St Mawr by D.H. Lawrence [PDF]

Information: St Mawr

• Author: D.H. Lawrence
• Publication Date: 1925
• Main Characters:
  • Lou Witt: A young American woman married to an English baronet who becomes disillusioned with civilized society after encountering the stallion St Mawr.
  • Mrs. Witt: Lou's sharp-tongued, domineering American mother who shares her daughter's contempt for English social life.
  • Rico (Sir Henry Carrington): Lou's husband, an Australian-born English baronet and painter who embodies the superficiality and weakness Lou grows to despise.
  • Lewis: The Welsh groom who cares for St Mawr and represents a quiet, instinctual connection to the natural world.
  • Phoenix: A half-Mexican, half-Native American servant who accompanies Lou and her mother to New Mexico.
• Brief Summary: "St Mawr" follows Lou Witt, a young American woman living in England, who becomes captivated by a powerful, half-wild stallion named St Mawr. Through the horse, Lou recognizes the lifelessness of her husband Rico and their social circle. After a riding accident reveals Rico's cowardice, Lou decides to leave England with the horse. She eventually settles on a remote ranch in New Mexico, seeking a life closer to the natural world and further from the hollow rituals of society.
• Thematic Analysis: The central themes of "St Mawr" revolve around the conflict between instinct and civilization, the critique of modern masculinity, and the search for authentic existence. Lawrence uses the stallion as a symbol of untamed vitality, contrasting it with the emasculated and superficial world of the English upper class. The novella also explores the relationship between landscape and spiritual renewal, particularly in its depiction of the American Southwest.
• Historical Context: Lawrence wrote "St Mawr" in 1924 while living in Taos, New Mexico, and it was published in 1925. The story reflects his own disillusionment with post-World War I European society and his fascination with the American landscape as a source of spiritual regeneration. It also mirrors his ongoing personal tensions with English culture, which he had largely abandoned by this period of his life.