Women in Love

'She is both,' said Gerald. 'She is a social being, as far as society

is concerned. But for her own private self, she is a free agent, it is

her own affair, what she does.' 'But won't it be rather difficult to arrange the two halves?' asked

Ursula.

'Oh no,' replied Gerald. 'They arrange themselves naturally--we see it

now, everywhere.' 'Don't you laugh so pleasantly till you're out of the wood,' said

Birkin.

Gerald knitted his brows in momentary irritation.

'Was I laughing?' he said.

'IF,' said Hermione at last, 'we could only realise, that in the SPIRIT

we are all one, all equal in the spirit, all brothers there--the rest

wouldn't matter, there would be no more of this carping and envy and

this struggle for power, which destroys, only destroys.' This speech was received in silence, and almost immediately the party

rose from the table. But when the others had gone, Birkin turned round

in bitter declamation, saying: 'It is just the opposite, just the contrary, Hermione. We are all

different and unequal in spirit--it is only the SOCIAL differences that

are based on accidental material conditions. We are all abstractly or

mathematically equal, if you like. Every man has hunger and thirst, two

eyes, one nose and two legs. We're all the same in point of number. But

spiritually, there is pure difference and neither equality nor

inequality counts. It is upon these two bits of knowledge that you must

found a state. Your democracy is an absolute lie--your brotherhood of

man is a pure falsity, if you apply it further than the mathematical

abstraction. We all drank milk first, we all eat bread and meat, we all

want to ride in motor-cars--therein lies the beginning and the end of

the brotherhood of man. But no equality.

'But I, myself, who am myself, what have I to do with equality with any

other man or woman? In the spirit, I am as separate as one star is from

another, as different in quality and quantity. Establish a state on

THAT. One man isn't any better than another, not because they are

equal, but because they are intrinsically OTHER, that there is no term

of comparison. The minute you begin to compare, one man is seen to be

far better than another, all the inequality you can imagine is there by

nature. I want every man to have his share in the world's goods, so

that I am rid of his importunity, so that I can tell him: "Now you've

got what you want--you've got your fair share of the world's gear. Now,

you one-mouthed fool, mind yourself and don't obstruct me."' Hermione was looking at him with leering eyes, along her cheeks. He

could feel violent waves of hatred and loathing of all he said, coming

out of her. It was dynamic hatred and loathing, coming strong and black

out of the unconsciousness. She heard his words in her unconscious

self, CONSCIOUSLY she was as if deafened, she paid no heed to them.