Shades

In a work of art, nothing happens by chance.

Often the author mixes imagery into the narrative but leaves it to the astute reader to detect this imagery and interpret it. There are no flashing lights or ringing bells to pronounce to the unobservant reader, "herewith you must espy an image!"

For example, DH Lawrence uses the presence of a horse to signify male sexual dominance (Virgin and the Gypsy).

He also often uses colour imagery to make his point. In Sons and Lovers he uses the colour red to signify passionate love while the colour grey denotes sadness and also religious fulfilment.

In this way Paul Morrell's brief passionate affair with Clara is flooded with the colour red: the houses have red roofs, the river runs red, the mud on the river bank is red, Clara wears a red flower on her lapel which is eventually left shattered and its petals scattered on the ground.

In contrast to this, Paul's love scene with Miriam is clouded in grey. The trees are grey, the sky is grey, the houses appear grey in the mist. Lawrence tells us in this way that Miriam gives herself to Paul as a type of religious sacrifice, offered out of duty rather than passion.

Imagery does not creep into a novel by accident.

If this is so, then what of the image of the guilt-stricken Frances, standing before Walter and Victor, and forced to hold the bloodied bird in her hand?

Frances had been a virgin. That night when Victor had found her in his bedroom, he had thrust himself into her - suddenly, unexpectedly, and against her will. He would have damaged her physically, causing her to bleed.

The following day she would have been distraught - and yet wracked with guilt because she had been indoctrinated into believing that it was always the woman who was to blame. The sin therefore was hers.

Frances was therefore bleeding physically, psychologically and spiritually.

When Victor thrusts the bleeding bird into her hands, the bird becomes the image of Frances's feelings: she is spiritually dead, and bleeding because of Victor's action. Can you imagine a more forlorn person - or image?