What What Lawrence Do?

After reading “Why the Novel Matters” I found myself smitten with D.H. Lawrence like never before. 

It seems that to Lawrence part of being a “Man Alive” is being neither overtly literal like a scientist, or not being literal enough like the philosopher.   If I understand him correctly it is important to interpret life but still have an active role in the interpretation? At any rate, I think that I am trying to say that Lawrence thinks there is a median to be found, and it can be found in the novel/novelist.  He makes it clear that to reach this state of “man alive” you must think of yourself as a whole person.  It is impossible to be completely alive when you are only utilizing or identifying with certain pieces of yourself.  If this is a correct interpretation, I’d say that it says a lot about the way we should read his novel.  Maybe it isn’t beneficial to think of the characters in pieces because it doesn’t give an accurate interpretation of who Lawrence meant for them to be. 

I found this essay to be very humorous and it made me think that I might be reading Women in Love incorrectly. I say this because I read the essay in a lighter manner than the novel, and I’m sure that if I read the novel with a more relaxed tone in mind it would read differently. 

I find myself asking the question, was D.H. Lawrence a sarcastic guy, and would he read his book aloud to me the way that I read it in my head?