t that Anna means ôeverything to him, she was his life and his derivation. He depended on her. If she were taken away, he would collapseàö (Lawrence 2004).
Women in The Rainbow are the embodiment of cohesion through spirituality. Were it not for the spirituality of women, their tenderness and kindness, it is unlikely civilization would exist among warring men. Women are the socializing force in the novel with respect to the family and community. The sensibilities of women in The Rainbow are the glue so-to-speak that binds together family and community. While Lydia might be harder to understand because she is guided by traditions of reserve, Anna is much more readable as self-aware and sensitively intelligent. Nevertheless, despite the generative power of the female in contrast to the male, both Tom and Will seem to fear this power in women as something to be overcome by male passion and strength. We see this
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