Life with Mother: Paul Morel's Failure to Thrive Book Review
Life with Mother: Paul Morel's Failure to Thrive
A discussion on Paul as an "abnormal" character as a consequence of his relationship with his mother in D. H. Lawrence's novel "Sons and Lovers".
# 152068
| 965 words
| 2 sources
| MLA
| 2012
| 
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Description:
This paper examines how the character of Paul and his relationship with his mother in D. H. Lawrence's novel "Sons and Lovers", whether fictional or autobiographical, can be described as abnormal. The paper further discusses how Gertrude, Paul's mother who is a firm, strong-willed and intelligent woman is also a woman who feels dejected and unhappy with her own life. As a result, she vicariously lives through her children who, as males, she considers to have been born for bigger and better things than herself. The paper concludes that Mrs. Morel takes possession of her sons by directing the course of their futures.
From the Paper:
"Ironically, Gertrude who feels dejected and unhappy with her own life lives through Paul's because she obsesses over him, hates his girlfriends, manipulates his emotions, and directs the course of his future. Towards Paul she feels, as to none of the other children, that she must make up to him for an injury or a sin committed by her, and that he must repay her for all that she has missed in her shattered love for her husband. This mutual fixation is not a normal mother-son relationship, and their co-dependence precludes their moving forward with their own lives. The relationship between Paul and Gertrude is entangled and amorphous rather than supportive and nurturing. Lawrence writes, "Paul loved to sleep with his mother. Sleep is still most perfect, in spite of hygienists, when it is shared with a beloved" (92:10). On another occasion, Paul tells his mother, "I'll never marry while I've got you-I won't" (286:11), realizing that he loves his mother more than all other women in his life."Sample of Sources Used:
- -Lawrence, D.H. "Sons and Lovers," Penguin Classics, Edited with Notes by HELEN BARON and CARL BARON, with an introduction by BLAKE MORRISON, 2006.
- -Critical Reader, ENGL 4241, Modern British Fiction, Section 2: Storch, Margaret. "Images of Women in Sons and Lovers." D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers: A Casebook. Ed. John Worthen and Andrew Harrison. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Cite this Book Review:
APA Format
Life with Mother: Paul Morel's Failure to Thrive (2012, November 30)
Retrieved May 28, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/book-review/life-with-mother-paul-morel-failure-to-thrive-152068/
MLA Format
"Life with Mother: Paul Morel's Failure to Thrive" 30 November 2012.
Web. 28 May. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/book-review/life-with-mother-paul-morel-failure-to-thrive-152068/>