‘현지’(玄知), 사랑 그리고 생태의식: D. H. 로렌스의 사랑하는 여인들

Abstract

In a word, the lack of what Birkin calls ‘dark knowledge’ causes Gerald’s distorted personality and his tragedy. ‘Dark Knowledge’ is something primitive, sensual, or spontaneous that should complement the metaphysics of the West. Without a sense of guilt, Gerald is driven to exploit nature as in the episode of a mare or a rabbit and oppress Gudrun as well, due to his mechanistic mindset lacking ‘dark knowledge.’ Also, he is an industrial magnate who brings enormous prosperity to his coal-mining business. His mechanistic will invites a sense of nothingness when frustrated, however, although it renders him successful in the field of his industry. Thus, it is ironical that Gerald representing an anthropocentric will or the Western culture itself is defeated by Gudrun, a seemingly feeble woman of spontaneity and freedom who represents nature. The love affair of Birkin and Ursular which is supposedly articulated with ‘dark knowledge’ seems to go toward a holistic vision whereas Gerald’s relationship with Gudrun is distorted by his patriarchical attitude. Because Lawrence attributes ‘star-equilibrium’ to the couple of Birkin and Ursular, their supposedly selfless relationship might imply a sort of non-dualistic fusion between man and woman, culture and nature, and industrialism and primitivism. The problem is that there is also unnameable estrangement detected from their relationship, which could come from the essential impossibility of overcoming dualism, rather than from Birkin’s homo-erotism with Gerald. That it is almost impossible to reach a holistic vision between man and woman, industrialism and primitivism necessitates never-ending dialogues between man and woman, between conservationist and preservationist. And that is an ecocritical implication charged in WL.