Symbolic images in Odour of Chrysanthemums

D.H. Lawrence’s used many symbolic images in “Odour of Chrysanthemums”. He incorporated these images in several clever ways and gave us insight into his beliefs and the beliefs of the characters in his story. D.H. Lawrence begins his use of symbolism almost immediately with his attempts to portray the natural world verses the mechanical world and his obvious opinions of each in the first paragraph. He describes the “clanking” and “stumbling” locomotive …showed first 75 words of 315 total…

…showed last 75 words of 315 total…full-fleshed, with fine limbs. But he was dead.” “It was finished then: it had to become hopeless between them long before he died.” “At last it was finished. They covered him with a sheet and left him lying, with his face bound.” The play on words symbolize most obviously the death of Walter but as well the new beginning that Elizabeth is at and the new way of looking at things and more importantly, life.