Revisionist Resurrection Mythologies: A Study of D.H. Lawrence’s Italian Works

Lawrence’s experience of Italy’s people, her past and her landscape enabled him to concretize a mythic dimension that he had previously employed without adequate integration in his texts. The myth most central to all of his works is resurrection. His rewriting of biblical narratives blends the apocalyptic principles and flavor of Christianity with the essential premise of pagan rebirth mythology - that fertility, virility and the body are sacred. Combining these two sources, Lawrence produces a religion of his own, which is encapsulated in his resurrection ideal. This study focuses on the works produced during his three Italian periods.