At the conclusion of my research and the reading of the novel “Sons and Lovers” by D.H. Lawrence, it could be said that many scholars have agreed that Lawrence’s novel can be used to discuss the Freudian concept of the mother and son relationship. Without much knowledge on the famous psychologists Freud and his psychoanalytic theories it is common for a reader to overlook such an important theme and the detriments of such a passionate mother and son relationship. This paper will try to confirm that there was some kind of an Oedipus relationship between the main character Paul and his mother. This relationship stays with Paul up until the day he decides he must finally let his mother go. The relationship between Paul and his mother Mrs. Morel played a significant role in the detrimental outcome of her son’s life. In order to further support this idea, first, we must take a look at what the Freudian theory suggests.
In the academic journal, "The Oedipus Complex Reflected in D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers- A Great Experience for the 8th Graders" by Adina Lucia Bodgrogean, she claims, that Sigmund Freud described the Oedipus complex as something that begins at the age of three-four years old, and if allowed to manifest, develops into a strong attachment of the child to the opposite sex parent while viewing the same sex parent as a rival (Bodrogram 86). To further understand the relationship between mother and son in Lawrence’s novel “Sons and Lovers,” along with a comparison to the Freudian concept, a brief analysis of the relationship from the perspective of both characters, Gertrude and Paul is necessary.
Throughout the story the reader is reminded of how dearly and deeply Paul loved his mother. “He stuck to his mother. Eve...
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...he hopes of taking his life back from his mother. He could see what the relationship with his mother had done to him.
Works Cited
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According to psychologist Sigmund Freud, who is known for his theory of psychoanalysis, the human mind contains “a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories” (Meyers 597). These unconscious desires then resurface and develop into the impulses for one’s actions and thoughts. Moreover, one of the most prominent and often times controversial ideas of this theory is the Oedipus complex. In Meyer’s textbook of psychology, the Oedipus complex is described as affecting young males by causing the development of sexual desires for their mothers and also jealousy towards their fathers
Paul’s infatuation with Agnes seems to have caught his mother by complete surprise. Their seven years in the village seemed to only strengthen her belief that Paul was a great man worthy of the praise and admiration that others bestowed upon him. It seemed the perfect fit for both of them “for they were so happy in the little village that seemed to her the most beautiful in all the world, because her Paul was its saviour and its king” (Deledda 31). If not for the mother’s need to protect Paul, his affair with Agnes may have continued on longer. Her devotion to her son and to God could not go on silenced however. Paul’s feelings of guilt forced him to see his error and to quite seeing Agnes in order to serve only God. “He was a priest, he believed in God, he had wedded the church, and was vowed to chastity” (Deledda 57). His love toward Agnes did not dissipate however and he sought to find ways to forget about her.
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The first indication the relationship between Paul and his mother is not one that is ideal is when we are first introduced to the mother. She reveals she feels her children, "had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them," whenever her children were present, "she always felt
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