than 1,000 copies of The Rainbow were seized and burned following an obscenity trial in 1915.
The novel follows three generations of the Brangwen family over a period of about 65 years.
Lawrence's frank depiction of sexual desire was highly controversial for the time period.
Along with relationships, The Rainbow explores themes of industrialization and its effects on rural English life.
The rainbow motif symbolizes hope and the promise of a new beginning throughout the novel.
Ursula Brangwen, one of the main characters, was partly based on Lawrence's wife, Frieda.
The novel was adapted into both a 1988 BBC television miniseries and an 1989 feature film, directed by Ken Russell and starring Sammi Davis as Ursula Brangwen.
In 1999, The Rainbow was ranked 48th on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
About the Author
D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century, known for his provocative novels exploring human relationships and sexuality. Born in Nottinghamshire, Lawrence drew heavily on his working-class upbringing in the English Midlands for works like Sons and Lovers. His most famous and controversial novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover, explicitly depicted a sexual relationship between an upper-class woman and her gamekeeper, challenging social taboos of the time.
Lawrence was a prolific author across many genres, writing novels, short stories, poems, plays, essays, and travel books. Some of his best-known works include The Rainbow, Women in Love, and the short story “The Rocking-Horse Winner." His writing style was characterized by intense psychological insight, vivid descriptions of nature, and a focus on the tensions between civilization and human instincts. Lawrence believed modern society had become too cerebral and sought to restore emphasis on the physical and instinctual aspects of human experience.
Throughout his life, Lawrence faced censorship and persecution for the explicit content and unconventional ideas in his work. He spent much of his later years in self-imposed exile, traveling to Italy, Australia, and Mexico with his wife, Frieda. During this “savage pilgrimage," as he called it, Lawrence produced some of his most significant writing. He also took up painting in his final years, hosting a controversial exhibition in London in 1929 that was raided by police for obscenity. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 44. Today, Lawrence is regarded as a pioneering modernist writer who pushed boundaries in his exploration of human psychology, sexuality, and the conflict between instinct and societal expectations.
