Love in D.H. Lawrence's The White Stocking

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Lust Plus Rage = Love "I love you," is used on a daily basis. Though nobody agrees what that means, all agree the feeling is powerful. In fact, nothing can control a person like love can, and worse, nobody has control over what love is going to do to them next. Love causes lust, love causes happiness, and love causes anger. In D.H. Lawrence's short story "The White Stocking" the main character Ted Whiston loves his wife Elsie. As the story progresses the reader finds out this love has psychological control over Whiston's actions. Ted battles a rage brought about by a betrayal of his love, and though he does act out in fury against the very woman he loves, love does seem – finally – to win the war going on in his spirit. Ted is deeply in love with his wife Elsie, and the reader sees this through his thoughts and actions throughout the story. Ted feels sexual lust every time his wife walks in front of him. The reader sees this at the beginning of the story: It was about seven o'clock, scarcely light in the cold bedroom. Whiston lay still and looked at his wife. She was a pretty little thing, with her fleecy, short black hair all tousled. He watched her as she dressed quickly, flicking her small, delightful limbs, throwing her clothes about her. Her slovenliness and untidiness did not trouble him. When she picked up the edge of her petticoat, ripped off a torn string of white lace, and flung it on the dressing-table, her careless abandon made his spirit glow. (238) However, Ted's early morning sexual attraction for his wife was squelched by the scheme she was playing concerning another man. Even the first time we see her in the story, she is only awake early in the morning so that she can scheme. She likes to play games with the emotions of men. Elsie is a major antagonist of the story. Love is her weapon of choice, and her husband's heart is her target. Elsie likes to see just how far she can push Ted's emotions. Elsie was awake early because it was Valentines Day, and she was anticipating a package from the Sam Adams, her knight in shining armor. Elsie opens Adam's package to find a white stocking with a bulky object weighing the stocking down.

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