Sufism and the Quest for Spiritual Fulfilment in D. H. Lawrence's "The Rainbow"
Abstract: This thesis is a study of Lawrence's religious concerns and focuses on how they took shape in his writing. Attention is primarily given to Lawrence as a mystical writer and the degree to which this distinction becomes evident in his novel, The Rainbow. Moreover, critical attention to the characters of The Rainbow offers illustrations of mystical experiences and an individual spiritual growth. In this context, Lawrence's well-established interest in ancient religions is linked to Sufism, particularly the beliefs of the Eastern School of Sufism and how these beliefs were given expression in Persian poetry. The thesis argues that Lawrence's text is informed by a cosmic sensibility which in many ways is similar to the sacred cosmology of Sufism. Likewise, Lawrence's aesthetic expression of physical and spiritual unity coincides with Sufism's amalgamation of immanent and the transcendental aspects of life into an all inclusive Oneness. In addition to the various Sufi concepts which are introduced and implemented in analyzing The Rainbow, the symbol of the Phoenix is of particular significance regarding spiritual regeneration. A number of Persian poems, especially those of Hafez and Rumi, are also employed in order to further clarify some of the more enigmatic concepts in Sufism. The Introduction of this thesis presents a study of Lawrence's inherited knowledge of ancient Persian religions and Sufism, and suggests that this knowledge helped shape his literary vision. In the subsequent chapters, the inner development of characters in The Rainbow is discussed, and it is argued that their search for inner fulfilment resembles the paths a Sufi takes in the quest for the Absolute.
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