The Rainbow

Part I
D.H. Lawrence employs the use of rhetorical question and compare and contrast in his novel, The Rainbow, between man and woman to capture the woman's longing to gain knowledge as to how one man is raised above a common man.

Lawrence uses compare and contrast between the woman's position in looking out of the house compared to her husband to juxtapose the differences between man's complacency of being beneath another man in power, and the woman's yearning for knowledge as to how the power came out.  Lawrence uses the comparison of the way the man and woman look out of their house to emphasize the different mindsets.  Lawrence writes, "Her house faced outwards to where men moved..." this quote emphasizes her longing to move away from the farming life her husband lives and how she wants to escape.  Lawrence describes the man as "looking out to the back" where all that is there is farming, and how he does not wish to escape from the life he lives even though there was power over him.  How the man did not yearn to understand how he got into this power.  Al the woman wants to know is why the man is complacent of being under another man.

Lawrence compares the vicar and her husband, a Brangwen man, to emphasize her confusion as to how one man can be raised over another.  Lawrence writes, "the vicar, dark and dry and small beside her husband...that made a Brangwen, in his large genialities, seem dull and local." (48-50).  By comparing the two individuals, Lawrence emphasizes the woman's confusion as to how one gains dominance over another.  She compares the physical traits thinking that perhaps physique is the answer, but it is not the solution to her confusion.  She continues to question how dominance is asserted as the continues on her quest for knowledge.

In the last few paragraphs Lawrence uses rhetorical question to show the mystery behind the woman's confusion and how she will forever wonder how one man can dominate another.  Lawrence writes, "that which makes a man strong even if he be little and frail in body...what was it?" (55-61).  The rhetorical question emphasizes the woman's inquiry as she searches for knowledge as to how dominance comes about.  Was it physique, money power?  The rhetorical question leaves an open-ended question allowing readers to understand that the woman will never know the answer unless she were to leave behind the farming life and live in a "far off world of cities and governments and the active scope of man." (20-21).

She comes to the conclusion that in order to gain dominance, one must attain knowledge.

Part II
Sri Karri graded my D.H Lawrence prose essay and gave a score of 5/6.  She said that at times my thoughts were disorganized and a little repetitive, however it made sense.  The The analysis however failed to answer how the literary devices "captured the woman's situation."  At times it also seemed to be too much summarization and not enough analysis of the text.  Elevated diction could also be added to elevate the score. With more analysis and connections made back to the prompt, the essay score could be elevated.

The most striking parts of the passage were the multiple references to the word "knowledge" and "blood" as well as the repetition of "magic land".  The magic land describes a place that Lawrence could relate back to this ideal land where there is no censorship.  Lawrence at the time was also in a relationship with another woman who was already married and this could also weave into the passage.

 As well as the comparison and contrast between the different view points of the man and woman as to how they look out of the house. This then leads readers to understand the different moods towards the lifestyle on the farm.  The woman wishes to move away from the farm life while her husband prefers to stay on the farm and continue to work.  The man does not wish to understand how he was put under another man while the woman wishes to know how authority/dominance comes about.

Evidence of complacency can be found in the different view points between the man and woman and how they look out of the house.  The woman looks out on to the city while the man looks out to the field.  This shows how the man is complacent with his position in life and does not wish to gain knowledge as to how he could raise his status in the world, unlike the woman.  The woman desires to know how one gets into power.  She questions if it is money, power, physical characteristics, etc.  The complacency can be found as Lawrence talks about the farm work the Brangwen men do.  He says, "so much exchange and interchange they had with these, that they lived full and surcharged, their sense full fed," (10-11).