Write a study of the opening of DH Lawrence's short story

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Queenie Lee 09/09/2004

Write a study of the opening of DH Lawrence’s short story “Odour of Chrysanthemums”.  Comment in detail on the way in which Lawrence’s use of language creates a particular atmosphere and raises certain expectations

In the opening of the short story, “Odour of Chrysanthemums”, DH Lawrence talks about how industry is dominating nature.  He tells us how mankind cannot stand in industry’s way and that it is like a monster we created, which we cannot defeat.  The mood Lawrence tries to create in the opening is gloomy and lifeless which suggests that the story will be sad and tragic.  The words he uses to achieve this are mostly negative.

The title is rather unusual.  Lawrence does not use words that are usually associated with the smell of flowers, like “fragrance” or “scented”.  Instead, he chooses the word “odour” to indicate the smell of chrysanthemums.  This suggests that they are starting to wilt because they tend to give off an unpleasant smell when they decompose.  From these words, we have a sense that something is wrong and that it might be unpleasant or unhappy.  It also suggests that the story might be related to death.  

The opening of the story starts by depicting the engine.  It describes it with negative words like “clanking, stumbling” which is associated to noisiness and clumsiness, to make it sound dangerous and ugly.  It is not accomplishing the promise to mankind to be fast as it only appears to have “loud threats of speed”.  Even the colt, which was frightened by it, ran faster.  Lawrence is trying to acknowledge that nature is threatened by industry although it is much more beautiful.  We humans cannot do anything to stop it, as Lawrence said, “she stood insignificantly trapped between the jolting black wagons and the hedge” when the women was walking up the railway.  It is trying to say that we are trapped between industry and nature.  “Inevitable” is used to describe the train coming.  It suggests that industry cannot be stopped.  The woman stood “insignificantly” because industry does not let mankind stand in its way.  The woman is not named because it can be anyone.  She is a representative of mankind.

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The story is set in a mining village and industry dominates the landscape.  This is evident in Lawrence’s description of the pit-bank which “loomed up beyond the pond”, suggesting a threatening gloomy presence.  Mining is not an easy job.  After one long day’s work, the miners drag themselves home, “like shadows”, suggesting that they are silent, lifeless and exhausted.  The word “shadow” is used to describe the miners, who have just been working in the mines, because they are covered in black coal dust, which suggests that mining is not a very clean job.      

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