D.H. Lawrence and Germany

Book excerpt: D. H. Lawrence has suffered criticism for the emotional excess of his language, and for a suspected leaning towards right-wing politics. This book contextualises his style and political values in German culture, especially its Romantic tradition which has been subjected to the same criticism as himself. In his writing Lawrence struggles between opposing German cultural elements from thee eighteenth century onwards, to dramatise the conflicts in Modern European culture and history in the first half of the Twentieth century. The book demonstrates how his failures are integral to his achievements, and how the self-contradictory nature of his art is actually its saving grace. This volume surveys the whole span of Lawrence's career; it is intended for both students and teachers of the author, and for those interested in the cross cultural relations of European Modernism. Previous studies have tended to outline references in Lawrence's work to Germany without focusing on the historical, cultural and ideological issues at stake. These issues are the subject of this book.