Women in Love

D. H. Lawrence declared in Women in Love, his masterpiece that presaged the erotic consciousness of the 20th century, "Let us hesitate no longer to state that the sensual passions and mysteries are equally sacred with the spiritual mysteries and passions." Gudrun and Ursula Brangwen, two sisters, serve as the main characters' eyes as Lawrence examines love, sex, passion, and marriage. The two very different sisters pursue passionate, scorching adventures with their lovers, Rupert and Gerald, while looking for more mature emotional relationships. They are intelligent, perceptive, and observant. Gudrun and Ursula's temperamental differences generate an ongoing discussion about their culture, their inner lives, and the riddles between men and women against a horrific World War I backdrop of coal mines, industries, and a devastated working class.