The Opening of DH Lawrences Short Story Odour of...

The Opening of DH Lawrences Short Story Odour of Chrysanthemums In the opening of the short story, Odour of Chrysanthemums, DH Lawrence talks about how industry is dominating nature. He tells us how mankind cannot stand in industrys way and that it is like a monster we created, which we cannot defeat. The mood Lawrence tries to create in the opening is gloomy and lifeless which suggests that the story will be sad and tragic. The words he uses to achieve this are mostly negative. The title is rather unusual. Lawrence does not use words that are usually associated with the smell of flowers, like fragrance or scented. Instead, he chooses the word odour to indicate the smell of†¦show more content†¦It suggests that industry cannot be stopped. The woman stood insignificantly because industry does not let mankind stand in its way. The woman is not named because it can be anyone. She is a representative of mankind. The story is set in a mining village and industry dominates the landscape. This is evident in Lawrences description of the pit-bank which loomed up beyond the pond, suggesting a threatening gloomy presence. Mining is not an easy job. After one long days work, the miners drag themselves home, like shadows, suggesting that they are silent, lifeless and exhausted. The word shadow is used to describe the miners, who have just been working in the mines, because they are covered in black coal dust, which suggests that mining is not a very clean job. Nature is slowly fading with the presence of industry. This is shown in the description of the gorse, which flickered indistinctly, suggesting that the shimmer of the plantthat it normally has, becomes hard to see. Industry is so noisy that it covers the beautiful sounds of nature, as Lawrence said, withered oak leaves dropped noiselessly. This line is used when the train just passed, so it suggests that the train is so noisy that the sound of the dropping leaves becomes hard to hear. Nature is not at her best and with the threat of industry she struggles to grow. For example, twiggy apple