- Penguin edition
“THe lost girl” is less well-known among other novels like “Sons and Lovers” and “Women in love”. Nevertheless it does not impinge on the quality of D.H. Lawrence’s work that serves to probe the minds like any psychologist tried to do in the era of 20th century, may it be Freud or Steckel. However, some contrasts one can observe of Lawrence from other psychoanalyst are that his interpretation is more subtle and non-academic based. He seems to be paving of a possible path and predicting the outcome if the girl really does exist in the world. This approach renders his work a softer and non-direct analysis of psychology which is easier to follow and enjoy.
The story describes a girl who was constantly searching for affirmation of her identity and it is through a series of events that happened and unfolded under the pen of Lawrence do we see how the girl developed and thoughts changed. Fundamentally one can observe the protagonist, Alvina’s life was always clouded with tragedies and parting with her closest people. She was uncertain about how her life should be though she had an active role in many decisions in the novel, such as the marriage with the Australian and pursuance of a career as a nurse. On the surface she possessed control over her life but in the deterministic view she was always the lost girl living out in that fantasy and ideal life of hers. I believe that Lawrence was trying to write a novel that discusses the fear in every decision in life and lauded the virtue of courage one has to have to break from the norm. The narration was therefore ended with Alvina forsaking everything, including her loved ones and her literal past, to move to an entirely foreign and hostile land with Ciccio. In another way one can interpret is that Alvina was always seeking unconventional thrills to fill the emptiness of her life that derived from having an incomplete family. The town she was staying also displayed an image of grayish distorted buildings with people following all sort of banal conventions that were all stiff and constraining. However we would never know if the desire for excitement and anxiety did cease or not at all at the open ending of the tale, or is it just another fit that helpless Alvina has to constantly face till death arrives at her bed. The idea of being lost is very much exemplified in a subtle way, the direct way being her going mad eventually I suppose. This very journey with Alvina, all what we have experienced in the words, is meant for someone as lost as Alvina, for only people with that quality can resonate with the protagonist’s struggle as she tried very hard to prevent herself from drowning. “Drowning from what?”, one may ask. I would say it is the reader’s own ocean that he has to care.
It is actually frightening to see today’s generations fall prey to the same uncertainty in lives that simply evades our poor attempts in controlling it. But that is how determinism works, isn’t it?
Quastenflosser 