How does D. H. Lawrence glorify novel in "Why the Novel Matters" essay?

In the history of English literature, D. H. Lawrence is considered one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century. His writings, on the one hand, have given rise to controversy and, on the other hand, have become extremely popular among many people. Therefore, there is no doubt that he will take up his pen in favor of the novel. His essay “Why the Novel Matters” is also an important addition to the history of literary criticism because here he portrays the novel as an important medium of literature. Before that, poetry and drama were considered the important mediums of literature, and everyone would give importance to poetry, especially. As a result, most of the literary criticism we find from the past is about poetry and discusses various aspects of poetry. In that context, D. H. Lawrence’s “Why the Novel Matters” is a different type of essay. Here, he mainly tries to highlight the importance and excellence of the novel.

According to D. H. Lawrence, other branches of knowledge are fragmented. In science, we see one kind of truth; in religion, we see another kind; and in philosophy, we see yet another kind. Therefore, in all these areas, we can only see fragmented pieces of truth, knowledge, and the universe. D. H. Lawrence has beautifully illustrated this point by discussing which aspects of a person science is interested in, which aspects a painter is interested in, and which aspects a philosopher is interested in. D. H. Lawrence tried to say that other branches of knowledge are not interested in the whole person.

On the other hand, a novel is something that seeks to portray the overall life of a person. By the term “human,” it does not just mean the hands, feet, eyes, and face, but also their thoughts, society, successes, failures, joys, and sorrows. Depicting all these aspects is the purpose of a novel. In fact, if we look at novels, we can see that each novel is as long in length as it is vast in terms of content. Therefore, a novel has many characters, can have many events, and can take a lot of time to develop. According to D. H. Lawrence, a novel is interested in all aspects of human life, and for this reason, its superiority over any branch of knowledge is undeniable.

Not only that, but in a novel, a man is alive and truly alive. In other branches of knowledge, people are more like dead and like an inanimate object. A philosopher ends up telling some moral stories, or perhaps, in the case of religion, we see this. Science provides some unemotional conclusions about humans. From this perspective, a person is alive in the novel, and when readers read, they often see a living person.

Another aspect of the novel that D. H. Lawrence considers extremely remarkable is that it portrays human society. We know that the main difference between animals and humans is that humans live in a society and are dependent on one another. These social relationships, dependencies, and exchanges are depicted in novels.

However, one thing that needs to be mentioned here is that by “novel,” D. H. Lawrence did not only mean a long story written in prose. According to him, the novel is the highest form of literature. Therefore, he considers the Bible to be an extraordinary novel, and he believes that the works of poets like Homer and Shakespeare fall into the category of novels. In this case, the main argument of D. H. Lawrence is that the Bible, as well as the works of Homer and Shakespeare, primarily discuss and portray all aspects of human life. He believes that a novelist should depict the full spectrum of human life in this way.

D. H. Lawrence began writing novels at a time when their popularity had skyrocketed, and he himself achieved considerable success. However, many people did not regard novels with much respect and were keen to give importance to drama and poetry. But D. H. Lawrence said that we must value novels because they complete human life in a way that no other branch of knowledge can. Therefore, according to D. H. Lawrence, novels will not only bring joy and entertainment to people’s minds but also teach them to think critically and help reveal the truths about human life and society. In novels, we can see both good and bad, not just moral lessons. Novels contain not only greatness but also baseness, good alongside evil, and success alongside failure. Thus, novels help to make human life meaningful. 

Emergence of Bangladesh

Some people may think that the emergence of Bangladesh began on March 26, 1971, when Bangladesh started its liberation war against Pakistan. However, the process of the emergence of Bangladesh started immediately after Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947. The Bengali people formed the majority of the population in the newly independent Pakistan, but it was the minority of people who lived either in West Pakistan or were non-Bengali speakers living in East Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) who had absolute power and control of the country from the start. As a result, it was inevitable that the majority of Bengali people would become united and fight for their independence. The history of the emergence of Bangladesh can be divided into several stages. 

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In the first stage, awareness spread among the Bengali people. Bengali Muslims fought for Pakistan with the dream that in the new country they would become the majority and enjoy economic benefits. This did not materialize for two reasons. First, the minority people living in West Pakistan (mostly Punjabis) had control over the government, military, administration, and economy. Secondly, non-Bengalis coming from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar benefited from all the facilities in East Pakistan. Thus, the Bengali people were deprived of economic benefits by Punjabis not only in West Pakistan but also in their own land in East Pakistan. This awareness came shortly after Pakistan was created. In East Pakistan, educated people from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (most of them Urdu speakers) took government jobs, often neglecting Bengalis. As a result, these outsiders became economically rich and gained power and prestige in Dhaka and other major cities and towns in East Pakistan. This created a sense of deprivation and frustration among the educated people of East Pakistan or East Bengal. When the first draft of the Basic Principles Committee, which was supposed to prepare a constitution for Pakistan, came out, Bengali people felt frustrated and angry because they saw that their majority was not considered in the draft. In 1949, the Awami League issued a 42-point manifesto addressing the political demands of the Bengali people. In 1951, the Youth League was formed to raise awareness among Bengalis about their real condition. Meanwhile, the ruling Muslim League was advocating for the unity of Pakistan based on the religion of Islam.

In the second stage, the people of East Pakistan or East Bengal (today’s Bangladesh) evaluated the ideas put forward by Bengali nationalists as well as Muslim League supporters. During this time, the Muslim League started to lose its popularity. Political parties and student organizations advocating Bengali nationalism demanded that Bangla must be included as a state language of Pakistan alongside Urdu. Since Bengali people formed the majority in Pakistan, they believed their language must be included in the constitution as a national language of Pakistan. On the other hand, Muslim League leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Khawaja Nazimuddin supported Urdu and advocated that only Urdu should be the national language. The Bengali people, or most of them, realized that if Bengali was not made a national language, they would suffer in government jobs and education. Consequently, educated people took to the streets in large numbers to protest, leading to the language movement. The tragic incident of February 21, 1952, opened the eyes of many Bengali people to the true nature of the non-Bengali people of West Pakistan and East Pakistan.

This realization also brought a sense among the Bengali people that they must be united in demanding equality, fairness, and justice. This demand was echoed in the provincial assembly in East Bengal in 1954. A United Front consisting of political parties like the Awami League, Krishak-Sramik Party, and some other political, social, and cultural forces emerged. In this election, the Muslim League was almost wiped out in East Bengal or East Pakistan, winning only nine out of the 309 seats. Before the election, the United Front promised to advocate for Bengali culture and the interests of the Bengali people. This gained significant support among ordinary people, including the illiterate population living in villages. However, the United Front government could not continue, as the central government in West Pakistan dismissed the government within a few months and took power. It was a sad and frustrating time for the people living in today’s Bangladesh.

This frustration led the Bengali people to realize that they must demand more autonomy. Unfortunately, the leading party of the Bengali people, the Awami League, suffered a division in 1957 when Maulana Bhashani and his followers left to form the National Awami Party (NAP). Meanwhile, in the central government, military general Ayub Khan captured power and ruled from 1958 to 1969 with an iron hand. Ayub Khan was an autocratic ruler, and during his rule, the 1965 Indo-Pak war took place. During this war, the people in Bengal realized they were totally insecure because most of the Army, Navy, and Air Force soldiers and officers were in West Pakistan. Against this background, in 1966, Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman announced his revolutionary six-point demand. This demand called for maximum autonomy for East Pakistan and did not sit well with the rulers in West Pakistan. They feared that if the six points were implemented, they would no longer be able to exploit and treat East Pakistan as a colony. Consequently, they charged Sheikh Mujib and some of his followers with the Agartala Conspiracy Case. The main goal was to destroy Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Awami League, thus silencing the Bengali demand for autonomy.

The Agartala Conspiracy Case, instead of silencing the voice of autonomy for the Bengali people, amplified it. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became immensely popular as the students of East Pakistan launched a massive campaign against Ayub Khan’s government. People from all walks of life joined the movement, demanding not only the release of Sheikh Mujib and other political prisoners but also greater autonomy for East Pakistan. This culminated in the mass uprising of 1969, which ensured the release of Sheikh Mujib and his followers from prison and ultimately brought an end to the tough dictatorship of Ayub Khan.

After Ayub Khan resigned, the head of the army, Yahya Khan, took power in early 1969 and promised that Pakistan would return to democratic rule, pledging to hand over power to representatives elected by the people. His government arranged an election in 1970 in which the Awami League won 160 seats, becoming the majority party in the upcoming parliament. Sheikh Mujib announced his intention to implement the six points, but the military and West Pakistani leaders were unwilling to hand over power to him. This led to massive protests in East Pakistan in March 1971. Realizing it was impossible to stop the Bengali people, the Pakistani army and political leaders like Bhutto decided to use brutal force. On the night of March 25, 1971, the military launched a crackdown on unarmed and innocent Bengali people, resulting in almost three million deaths. Bangladesh declared its independence on March 26, 1971, and victory was achieved on December 16 of the same year. It was a very tragic and bloody war during which two million women were raped. Nearly ten million people fled to neighboring India for refuge, suffering greatly from malnourishment and a lack of medical treatment. Thousands of people died in India due to these harsh conditions. Despite the immense suffering, the Bengali people were determined to finish what had started with the language movement in 1952. They sacrificed their lives but remained resolute in their quest for independence. With support from the Indian army, Bangladesh finally emerged as an independent nation.

The emergence of Bangladesh came at the cost of a lot of blood and the supreme sacrifice of millions of people. It is the duty of every citizen of the country to remember those who gave their lives and suffered for its creation, not only in 1971 but also from 1947 onwards. Because of their continuous efforts, Bangladesh became a democratic and independent country.

Character of the Holy Church in Piers Plowman

The main subject of Piers Plowman is the Holy Church and its features. In those days, the condition of the English church was deplorable. Corruption was widespread. We can see that he not only criticized the church but also wrote about how the real church should be. So, we can see the character of the Holy Church, which is the true Jesus Christ or the features of the Christian religion.

The first word in Christianity is God. God is the creator of this earth. So, we have to love God and seek his blessings. We will achieve true freedom in life only after receiving our blessings, and the church is the ideal medium.

Jesus Christ is the creator of Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of men. They believe that human beings have been saved by his arrival on earth, and he tried to save mankind all his life. All his life, he served human beings and loved them. He always tried to show them the right path. Human beings will achieve true freedom by walking on that path. The main function of the Holy Church is to save people and show them the right path.

The features of the church mentioned by Langland are not new, but the main problem is that in those days, the condition of churches in England and Europe was worse. The priests, instead of loving people, exploited them and became rich. As a result, people only suffered at the hands of the church.

In Book 1, three aspects of the Holy Church have been given importance. First, we have to believe in God and Jesus Christ. Then we will be able to reach the next stage. Those who do not believe in their hearts will not be able to prosper. So, we must have faith in God and Jesus Christ. Faith in God and Jesus Christ is the main foundation of every religion. In other religions around the world, a lot of emphasis has been placed on believing in God. In every major religious book, faith in God has been given the most importance, and then other matters have been discussed.

After faith, the next most important quality is Truth. Every day, we face lots of problems in this world, and often we have to lie. But if we keep lying and follow the wrong path, one day we will suffer. So, we should always remain truthful and honest and love truth. Those who remain honest and truthful believe in God. When we believe in God, we will be on the path of honesty because God emphasizes truth.

Loving God and Jesus Christ is an important duty. Jesus Christ loved men with all his heart. He did not even take revenge on those who killed him. He also advised others to forgive them.

The rich should show love to the poor. Those who are powerful can oppress poor people whenever they want, and it is very common. The Holy Church teaches us to show love and sympathy towards poor and weak people. We should help them. We only show kindness to someone when we love them. In the poem, the poet talks about two types of love— love towards God and love towards men.

Although William Langland was a 14th-century poet, he was a modern man in thought. He tried to show that Christianity is inherently good, but the priests ruined this religion. Hence, we all should return to the roots of Christianity and restore the original Holy Church.

The character of Volpone

Volpone is the central character of the play “Volpone.” It is hard to call him a protagonist because he lacks hero-like qualities; rather, it is better to think of him as a villain. In fact, there is no hero in the play “Volpone,” and we can consider two people as central characters: one is Volpone and the other is Mosca. It is absolutely impossible to think of these two as heroes because they have all the bad qualities in them. As for Volpone, it is very hard to find any good qualities in him. There is no doubt that he is intelligent and has a lot of wit, but he always uses his intelligence for evil purposes, and for this reason, it is reasonable for us to regard him as a villain rather than a hero. 

If we want to know the identity of Volpone, he is a noble and wealthy man with a lot of property. He used to live in Venice during the Renaissance and was undoubtedly an influential person. There is no doubt that he has more wealth than those he wishes to cheat out of their money. Moreover, he has no children, and there is much speculation about who will get his property after his death. Many people are greedy for his riches, and he always tries to amass his wealth by exploiting this greed, pretending that he will die soon. As a result, it is uncertain in whose hands his wealth will end up. So, whoever can satisfy him will be named in his will. 

Volpone is extremely greedy, and his greed knows no bounds. However, it is also true that he is not the only greedy person in this play; rather, he is trying to deceive those whose wealth he is attempting to seize. They are equally guilty of the same charge. Therefore, it is not fair to blame Volpone alone. He is greedy and a bad person, but those he is deceiving are not good people either. They are serving him with the thought that they will inherit his wealth upon his death. Thinking that he is an old man and will die after a few days, no one is giving him anything. So, although Volpone is greedy, it would be unfair for readers to blame him alone in this regard. 

One of his characteristics is that he does not trust anyone and tries to deceive everyone. Not trusting anyone may not be a bad thing, but trying to deceive everyone is definitely unfair and blameworthy. He understands who is greedy and always tries to exploit their greed. He always acts and performs extremely skillfully as an actor, so much so that others cannot catch him. Only Mosca knows his real secret. Besides Mosca, no one else knows his true story. Despite not being an actor in the play, we can easily say that in his personal life, he is much more skilled and professional than the actors in the drama. 

His real fault was that he trusted Mosca. He thought that Mosca was loyal to him, but he forgot that he was a bad guy and that Mosca was as bad as him. So, when he tried to fool everyone, Mosca also tried to cheat him, and not understanding this was his main fault, which led him into danger. He pretended that he was dead and that Mosca was the heir to his fortune. As a result, Mosca took full advantage and pretended not to recognize Volpone. Mosca showed that he had become the heir to all the wealth. This was Volpone’s only mistake: trusting Mosca. As a result, he was ruined. 

There is no doubt that Volpone is an abnormal person. He is rich and old. It is not right to expect that he will live for many more years. At this age, he might have thought about death or should have done some good deeds before dying or in his old age. However, he was greedy and abnormal, and he had no interest in doing any good deeds. He always thought more about dishonest acts and how to deceive and cheat people. 

Volpone was a cruel person and sometimes showed extreme cruelty. He tried to deprive a father of making his son the heir to his property. At the same time, he became infatuated with Celia’s beauty and tried to rape her. There is nothing worse than this because Celia was a virtuous woman, and his downfall mainly began with his failed attempt to rape her. Therefore, his cruelty ultimately brings about his danger, and this is how he is eventually destroyed. 

What we can see in Volpone’s character is that there is no good side to him. He loves beauty and goes mad upon seeing Celia’s beauty. At the same time, he has a poetic side. He sometimes recites poetry and, in this way, tries to woo Celia. However, he does not have any good qualities, and he is not interested in using his skills for good deeds. Volpone is a character with only negative traits, and throughout the play, we hardly see any good side to him. Although we can consider him a flat character, Ben Jonson was very skilled and presented this character very beautifully. So, even though there is no variation in Volpone’s character, there is no doubt that this character gives great pleasure to readers and stage audiences. 

Volpone is a morality play

Volpone is one of the finest works of Ben Jonson, and it is a comedy play. At the same time, it is a satire, and many readers consider it an example of a morality play. However, it would be inappropriate to call it a complete morality play because it does not directly address religious and economic issues. Nevertheless, the idea that bad deeds are punished and good deeds are rewarded is somewhat present towards the end of the play. 

It is more appropriate to call this play a comedy or a satire. Though it is a comedy, it is a black comedy where not only humorous elements are present but also some dark and negative aspects of society are highlighted. We can see that Volpone is a greedy man, and he tempts everyone by saying that his death is very near and that he will give everything to the person who can satisfy him. In reality, although Volpone is old, he is not ill, and there is no possibility that he will die soon. He employed his servant Mosca in this endeavor, and through Mosca, he made everyone even greedier.

Several people fall prey to his greed, and as a result, they give various things to Volpone while also considering leaving their wealth to him. However, this leads to various complications, and by the end, it becomes evident that walking down the wrong path inevitably leads to negative consequences.

This comedy or satire also contains a moral tone, where the subject of morality is concealed. Ben Jonson believed that his contemporary society had deteriorated significantly and did not prioritize human morality and values. Instead, people were moving towards paths of injustice and corruption.

In this path of injustice and corruption, the thing that worked the most was greed. They were greedy for wealth. They were also attracted to beautiful women, and in Volpone, we can see that just as Volpone desires to possess others’ gold, he similarly desires to obtain the beautiful girl Celia unjustly. Celia is married to someone else, but that does not matter to Volpone. Instead, he always used to think about how to approach this beautiful girl and ruin her. Therefore, the main theme of this play is greed, and we all know the saying that greed leads to sin, and sin leads to death.

Ben Jonson has beautifully depicted that greed brings about the destruction of people. He has shown that Volpone is very cunning, but greed leads him astray. In the same way, although Mosca is very clever and even manages to outwit Volpone, in the end, his greed is limitless, and he loses. Thus, destruction comes through greed, and nothing good happens. Besides, at the end of the play, we can see that those who are wicked characters are exposed, and everyone receives punishment.

In English society at that time, many people believed that there was no use in being good and that being good meant bringing about one’s destruction. We can see this in the play, where Celia is a virtuous woman and Bonario is a good man. However, both of them fall into danger, despite neither of them doing anything wrong. Of course, in the end, the truth is revealed, and Celia and Bonario escape from danger. Thus, Ben Jonson tries to convey that being good certainly has its value. Although good people may face some difficulties, they ultimately prevail. The main theme of the morality play is that bad people will be punished and good people will triumph.

Although this play cannot be completely classified as a morality play, we can consider that there are several elements of a morality play, and when viewed in this light, it can be said that it serves as a successful example of the genre.