BOOK REVIEW – D. H. LAWRENCE – TWO BLUE BIRDS in THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY AND OTHER STORIES.
Short story in which an estranged married couple split up, with the husband staying in Britain while his wife moves to the warm southern lands and has affairs with other men. Gradually, she learns that her husband employs a secretary who he hopes will type his literary career writings for him. Initially, his wife suspects that he is having an affair with the woman, nut she learns that the relationship is entirely professional.
Concerned, she heads to England to investigate, learning that the secretary is utterly devoted to him, ghost writes his book, and even has her relatives working for him at little financial reward.
Visiting the house, the wife sees the secretary attracts two bluebirds, the symbols of happiness. The birds fight viscously in frustration at her not heeding the signals about love.
The wife now confronts the secretary for not having an affair, as she is doing everything for the man with no reward, or returned affection. The secretary seems tragically happy to maintain this state of being, and the wife leaves unable to persuade her to use her husband to some advantage of her own too.
A fascinating if unorthodox reversal; of expectations. Here the estranged wife tries to encourage and bless acts of adultery and infidelity rather than being hurt by such behaviour, but she fails to get such a relationship established. There is a sense that she initially tries to respect her husband and sees the secretary as a thankless being, draining his energy to no point or purpose. The secretary seems happy that she has control of him in a sexless bind that saves her from making any woman jealous of her. Her callous pride in this makes her truly monstrous.
FULL TEXT OF THE STORY http://www.literature.org/authors/lawrence-david-herbert/the-woman-who-rode-away-and-other-stories/part-02/index.html
© Copyright. Arthur Chappell
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