Volume-II, Special Issue, February 2026
Novel Insights A Peer-Reviewed Quarterly Multidisciplinary Research Journal |
Volume-II, Special Issue, February 2026 |
Critiquing Post-War Social Anxieties and “apotheosis” in D. H. Lawrence’s “The Fox” Dr. Sabuj Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, University of Gour Banga, Malda, West Bengal, India Email: sabuj.ugb@gmail.com |
Received: 01.01.2026 | Accepted: 20.02.2026 | Published Online: 28.02.2026 |
Page No: | DOI: | |
Abstract | ||
In the works of D.H. Lawrence, there are subtle reflections of human instinct and primal survival instincts. His characters are artistically woven and psychologically garnered. This article examines Lawrence’s 1922 short story “The Fox” as a profound critique of post-World War I social anxieties and the “mechanistic degradation” of Western civilization. It posits that the Great War served as a transformative catalyst for Lawrence, shifting his literary focus from the domestic realism and “zest for life” found in early works like Sons and Lovers toward a darker preoccupation with power and the “apotheosis” of the individual will. Central to this analysis is the concept of apotheosis—the deification of instinct as a radical response to the spiritual wasteland of post-1918 Europe. The article explores how Lawrence uses the unproductive Bailey Farm to symbolize a stagnant society, where Nellie March's and Jill Banford’s failing efforts represent the inadequacy of “mind-consciousness.” The narrative tension is driven by the arrival of Henry Grenfel, a soldier who functions as the human incarnation of the predatory fox. Through Henry’s psychological and physical displacement of Banford, Lawrence depicts the brutal destruction of the old, decadent world by a primordial “blood-consciousness.” Attempts have been made to show that “The Fox” serves as a definitive bridge in Lawrence’s career, articulating a radical rebirth through the transference of fatalistic authority. Ultimately, the work is presented as a haunting autopsy of the post-war condition, exploring the ruthless path toward human wholeness amidst a landscape defined by distrust and survival. Keywords: World War I, Social Anxiety, Apotheosis, Psyche | ||