Like many of D.H. Lawrence's novels, The Rainbow explores an attempt to live a fulfilled life within the strict social and economic confines of the British class system. It tells the story of three generations of the Brangwen family: Tom, Anna, and Ursula each rail against the limitations imposed on their lives, with each generation finding more freedom as industrialisation creeps across England. The character of Ursula, who is seen again in Lawrence's Women in Love, was particularly controversial. Her tumultuous love affairs, including one same sex liaison, resulted in the novel being banned upon publication. When it was made available eleven years later, it was a commercial success despite continued objections about its perceived obscenity.
