D. H. Lawrence Biography

D. H. Lawrence was an early 20th century writer best known for his controversial novel ‘Lady Chatterley's Lover’. He was also a talented poet. Today counted amongst the greatest modernist English-language writers for his linguistic skills and exploration of female sexuality, he was reviled as a pornographic writer during the later years of his life. An independent minded and sensitive man, he was disturbed by the oppressive norms and hypocrisy of the contemporary Western culture, and tried to challenge them through his writings. Born into a working class family to a barely literate father, he inherited his love for literature from his well-educated mother. He struggled hard to rise above his background and had no plans to follow in the footsteps of his miner father. A good student, he won a scholarship to Nottingham High School and eventually became a teacher. By this time he had also started writing. As his literary career progressed, he quit teaching to write full time. His novels explored themes of female sexuality, emotional health, instincts, and the dehumanizing effects of modernity. The explicit sexual nature of his works kindled considerable controversies but also made him popular among the readers. He would, however, receive the critical acclaim he deserved only years after his death.