Compare how Lively presents judgement
in ‘The Darkness Out There’ with one
other short story.
Throughout the allegorical short stories ‘The Darkness Out There’ and ‘Odour
of Chrysanthemums’, judgement is explored in numerous ways by Lively and
Lawrence respectively, prominently through their use of characters. The
Darkness Out There revolves around the dangers of stereotypes and prejudice,
reflecting societal beliefs in 1984 – the year in which the story was published.
Whereas, Odour of Chrysanthemums, which is based on the disintegration of a
family, uses its protagonist Elizabeth Bates in a subversive manner, challenging
typical gender norms at the time the story was written.
For instance, both stories demonstrate the idea of judgement as powered and
fuelled by stereotypes, highlighting its foreboding effects on individuals and
society as a whole. In the exposition of Odour of Chrysanthemums, the
omniscient narrator introduces us to a woman “stood insignificant trapped
between the jolting black waggons and the hedge”. Use of symbolism here,
reveals the confinement imposed on woman, immediately evoking sympathy
from the reader, foreshadowing the tragic events that will occur to the main
female figure in the story, Elizabeth. Metaphorically, “black waggons” could
represent men – them “jolting”, is suggestive of their roughness and
rancorousness. It establishes them as dominant, which is ironic considering
Elizabeth’s apparent controlling nature towards her husband Walter. The verb
“trapped” makes their lives seem inescapable and as if they are drawn, forced
into it. It’s this idea that woman cannot do anything but stay “stood” that
permeates the rest of the story. Perhaps, this mirrors the life of Elizabeth, a
woman of “imperious mien” yet stuck between taking care of her kids and
waiting helplessly for Walter. Feminists would put emphasis upon the
oppression of woman in the story, stressing the monotonous life that they lead
with “disillusionment”. Placing this in the exposition of the story shows the
significance of this issue to Lawrence, especially as his own mother faced an
unhappy marriage with his father – a miner who turned to alcohol. Most of his
works contain highly sympathetic female characters that emulate his mother.
Likewise, at the beginning of The Darkness Out There, its once again a female
character, Sandra, who Is said to have been “brushing” through the “daisies”
with her “bare brown legs”. The verb “brushing” suggests the carefree nature in
which she appears to move, exposing her youth and innocence. There is an
evident lack of discernment in her, emphasising how she only looks forward to
having “a good giggle”. This innocence however gives her a sense of
vulnerability, placing her in danger of something unknown. The depiction of her
having “bare brown legs” hints the presence of sexual danger, linking to the title
of the story. Furthermore, Mrs. Rutter not having a “doubt” that Sandra will be
“courting before long” and “fall in love”, highlights how it is regarded to be
‘expected’ events in a woman’s life. It can be implied that they lack the
independence and liberty to make their own decisions for themselves, creating
a male dependency and being viewed as weak. This may be a social commentary
from Lively on how the presumptuous beliefs in society, dictating one’s life, acts
as a barrier to progression and is ultimately the “inescapable darkness”.
As well as that, there is a deceptive complexion to judgement in both stories,
with a failure of understanding of character in Odour of Chrysanthemums,
there is also an odd focus on appearance in The Darkness Out There by the
protagonist Sandra. The peculiar and unsettling character of Mrs. Rutter is
initially viewed as sweet and tender by Sandra due to the fact of her having a
“creamy smiling pool of a face”. This gives the impression of a plump, harmless
woman who is juxtaposed towards the climax of the story, when her cruelty is
revealed. Written from the viewpoint of Sandra, the reader can learn the
arbitrary thoughts that strikes her mind, as she continues to describe how Mrs.
Rutter was “composed of circles” and was a “cottage-loaf of a woman”. The
abundance of ‘c’ sounds is significant as despite being the same letter, it makes
different sounds, just as the seemingly friendly woman can have a dark side
too. Towards the end of the story, she is regarded as an ”old bitch” – the
vulgar language emphasises the shock that Sandra and Kerry experience, when
Mrs. Rutter dismisses any help to the German, stating he “had this coming”. It
starkly contrasts with her initial portrayal, insinuating the duality in human
nature. Lively highlights how assumptions based on appearance will turn out to
be false friends and will never actually provide an insight into an individual's
motives. Contextually, it can be argued that the atmosphere in the story
reflects the one in which Lively was born and was exposed in. She was born in
1933 before the second world war. A great extent of her childhood was filled
with the negative face of mankind. Similarly, in Odour of Chrysanthemums, the
characterisation of Elizabeth Bates, from resenting Walter for making her live
like a “fool” to having “submitted to life”, exposes how her poor judgement of
him eventually made her “heart bursting with grief and pity”. Elizabeth
towards the resolution of the story discovers that inside, she is a person with
unique thoughts and passion but never understands that her husband was just
as much of an individual as she ; she never really sought to know beneath the
surface of him. Their marriage had been dead long before Walter’s death,
evidenced in her constant jibes at him that he will arrive “like a log” and “lie on
the floor”. The simile comparing him to a “log” is hyperbolic to an extent. Him
lacking responsibility makes him seem as lifeless and of no use in the eyes of
Elizabeth. The antithesis later that she had “been fighting a husband who did
not exist” directly contrasts with the next line “he existed all the time”, acts as
an inner reflection of her judgemental attitude. Ironically, Walter did end up
“lying in the naïve of dignity”, according to how Elizabeth earlier thought he
would come home. Not only did her judgement deceive and swindle her
understanding of her husband, but it also led Elizabeth to an epiphany about
herself and the “infinite gap” in her marriage.
Furthermore, judgment is depicted as a vessel that leads individuals to
epiphanies and therefore their transitions. In the Odour of Chrysanthemums,
her poor judgment of Walter to an extent, guides her to “peace”. In the
denouement of the story, its learned that “peace sunk heavy on her heart”.
This juxtaposes with earlier when her “heat was bursting with grief and pity” –
the personification of her heart reflects her metamorphosis from a seemingly
“bitter” woman to now being considerate of her own mistakes and breaking
out. The verb “bursting” is indicative of the crescendo of emotions that she is
feeling currently, showing affection for her husband for the first time in the
story. Heart is a symbol of life and the idea of it “bursting” with negative
qualities such as “grief” and “anger”, reveals how she does not feel absolute
without Walter’s presence. Its as if her heart has been replaced by these
overwhelming emotions, that she has never experienced or expressed before.
Ultimately, her poor judgment of her husband acts as a life lesson for
Elizabeth: it makes her realize her mistakes and teaches her to consider the
others around her. In parallel, in The Darkness Out There, the characterisation
of Kerry Stevens, displays how he had matured as a result of the judgemental
attitude towards him. Sandra initially describes him as the one with “slitty
eyes” whom wasn’t “reckoned much”. The use of distant dialogue reveals how
Mrs. Rutter does not take great interest in having a conversation with him.
Almost immediately he is sent outside to “have a go at the grass”, perhaps
suggesting how he is disdained on a regular basis . Towards the end of the
short story however, his character development is evident when he is said to
have “got older”. The idea of getting old could possibly reflect the maturity and
wisdom he has gained from this experience, especially since it was him who
decided to leave Mrs. Rutter’s house after hearing of her wickedness. This is
significant considering the substantial change in Sandra’s view on Kerry after
initially being critical of his appearance.
In conclusion, the deceiving nature of judgment appears to be a prominent
element in both these stories, not only the progressing the plot but also
allowing the authors to convey their message about how egregious it is to
undermine one another. Lawrence was a modernist writer and perhaps was
condemning the prejudices and judgments of the past through this short story.
He uses a stream of consciousness to explore the inner workings and
perceptions of the human mind.