Incomplete and Troubled Clara cannot give herself fully to Paul She still has feelings for her husband Baxter Dawes Paul too cannot give his whole heart His mother holds his soul So their passion is only half The narrator says He could not be free to go forward with his own life really love another woman This shows the failure of the bond Their love is strong in body but weak in spirit Symbol of Paul s Struggle The Paul Clara tie shows the larger theme of the novel Paul cannot escape his mother s chain Even in Clara s arms he feels pulled back to Gertrude Finally Clara returns to Baxter Paul remains alone It proves love without freedom balance and soul cannot last The Paul Clara relationship is significant because it shows passion without fulfilment It gives Paul desire but no peace Clara cannot win him because his mother rules his heart This relationship completes the novel s theme love fails when bound by possessiveness and incompleteness