Virginity in D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy :: Virgin and the Gipsy Essays

Virginity in D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy In D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy, the character of the gipsy is much easier to define than that of the virgin. Virginity, in this novella, is something very different, and much more comprehensive, than simply lack of sexual experience. We usually associate virginity with purity, but Lawrence associates it much more closely with innocence—innocence and purity being mutually exclusive. Virginity is a state of primary selfishness and absence of control over one’s will. Losing one’s virginity is a process that must be gone through that does not involve an actual sex act, but sexual feeling can empower the will. The common ideas of feminine virginity revolve around a personality that is generally guileless, unmanipulative (at least consciously so), and honest. There is an absence of knowledge and wisdom. Yet, Yvette does seem to be dishonest, manipulative, to have some kind of worldly knowledge, and even is described as â€Å"always wayward, always perverse.† It goes against common reason to think of a virgin as perverse because perversion involves consciousness of normalcy and a decision to act abnormally. To make this distinction and decision involves knowledge. Sexually speaking, a virgin cannot be perverted not only because of lack of opportunity to commit a perverted act, but also because of lack of experience and understanding of a normal sexual encounter. One cannot pervert what is not known. During her first visit to the gipsies (24-29), Yvette comes to understand that she has something in her that the gipsy woman responds to. She knows she is different from the other young people and senses that her difference is powerful. When she perceives the mental penetration of the gipsy woman, she is scared and initially backs away from exposing this difference to those around her and to herself. Yet, her curiosity is piqued and she agrees to hear her fortune in private. This decision seems quite unvirginal because it involves a knowledge of normalcy and difference and a decision to act upon difference. It is â€Å"wayward, perverse† (27). Not only does she seek wisdom, but she makes a decision to hide this wisdom from those around her. This is not innocence or honesty. When Yvette emerges from the caravan she is twice referred to as â€Å"witch-like.† A witch has supernatural and evil powers that she uses to manipulate people. Virginity in D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy :: Virgin and the Gipsy Essays Virginity in D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy In D. H. Lawrence’s The Virgin and the Gipsy, the character of the gipsy is much easier to define than that of the virgin. Virginity, in this novella, is something very different, and much more comprehensive, than simply lack of sexual experience. We usually associate virginity with purity, but Lawrence associates it much more closely with innocence—innocence and purity being mutually exclusive. Virginity is a state of primary selfishness and absence of control over one’s will. Losing one’s virginity is a process that must be gone through that does not involve an actual sex act, but sexual feeling can empower the will. The common ideas of feminine virginity revolve around a personality that is generally guileless, unmanipulative (at least consciously so), and honest. There is an absence of knowledge and wisdom. Yet, Yvette does seem to be dishonest, manipulative, to have some kind of worldly knowledge, and even is described as â€Å"always wayward, always perverse.† It goes against common reason to think of a virgin as perverse because perversion involves consciousness of normalcy and a decision to act abnormally. To make this distinction and decision involves knowledge. Sexually speaking, a virgin cannot be perverted not only because of lack of opportunity to commit a perverted act, but also because of lack of experience and understanding of a normal sexual encounter. One cannot pervert what is not known. During her first visit to the gipsies (24-29), Yvette comes to understand that she has something in her that the gipsy woman responds to. She knows she is different from the other young people and senses that her difference is powerful. When she perceives the mental penetration of the gipsy woman, she is scared and initially backs away from exposing this difference to those around her and to herself. Yet, her curiosity is piqued and she agrees to hear her fortune in private. This decision seems quite unvirginal because it involves a knowledge of normalcy and difference and a decision to act upon difference. It is â€Å"wayward, perverse† (27). Not only does she seek wisdom, but she makes a decision to hide this wisdom from those around her. This is not innocence or honesty. When Yvette emerges from the caravan she is twice referred to as â€Å"witch-like.† A witch has supernatural and evil powers that she uses to manipulate people.