The Thorn in the Flesh by D.H. Lawrence
Bachmann, a young German soldier stationed near Metz, sits distracted under the lime trees, unable to finish a postcard to his mother, gripped by dread of the coming drill on the fortifications. Marched to the earthworks by the brutal, sodden-faced Sergeant Huber, he watches comrades climb the scaling ladder before his own turn comes. Terrified of heights, he clings to the ladder as uncontrollable fear overtakes him; his water runs down his leg in shame, and he is finally hauled bodily over the edge by Huber. Humiliated, he is unable to bear the sergeant's screaming face thrust into his; when Huber lunges at him again, Bachmann instinctively strikes out, knocking him backward off the ramparts into the moat below. Bachmann flees, crossing into the town of Metz and wandering through the public gardens in a strange, liberated calm before the shame beneath his relief reasserts itself. Afraid to give himself up to authority again, he makes his way instead to the house of the Baron, where his sweetheart Emilie works as maidservant, hoping to make her responsible for him. He confesses what happened to Emilie and the nursery governess, Fräulein Ida Hesse, who question him and decide he must hide. At Ida's suggestion, Emilie reluctantly lets him hide in her own small, austere bedroom, with its crucifix and holy-water dish, while she moves in with Ida. The narrative turns to Emilie's background: a foundling of unknown, possibly gipsy origin raised in a Roman Catholic Rescue Home, devoted in service to the Baroness, fiercely virginal and contemptuous of common soldiers, though drawn to Bachmann as a cut above the rest for his good breeding and prosperous farming family. That evening, when the barracks send inquiries about the missing Bachmann, Emilie and Ida lie on his behalf. Overwhelmed by anxiety and her disrupted sense of order, Emilie brings Bachmann food; overtaken by mutual desire, they come together for the first time, and she gives herself to him, feeling transfigured and complete. A plan is made with Ida's lover, Franz Brand, to supply a bicycle so Bachmann can flee to France and eventually America, with Emilie to follow, but the bicycle turns out to be broken, forcing him to stay another night. He accepts his fear of heights as simply part of himself, and he and Emilie come together again, sleeping in peace. The next morning the lovers wake tranquil and joined in feeling, and Emilie returns to her duties transformed by inward happiness. Bachmann plans his escape to Paris and America, exhilarated by anticipated freedom—until he hears tramping feet: the Baron, agitated and accompanied by a stiff young Ober-leutnant and two soldiers, has learned from the posted card that Emilie mailed for Bachmann that he was on the premises. Confronted, Emilie answers honestly. The Baron and officer go up to Emilie's room and find Bachmann, who dresses and submits without resistance, his inner self withdrawn into stillness. He is marched away between the soldiers. The Baron returns to the kitchen, questions Emilie about Bachmann's plan to reach America, tells her Bachmann is "done for now," and departs, unsettled by the unclouded, naked suffering in her eyes, muttering that the young man was "nothing but a fool."
By D.H. Lawrence · First published 1926 · Genre: Literature & Fiction, Religious & Inspirational, Romance · 8,711 words
First lines
I
A wind was running, so that occasionally the poplars whitened as if a flame flew up them. The sky was broken and blue among moving clouds. Patches of sunshine lay on the level fields, and shadows on the rye and the vineyards. In the distance, very blue, the cathedral bristled against the sky, and the houses of the city of Metz clustered vaguely below, like a hill.
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The Thorn in the Flesh is listed on Textopian as a short story by D.H. Lawrence, dated 1926 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: 1926 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literature & Fiction, Religious & Inspirational, Romance, Psychological, Historical
- Length: 8,711 words
- Structure: 1 section, 175 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Thorn in the Flesh by D.H. Lawrence
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Literature & Fiction — D.H. Lawrence's work is regarded as literature due to its exploration of complex human emotions, perspectives and societal issues.
- Religious & Inspirational — The title, 'The Thorn in the Flesh', is a biblical reference, suggesting that the work may have underlying religious themes or inspirations.
- Romance — Many of D.H. Lawrence's works include romantic relationships or themes, and this may be a key component of this particular book.
- Psychological — Lawrence often delves into the psychological aspects of his character, examining their motivations, fears, and desires.
Tags
psychological · conflict · desire · identity · relationships · human nature · introspection · alienation · society · sexuality · emotional turmoil · existentialism