D.H. Lawrence's conception of the unconscious

Abstract

This essay examines Lawrence’s two treatises on the human unconscious- Psychoanalysis and the Unconscious and Fantasia of the Unconscious - in which the writer states that he was engaged in a psychoanalytic quest aimed at revealing information that was new in the field. Since this claim has earned Lawrence a barrage of criticisms from psychoanalists, this work compares his work with that of Freud, as cited, utilised and criticised by Lawrence. Similarities are established in their basic delimitations of the unconscious while differences in their approaches are identified as the main source of their distinctive perspectives. The conclusion reached is that Lawrence’s treatment of the subject cannot be termed psychoanalytical; rather, it is in the tradition of that kind of mysticism or imaginative transport that is valuable in artistic creativity.