Sons and Lovers is a great novel by D.H.

Lawrence that explores the Victorian period love and

morality as well as social differences and people’s reaction to the change they have been exposed by

Industrial Revolution. Born into late Victorian Period, Lawrence witnessed the society’s oppression through

moral values and how pressure over morality led to fatal consequences. Men gained power and

subordination of women was a basic concept of society. Pure and naive love was the popular concepts and

people were considered to lack sexual desires and were expected to hide them away since they were origin

of sinful crimes. Women were disregarded as a part of society and their concerns were diminished as well.

In this regard, D.H. Lawrence portrays three different female characters who strive to stand upon their feet

within society and try to lead their lives despite restrictions. Lawrence explores female world and gives deep

insights of his female characters throughout the novel. While he characterizes Mrs. Morel as a strong and

dominant figure, especially in his Paul due to her commitment to social and moral rules. Finally, Clara

Dawes is portrayed as a strong female character who degrades men and is able to lead her life without

considering social restriction as a guide. That is to say, this paper is going to analyze three different female

portrayals and will discuss how they react to morality of the period they live in.

In Lawrence’s novel, D.H. Lawrence explores mother-son relationship and shows how it is reflected in Mrs.

Morel’s character. Mrs. Morel is a strong, cultivated, puritanical, and middle-class lady who has been

disappointed by her marriage to a miner. Her marriage does not involve happiness due to her husband’s

failure to meet her expectations. She leads an unhappy and miserable life in which she has no control. Once

she expresses her feelings as: “What have I to do with it?' she said to herself. “What have I to do with all

this? Even the child I am going to have! It doesn't seem as if I were taken into account.” ( Lawrence 1993,

5). She has complaints as regard to her life and how she cannot have decision upon it. This example mirrors

women’s condition in Victorian era. However, she, more or less, begins to gain power after her indifference

to her husband and his mistakes. She becomes a devoted mother and dedicates her life to their child.

Through this aspect, Mrs. Morel uses her strong possession. She succeeds in making her boys succeed, but

the negative effects of strong possession also affect her sons. At first, she chooses her eldest son to show her

strong possession. However, after his loss, she devotes her time and energy to Paul. Although she succeeds

in bringing up successful son, she fails to raise his son as a self-sufficient individual. Lawrence portrays a

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dominating and indispensable mother figure who involves herself in every occasion that Paul has. Her

existence is so absorbing that Paul cannot move to his life and love different women other than his mother.

Once he says: “`I never will see. I'll never marry while I've got you--I won't.” ( Lawrence 1993,240). This is

due to Mrs. Morel’s powerful character and her decisive manner to control Paul’s life which leads to

crippled love relationships of Paul. How Mrs. Morel influences her son is mirrored in his relationship with

Miriam. Since Mrs. Morel is aware of Miriam’s strong character and her impact upon her son, she considers

her as a threat and speaks ill of Miriam and is unable to make Paul to love her. Once she exclaims: “I can’t

bear it. I could let another woman—but not her. She’d leave me no room, not a bit of room—” And

immediately he hated Miriam bitterly. That is to say, Lawrence portrays a vivid and decisive and controlling

female character that dominates her son’s life and demonstrates a convincing manner towards her son’s life.

Second figure that Lawrence depicts is Miriam who is religious, shy and naive girl. She is portrayal

of Victorian period that is she is “Angel in the House”. This is an ideal image of Victorian women who

devotes herself to her husband or her family. However, she resents being kept at home to do housework

since she loves poetry and likes reading and sharing thoughts with Paul. She has enthusiasm towards life and

everything and she lives every emotion in an intense manner.

Paul feels threatened by her intensity and also becomes aware that she has that power to take his mother’s

place as long as he submits himself to her and disregard Mrs. Morel’s opinions. In addition to her intensity

and enthusiasm for love, Lawrence also conveys Victorian morality through Miriam’s indifference to sex

and her eagerness to share spiritual love rather than physical one. That is to say, Lawrence portrays a

Victorian woman who clings to moral codes of society and sacrifices her love in order to be in conformity

with society.

Third figure of women that Lawrence portrays is Clara Dawes. She is so much different from

Victorian portrayal of women. She is sensuous and separated from her husband and claims women rights in

society. Lawrence uses Clare as a tool to demonstrate Paul’s tendency and desire for sexual relationship. She

uses her physical attraction and is not disturbed by the idea of sexual relationship out of marriage bondage.

She is not as intense as Miriam and does not arouse deeper feelings within Paul and only satisfies his sexual

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desires. Although she seems to be indifferent to Paul’s attitude, she feels fretful and does show an ordinary

woman’s reaction.

That is, Clara finds herself in a battle with Paul and comes to the idea that it is impossible for her to

have Paul fully. Although she is strong and reserved woman, she accepts that she never gets what she desires

since it is impossible for her to keep Paul with physical love. Lawrence uses Clara as the embodiment of

modernity and her attitude towards life and men display how women come to realize their position within

society.

In Conclusion, Lawrence portrays three different major female characters that have deep and

different kinds relationships with the protagonist, Paul. While depicting ordinary Victorian woman,

Lawrence also shows how repression created an atmosphere in which people forget about moral codes of

religion and society. He analyses three different women figures of post- Victorian period. While Mrs. Morel

and Miriam are embodiment of morality and spirituality; Clara is described as a shallow character. That is,

he depicts women’s desire to occupy a position within society and have control upon their own lives rather

than regulating in accordance with society’s expectations. Therefore, Sons and Lovers is a great and detailed

novel that depicts post- Victorian women and their desires and deficiencies.

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