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The Prussian Officer

D. H. Lawrence · English text · 9,067 words

A young orderly serving a Prussian officer lives under a routine of physical punishment and resentment. Lawrence’s story follows the pressure within this unequal relationship toward a violent rupture.

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Background

Written during the First World War period, the story examines military hierarchy and repressed emotion. Its close attention to bodily sensation anticipates Lawrence’s interest in the conflict between instinct and social discipline.

Reading notes

  • Notice how the narrative conveys the orderly’s experience through physical detail.
  • Track the officer’s authority as both institutional and personal.
  • Consider how the story’s point of view affects the reader’s response to violence.

Version note

Prepared from the English text supplied in the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press bilingual anthology. The site owner confirmed publication permission for this source edition on 21 October 2026. Publisher and edition details remain recorded in the rights audit.