nudity leads to “indecent suggestion”. Clothing runs in the same vein as clipping nails, a modern occupation with the hiding of the predatory nature of human beings. It is vitally important that one must see the killing of the grouse by the dog not as savage but as natural and indeed once the dog has killed the grouse, the boy finds himself “bathed in rich, warm sunlight”.This is a bold example of pathetic fallacy as the killing is portrayed in a natural and benign light. Essentially the dog does not kill in cold blood, nor out of savagery, but rather out of instinct and to satisfy a need to eat; this is not seen as evil or inhumane. The unnaturalness of clothes is explored in ‘Second Best’, where Lawrence shows Frances’s neurosis and natural urges as she “picks” at the buttons of her dress. Contextually, the piece is set in two locations, one rural, pastoral and remote, the other urban, modern and densely populated. With these two vastly different environments come two vastly different psychologies, namely spiritual fulfilment contrasting with an urban dystopian nightmare. The psychology of the rural is far more contented and at ease with itself; it realises that there are many things beyond our degree of control and so does not lament that loss of control. Conversely, the urban is rapid, modern and associated with an obsession to live fast and produce results. The results of these psychologies are reflected in the story through typography as well as diegesis. The more violent and sordid sections are typed in bold to make them seem more aggressive to the reader and stand out from the page of narration; they are blips within the life of this individual and the typography further highlights this.
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