alone and angry. The children suffer in poverty. He returns home drunk, and quarrels rise. Their bond breaks. The narrator says,
“Each forgot everything save the hatred of the other.”
This shows their lost love. Their home is full of quarrels. Gertrude turns her love away from her husband. This failed marriage creates the root of all pain.
Gertrude’s Love for Her Sons: Gertrude is cheated in marriage. She finds comfort in her sons. She pours her heart into William and Paul. Her love is deep but also possessive. The narrator says about Paul’s love for her mother in such a way,
“His [Paul] soul seemed always attentive to her [Gertrude].”
She becomes their guide, friend, and beloved. This bond is warm but also heavy. It blocks the sons from free love. Her love is more like a fixation than a balance.
William’s Struggle with Love: William is the eldest son. He is clever and handsome. He brings his sweetheart, Lily Weston, to their home. But Gertrude dislikes her. William feels trapped. He loves his mother but also wants freedom. This problem ruins his peace. Finally, he grows ill and dies. His death breaks Gertrude’s heart. His fate shows how love cannot grow when a mother’s tie is too strong.
Paul and Miriam- Spiritual Love: Paul later loves Miriam Leivers. She is shy and dreamy. She loves God, books, and ideas. Paul likes her spirit but feels trapped. His mother dislikes Miriam. Paul cannot give his full self. The narrator says:
“He could not be free to go forward with his own life, really love another woman.”
This shows how mother-fixation kills his chance. Miriam longs for him, but he cannot give. Their love fails.
Paul and Clara- Passionate Love: Paul then turns to Clara Dawes. She is bold, separated from her husband Baxter. With Clara, Paul finds passion for the body. But still, his soul runs back to his mother. Clara cannot hold him. She finally returns to Baxter. Paul remains alone. Even in passion, he feels incomplete. Love without balance, spirit, and freedom cannot last.
In “Sons and Lovers”, Lawrence shows love and marriage as troubled. Walter and Gertrude’s marriage ends in quarrels. Gertrude’s love for her sons becomes a fixation. William dies torn between two women. Paul cannot love Miriam or Clara fully. Every bond breaks. The novel shows that love, without freedom and trust, becomes pain. Marriage too fails when hearts cannot meet.
Continue Reading
Subscribe to access the full content
Upgrade to Premium