PODCAST

URBAN: Good morning everyone, I’m Carlotta and this is “Radio SCH”. You’re now listening to the first chapter of our section “War and Literature”.
Today’s discussion will be about DH Lowrence's novella “The fox”. 
Five special guests have joined me in the studio in order to present their opinions: Good morning Miss Ballarin, Miss Grando, Miss Pecorella, Miss Sicco and Mr De Santis. It’s a pleasure to have you here.

URBAN: As I was saying, we will discuss DH Lawrence’s novella. But before going in depth and starting analysing the main themes of the novel, Mrs Pecorella, will you please introduce “the Fox” to our interlocutors?
 
PECORELLA: All right. Well, Without any doubts the fox is an engaging novel that provides the readers with strong images of two women’s life during WWI, March’s and Bandford’s,. Their life is a rural one: they manage a farm in the English district of Berkshire in order to survive. But suddenly, a man, the soldier Henry, supplants in their daily life and upsets their previous order. Sure enough, it is a novel of love and hatred, attraction and repulsion, stability and precariousness, which will end in a dramatic way.

URBAN: Thank you, Miss Pecorella. Now we’re ready to start our discussion.
Well, I think that one of the most relevant themes developed in the novel is the theme of War and how it is drawn by the narrator, isn’t it? 
As readers, how do you perceive the war? And, in your opinion, how DH Lawrence manages to bring to light the theme in the narration?    

DE SANTIS: You may notice that the setting of the story is not well defined: even if the reader knows that the story is set in England he doesn’t know precisely where. Also, the period is not defined: the reader doesn’t know exactly when the story takes place. Using this strategy the novelist manages to universalize people’s conditions during the post-war period: Lawrence’s contemporary readers could identify themselves with the characters of the novel.  

BALLARIN: You’re right! Indeed readers can trace out the negative aspects of war in the novel. Misery seems to be reflected in Bandford and March’s rural activities, especially in rearing. Indeed, as you can see from the beginning of the novel, the omnIIscient narrator asserts: “ War condition [..] were very unfavourable to poultry-keeping. Food was scarce and bad.” Such statement makes you immediately think about the difficulties of living during the post-war period.

PECORELLA: In addition the reader can also find out that the war influences daily life, considering Henry’s behaviour. As Henry used to kill enemies during the war, now he spends his days going hunting.  

SICCO: Indeed Henry actually doesn’t contribute to the farm management. On the other side, March and Banford play an active role. While men used to fight in the war, women had to work in order to support themselves. All in all, it occurs a kind of emancipation of women since they gain responsibilities they have never had before. 

URBAN: Miss Sicco has just introduced the second point of our discussion: the role of women during the war. Indeed two of the three main characters (Banford and March) are women. And so, it goes without saying, DH Lawrence focuses his attention also on the role women played in the society.

GRANDO: Of course! In Lawrence’s novella the two female characters seem to be very determined. Just consider their intention to manage a farm together even without a male support! As a matter of fact, the narrator asserts “They had taken the farm together, intending to work it all by themselves” right in the first lines of the novel. In addition, interesting to notice is also Banford’s statement: “We consider ourselves quite efficient”, that unveils her awareness of being independent.

BALLARIN: I agree with you, but I think it is also important to say that Bandford and March’s living conditions are hard since they are unable to manage the farming and rearing activities properly. It follows that, even if they are independent from the juridical point of view, their independence seems to not lead them to good results. Therefore, their living condition seems to suggest to the reader their need of somebody who can help and raise them from such terrible condition. 

DE SANTIS: Don’t forget that they have also to face another economical problem: the reader must consider that the two women have not enough money to start the business. Indeed, at the beginning of the novel, the narrator says “Banford's father [..] gave his daughter the start”. They have an amount of capital that enables them to survive in spite of their difficulties in the management of the farm. As a consequence, their independence is not given by their actual self-sufficiency.

SICCO: You should also consider that when Henry arrives at the farm, he immediately underlines the need of a male presence there. Indeed he says: 'There wants a man about the place'. Beyond putting Banford and March’s efficacy into question, Henry’s arrival will also undermine the relationship between the two women. 

URBAN: Miss Sicco has perfectly underlined how Henry seems to be the disturbing element in Banford and March’s existences. Therefore the analysis of the different relationships before and after Henry’s arrival, is necessary in order to fully understand DH Lawrence’s novella. I think that the starting point of our analysis should be the relationship between Banford and March. 

PECORELLA: Well, talking about Banford and March’s relationship, I must underline a relevant point: their bond is not balanced; indeed Banford perceives March quite as a male figure, because of her behaviour. The narrator himself asserts “She would be the man about the place”. It follows that Banford feels satisfied, both on the physical level and on the sentimental one. On the other hand, March looks for a male figure in her life, intimately nourishing the desire of a sexual gratification. 

URBAN: As we have said, the relationship between Banford and March changes when Henry arrives at the farm. Henry and March seem to get every day closer to each other, and at the same time, he slowly seems to distance himself from Banford. 
As it regards the relationship between March and Henry, I confess that I’m very interested in knowing your hypothesis about the birth of their relationship and how it develops in the novel.

BALLARIN:  Well, as regards Henry’s figure in the novel, I think that Henry gets closer to March because he is actually attracted by the farm life. In other words, he looks at the farm as a place where he will enjoy some economic benefits and also as a place of stability that will prevent him from the atrocity and horrors of the war. Indeed, Henry may perceive the farm as a peaceful place where he can take the control over the rural activities and over the two ladies too. So, the farm becomes the perfect place where he can be the commander and not the soldier. This can be justified by the moment when the narrator reports the birth of the idea of marrying March in Henry’s mind: “he thought to himself it would be a good thing to have this place for his own. And then the thought entered him shrewdly: Why not marry March?”

SICCO: I think that it is more than that. In my opinion, Henry wants to possess March as the predator does with its prey. Henry is attracted by the possibility of winning and reaching his goal. However he is not only a reflective strategist, he is above all a human being. And in DH Lawrence’s opinion, human beings are driven by instincts. Therefore the contradiction between his thoughts and his actions is perfectly understandable.  

DE SANTIS: Also March is driven by instincts and needs: as she needs a male figure in her life, she finds a kind of satisfaction in the fox, as the reader can see from the use of the subject pronoun “he” in order to refer to the fox. 
PECORELLA: You’re right Mr De Santis, but I think it is also relevant to highlight the internal struggle March has to face. Indeed, even if she’s attracted by the potential male figure identified with the fox, at the same time she’s afraid of it. Just consider March’s first dream about the fox: Freud states that in dreams, the presence of wild beasts unveils the dreamer’s fear of passionate impulses. 
DE SANTIS: But don’t forget that the aidentification of the fox as a man evolves at Henry’s arrival: now March aidentifies Henry as the fox in order to distance herself from him and also protect Banford and herself. Her behaviour towards Henry changes only when he kills the fox. As a conseeequence the aidentification ends. Now March is finally free to get closer to him and rediscover her feminine side. Did you notice that the night before Henry’s departure, March was wearing a dress?
GRANDO: Yes, but things seem to change with Henry’s departure: in March’s letter addressed to Henry, she seems to have changed idea about her future with him, certainly because she has been influenced by the relationship with Banford. As Miss Pecorella has previously underlined, on one hand March represents a “male support” to Banford, but on the other hand she represents a female one to Henry. All in all, although it isn’t clear what kind of love is the one between the two female characters, their relationship seems to be stronger than the one between her and Henry.   

URBAN: We have also to remember that the relationship Henry-March is strictly connected to the relationship between Henry and Banford. Indeed, even if the novelist doesn’t seem to give too much attention to this last one, it will turn out to be crucial..

GRANDO: At Henry’s arrival, March seems to be more scared than Banford since she takes her gun in order to protect Banford and herself. On the contrary Banford offers Henry a meal and a place where to sleep for the night. In particular she seems to see the soldier as if he were her brother, indeed she says to him: “It's like having my own brother here for a few days”.

URBAN: But, do the relationships between the characters evolve in the plot? 

GRANDO: Of course they do! Day after day the relationships seem to overturn. Indeed, while March get closer to Henry, Banford starts to see him as a dangerous element who will upset her relationship with March. Therefore, she becomes more and more possessive towards her friend. Such attitude is translated by the narrator into Banford’s many appearances during March and Henry’s interactions.
BALLARIN: It goes without saying, that Henry realizes Banford has a remarkable influence on March’s decisions. Therefore after his marriage proposal, his hate towards Banford grows deeper and deeper. Indeed, from Henry’s point of view Banford is an obstacle between his relationship with March since she is the only reason of March’s prudence. It follows that, as a capable hunter, he excogitates a plan to remove Banford from March’s life and finally possess her.

URBAN: So the discussion has come to an end. I just want to thank all my guests for their incredible speeches and say goodbye with one of the most powerful passage of the novel: “In his heart he had decided her death. A terrible still force seemed in him, and a power that was just his. If he turned even a hair's breadth in the wrong direction, he would lose the power.”