Why Study Lawrence, Why Not Teach Lawrence in a New Way?: D. H. Lawrence in the Decade of the British New Left and Now

Abstract

Faced with the crisis of literary studies and the declining reputation of D. H. Lawrence worldwide, this essay examines where the significance of D. H. Lawrence studies lies now by historicizing Lawrence studies, and, based on the historical perspective thus gained, proposes a new approach to literary education using one of his novels. Particular attention is paid to the nineteen fifties, the period of prosperity and disillusionment for the British people, when Lawrence was eulogized for his integrated mode of thinking, and when the then-emerging New Left also advocated the merits of integrated thinking, in the face of the power politics of the Cold War controlled by the logic of instrumental reason. The importance of integrated thinking remains the same in this age of utilitarianism, scientism and professionalism. It must, therefore, be conveyed to future generations, and we can do so using Lawrence's writings. For that purpose, I organized a week-long educational experiment at Keio University in August 2007, using Lady Chatterley's Lover as the principal text. The latter half of the essay is devoted to a discussion of this successful experiment.