Lawrence was the first of the angry men who came to dominate English letters after WWII, only Lawrence was ahead of them by nearly fifty years. It is instructive if not enlightening to read Lawrence here in "The Plumed Serpent" and elsewhere, for example in "Kangaroo," on the subject of the 'masses,' the people, and on democracy. Lawrence who was of working class stock created a reactionary persona who saw himself as an artistic aristocrat who looked down on nearly everyone. The opening scene at the bull ring is a masterpiece of writing. In it, Lawrence weaves his Irish heroine's visceral reaction to the cruelty of bull fighting into her observations of the Mexican people. Her conclusion, and I think Lawrence's, was that the bull's deserve our sympathy, while the people can rot. He was a great hater of the masses, as expressed in "Kangaroo," his survey of the new emerging democracy down under. He was, as he said, afraid of the ant hill, the grinding down of human life to the multitude and its needs. In so many ways he was prophetic, anticipating many of the arguments and observations of the Frankfurt School members, such as Adorno, who came to America and were appalled. This is a great novel in the sense that it fully expresses Lawrence's view of the world. It displays his uniquely expressive prose and contains brilliantly observed details of the Mexican landscape.
A Mythical Creation Submitted on: 2006-09-06
Myths may not have any credibility or even feasibility, but the truth is that every new one accrues its followers. "Do it ... And then you will know," from Cipriano's argument with Kate, could be seen as an attempt to convince the reader as well that myths are real and normal people believe in them, even the myth of Quetzalcoatl. This long-ago Aztec religion, revived for modern Mexico, ends up a contagious energy force that hits the country at the perfect time, spreading quickly and eroding the traditional Catholic foothold.
Lawrence has gone to great lengths to make the details of Ramon's religion convincing and thorough. The creative language of Ramon's speeches and hymns comes across as realistic, and alluring enough to draw its early followers from the community. Ramon feels that his country is dead, or dying, and that it needs a religion that will bring rebirth or revival to his people. Ramon's wavering respect for the Catholic Church combines with his desire for a "living" Mexico and leads him to bring back Quetzalcoatl, an ancient Aztec god. His religion gains quick favor with the people because of its contiguity with the fundamentals of Catholicism. Ramon tells the people that God has called Jesus and the Virgin Mary back to heaven and has told Quetzalcoatl, his new identity, to restore peace to the Mexican people. His use of religious terms (the Cross, Paradise, Morning Star, Saviour, Will of God, etc.) helps verify his claim and earn him a place in the societal construct. This Biblical language referencing the resurrection of Christ, "... when I am new man? I will roll away the stone," accomplishes the same effect as the Catholic terminology. This use of Biblical language culminates in Kate's response to Ramon's question "It is good, isn't it, Mistress?" with her answer "It is very good," which uses the language of the Genesis Creation story.
It is difficult to tell if Lawrence is using this novel as a praise or reprimanding of new myths. One can sense a satirical undercurrent of regret that humankind is so often ready to embrace new ideas like Ramon's. It is doubtful that Lawrence is speaking only about the country of Mexico. This uncertainty surfaces most often through the character of Kate as she wrestles with her English heritage and curiosity of Mexican culture. She wavers between giving herself over completely to Ramon's religion, and when she does finally give in, Lawrence leaves the reader with the feeling that she's made the wrong choice.
Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
Mindless Narration ... Submitted on: 2006-07-30
One of the most boring books you'd ever read. The language is as rich as it'll ever get, but it used to narrte the muse of someone tethering on the verge of insanity. I've battled through 150 odd pages of the book and can't understand the premise. The ruthless (upto 5 times on every page) use of the word "naked" & "ruddy" gets irritating. I fail to understand as to why would the author think that people from Mexico are evil and are pulling the earth beings down. A dark & useless book. Stay away!!!
Dismal Submitted on: 2005-04-07
I didn't make it very far through this one - cynical in its tone and rather ignorant in it's portrayal of the characters in Mexico. If you want to learn about latin american consciousness or life, pick up a book by a respected latin author, not this joker. I found it disturbing, but not because of some profound events in the storyline, but rather because of the mental condition of the author, whom I found rather perverse.
Read Sons and Lovers instead Submitted on: 2004-12-20
At times lyrically intoxicating, yet mostly just a flawed, rambling novel that gets painfully tedious towards the end, this is definitely one book by Lawrence that you can safely skip. It unfortunately isn't just bad writing - it's also a poor reflection of Mexican society. It makes you wonder how much time Lawrence actually spent in Mexico before he wrote the book. His depiction is stereotypical throughout, and often borders on racism. He seems to have skimmed the surface of Mexican culture, but he hasn't gone much deeper than that.
That Angry Man
A Mythical Creation
Mindless Narration ...
Read Sons and Lovers instead