The Shadow in the Rose Garden
The Shadow in the Rose Garden is a novella by D.H. Lawrence, published in 1920. The story follows a young woman named Laura, who moves to a small town in England with her husband and becomes obsessed with a mysterious figure known as "the shadow" that she believes is haunting her. As the story progresses, Laura's obsession with the shadow grows, leading her to question her own sanity and the nature of reality. The novella explores themes of mental illness, isolation, and the search for meaning in a seemingly empty world.
By D.H. Lawrence · First published 1920 · Genre: Short story, Romance, Drama · 6,009 words
First lines
A rather small young man sat by the window of a pretty seaside cottage trying to persuade himself that he was reading the newspaper. It was about half-past eight in the morning. Outside, the glory roses hung in the morning sunshine like little bowls of fire tipped up. The young man looked at the table, then at the clock, then at his own big silver watch. An expression of stiff endurance came on to his face. Then he rose and reflected on the oil-paintings that hung on the walls of the room, giving careful but hostile attention to "The Stag at Bay". He tried the lid of the piano, and found it locked. He caught sight of his own face in a little mirror, pulled his brown moustache, and an alert interest sprang into his eyes. He was not ill-favoured. He twisted his moustache. His figure was rather small, but alert and vigorous. As he turned from the mirror a look of self-commiseration mingled with his appreciation of his own physiognomy.
What this Textopian page supports
The Shadow in the Rose Garden is listed on Textopian as a short story by D.H. Lawrence, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: D.H. Lawrence
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Short story, Romance, Drama, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 6,009 words
- Structure: 1 section, 176 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Shadow in the Rose Garden by D.H. Lawrence
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Short story — The Shadow in the Rose Garden is a short story and is generally classified under this genre due to its limited number of characters and focused narration.
- Romance — The plot revolves around a woman's unrequited love for a man and her unresolved feelings, fitting with themes of the romance genre.
- Drama — The story features intense emotional interactions and conflicts typical of the drama genre.
- Psychological Fiction — The story explores the psychology of its characters, namely the woman's inner struggle with her feelings of love.
Tags
love · betrayal · nature · identity · desire · conflict · self-discovery · relationships · society · feminism · art · beauty