The Rainbow Summary

The Rainbow is a novel written by D. H. Lawrence between 1913 and 1915 in England and was published in 1915. It belongs to the Modernist literary period and is set in rural England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The story follows multiple generations of the Brangwen family, with a focus on Ursula Brangwen’s journey toward independence. The novel reaches its climax when Ursula rejects Anton Skrebensky’s marriage proposal and briefly believes she might be pregnant. Although she considers accepting Anton’s offer, she ultimately chooses to live her life on her own terms. She later discovers she is not pregnant. The novel is told from a third-person omniscient point of view.

Structure and Scope

The novel is divided into three broad parts, each focusing on a different generation of the Brangwen family:

1. Tom Brangwen and Lydia Lensky – the founding marriage of the narrative.
2. Anna Brangwen (Lydia’s daughter) and Will Brangwen (Tom’s nephew) – the next generation’s struggles with passion, conflict, and domesticity.
3. Ursula Brangwen (daughter of Anna and Will) – the emerging modern woman who grapples with love, work, education, and independence in the early twentieth century.

Through these generations, Lawrence traces not only family dynamics but also the wider social transitions of England: the decline of rural traditions, the impact of industrialization, and the quest for new forms of identity and fulfillment.

Summary

The story begins in such a way that The Brangwen family has lived on Marsh Farm in Derbyshire for many years. In the year 1840, the land around them begins to change as a coal mine is built, and more people move into the area. This is part of the growing industrialization of the country. Tom Brangwen is the son of Alfred Brangwen and Mrs. Brangwen. His mother wants him to be ready for the modern world, so she sends him to school. However, Tom does not enjoy school. He realizes that he would rather work on the family farm than continue his education.

When he grows older, Tom returns home and takes charge of the farm. During this time, both his father and mother pass away. This leaves Tom alone with his sister, Effie. He feels sad about losing his parents and struggles to find a wife. As a result, he starts drinking a lot. His heavy drinking leads to frequent arguments with Effie. Eventually, Effie becomes tired of the situation. She decides to marry a man and move away, leaving Tom by himself on the farm.

One day, while walking through town, Tom meets a woman named Lydia Lensky and her young daughter, Anna. Lydia is from Poland and became a widow after her husband, Paul, passed away. Tom and Lydia grow close and eventually get married.

Even though Tom loves Lydia, he sometimes feels that she is a stranger to him because of her past and her foreign background. The beginning of their marriage is difficult, as they struggle to understand each other. During this time, Lydia remains distant and mysterious to Tom, but he forms a strong bond with Anna. The two spend a lot of time together, and Anna enjoys going with Tom on his trips to town. She finds his company comforting.

After some time, Lydia gives birth to another child, a son named Tom Brangwen Jr.

When Anna is still a teenager, she meets Will Brangwen, who is the son of Tom’s brother, Alfred Brangwen Jr. Will has traveled more and received a better education than Anna, who has spent most of her life on Marsh Farm. At first, Anna feels both intimidated and fascinated by Will. Over time, she grows to love him.

Their courtship is filled with passion, and before long, they decide to get married. At first, Tom is unsure about their decision. He worries that they are too young and that Will does not have a stable job. However, in the end, he allows them to follow their hearts.

On the day of the wedding, Tom experiences a deep wave of emotion as he walks Anna down the aisle. Later, he helps Anna and Will settle into their new home, offering his support as they start their life together.

Anna and Will have a wonderful honeymoon, spending every moment together and enjoying each other’s company. However, once the honeymoon is over, their marriage begins to face difficulties.

Will struggles with the idea of sharing Anna’s attention with others, wanting her all to himself. On the other hand, Anna finds Will too controlling and overwhelming. They also argue about religion. Will is deeply devoted to his faith and finds great meaning in biblical stories, but Anna does not feel the same way. She sees church and the Bible as dull and unsatisfying, which frustrates Will.

Despite these struggles, their relationship improves after Anna gives birth to their first child, Ursula. When Will sees Anna as a mother, he feels at peace. The presence of their child brings a new sense of balance to their lives, and they are finally able to find harmony in their marriage.

As time goes on, the world around the Brangwen family continues to change and modernize. Some members of the family, like Tom Brangwen Jr., embrace these changes. Tom Jr. goes to college in London to study engineering, though he often returns home to visit the farm. Others, however, prefer to live as their ancestors did. Fred, the second son of Tom and Lydia, belongs to this group. While Tom Jr. is away at college, Fred remains on the farm, taking care of the land.

One night, when Ursula is still a little girl, a powerful storm sweeps across the land surrounding Marsh Farm. That evening, Tom Sr. is in town, drinking at a bar. As he makes his way home, he gets caught in the storm. The raging water overcomes him, and he drowns.

The next morning, his family discovers his body floating near their home. His death is a great loss, especially for Lydia. To cope with her grief, she finds comfort in sharing stories about her past with Ursula.

As the years pass, Ursula grows older, attends school, and begins to develop her own independent way of thinking. She starts to question the world around her and becomes curious about life beyond Marsh Farm.

As a young woman, Ursula meets Anton Skrebensky, the son of a wealthy family friend who has traveled widely. Ursula quickly falls in love with him, and they spend a lot of time together. Anton opens her mind to the world beyond her home, which excites and fascinates her.

However, before their relationship can deepen, Anton is sent to South Africa to fight in the Second Boer War. While he is away, Ursula finds herself thinking about him less and less. Over time, her feelings fade, and she eventually realizes that she no longer loves him.

By this time, Ursula is close to finishing school. As she grows into adulthood, she begins to explore new ideas and experiences. During this period, she has a brief romantic relationship with her teacher, Miss Winifred Inger.

Like Anton before her, Winifred encourages Ursula to think beyond the beliefs and traditions she was raised with. She introduces Ursula to new ways of seeing the world, which Ursula finds exciting and liberating.

Although Ursula knows that she and Winifred can never have a lasting relationship, she still wants to keep her in her life. Wanting to ensure Winifred’s happiness, Ursula introduces her to Tom Brangwen Jr. Before long, Tom and Winifred fall in love and eventually get married.

Because of her friendship with Winifred, Ursula feels inspired to become a teacher. She wants to move to London to teach, but Will does not allow her to leave home. Instead, she gets a job as a teacher at a local school. However, the job is much harder than she expected. The students often misbehave, and they do not respect her as much as they respect the male teachers. The principal, Mr. Harby, tells her to punish the children physically, but Ursula does not want to do that. After some time, she does use physical punishment sometimes, but it makes her feel very uncomfortable. While working at the school, Ursula meets another teacher named Maggie Schofield. Maggie is interested in politics and encourages Ursula to take part in the suffragette movement.

After teaching for several years, Ursula decides that she wants to go to college in London. While there, she becomes even more involved in politics and gets to experience life in a big, modern city. During her time in London, she also meets Anton again. They fall back into a passionate romance and spend a lot of time traveling together. However, when Anton asks Ursula to marry him, she turns him down. She is unsure about what she truly wants in life and does not want a man to control her future. Anton is deeply hurt by her rejection, and before long, he runs off and marries someone else.

After Anton leaves, Ursula starts to wonder if she made the right decision. For a short time, she thinks she might be pregnant with his child. Feeling uncertain and vulnerable, she writes to Anton, saying she will marry him after all, not knowing that he has already married someone else. But right after sending the letter, Ursula realizes that she does not truly want to marry him. She decides that she is better off on her own, even if she is going to have a child. By the time Anton replies with a telegram saying he is already married, Ursula has found out that she is not pregnant. After reading his message, she steps outside and sees a rainbow stretching across the sky. The sight fills her with a renewed sense of hope and purpose.

Themes

1. Generational Conflict and Continuity
   The novel traces three generations of Brangwens, showing both continuity (love, marriage, passion) and change (shifting roles, new aspirations). Each generation reflects different stages in the evolution of English society—from agrarian life to modern industrial life.
2. Marriage and Sexuality
   Lawrence explores marriage as a site of passion, struggle, and spiritual growth. Sexuality is portrayed not just as physical but as a profound, sometimes destructive force that shapes human relationships.
3. Women’s Independence
   Ursula represents the “new woman” of the early twentieth century. Unlike Anna or Lydia, who defined themselves largely through marriage, Ursula seeks education, career, and self-realization.
4. Industrialization and Modernity
   The novel contrasts rural traditions with the encroachment of industrial society. The Brangwens’ farm represents continuity with the earth, while Ursula’s struggles reflect the alienation of modern life.
5. Spiritual Quest
   Beyond material or sexual fulfillment, Lawrence emphasizes the need for spiritual wholeness. The rainbow at the end symbolizes hope for a future where human beings live in harmony with themselves and each other.

Style and Symbolism

Lawrence’s style in The Rainbow is lyrical, symbolic, and deeply psychological. He often describes emotions in elemental terms—fire, water, earth, air. Relationships are depicted with an intensity that borders on the mystical. The rainbow is the novel’s central symbol, representing promise and renewal. Other recurring images include the earth (fertility, tradition), the church (spirituality), and the storm (conflict and transformation).

The Rainbow is a powerful exploration of human relationships across three generations. Beginning with Tom and Lydia’s elemental marriage, moving through Anna and Will’s battle of wills, and culminating in Ursula’s quest for independence, the novel captures the shifting landscape of English society from rural tradition to modern industrialism. More than just a family saga, it is a meditation on sexuality, spirituality, and the search for meaning in a changing world. The novel ends not with resolution but with a vision of hope, symbolized by the rainbow—a sign of new beginnings and the possibility of harmony.