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Motifs
Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Chapter 6
Explanation and Analysis—Heart Hurt from Happiness:
In Chapter 6, the novel uses an oxymoron, a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired, to describe Mrs. Morel and Paul's bittersweet feelings of happiness as they leave the Willey Farm where the Leivers family work and live:
A thin moon was coming out. His heart was full of happiness till it hurt. His mother had to chatter, because she, too, wanted to cry with happiness.
In the above passage, Lawrence presents two seemingly opposite ideas to the reader—happiness and sadness and happiness and pain—to reveal a deeper meaning. In this case, Lawrence uses figurative language to suggest the idea that feelings of sadness and happiness can occur at the same time. Mrs. Morel and Paul's trip to the farm, as well as other trips the mother and son take in the novel, is romantic in nature; at one point Paul picks and offers his mother a bunch of flowers, and the narrator describes her as "perfectly happy." The farm, with its beautiful fields and flowers, delights the mother and son and they repeatedly revel over its beauty.
The Willey Farm also offers an opportunity for the two to escape the unhappy, tumultuous environment back home. Paul, with his sensuous connection to the natural world, enjoys the physical landscape, and Mrs. Morel idealizes a life on the farm with Mr. Leivers, the farm's virile, handsome, and pragmatic owner. Despite the two's happy experience on the farm, leaving brings Mrs. Morel and Paul great sadness, as it represents a return to their difficult life back in the Bottoms.
As a writer, Lawrence was influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and had an interest in the complexities of the human psyche, especially unconscious feelings and desires. In presenting Paul and Mrs. Morel's emotions to the reader through an oxymoron, Lawrence underscores the intensity of the mother and son's emotional and psychological bond.
Related Themes:
