Borrowing from Shakespeare?

This was the first D. H. Lawrence book I ever read and it was so good that I had to read more of his work. However, I found that this was one of his very best novels and the others including Women in Love , were not as interesting. (Although Women in Love is considered to be on the same level of excellence as Sons and Lovers by many, I do not agree). Sons and Lovers gave me high expectations from the rest of D. H. Lawrence’s work, which were not fulfilled, so I consider this novel to be the ‘cream of the crop’ as it were. Having said this, I have yet to read The White Peacock , and The Rainbow, which are highly acclaimed.

Sons and Lovers is almost a saga, as it spans generations. It is about a family called the Morels. It begins with a lady called Gertrude and her marriage to Walter.
The couple have problems created by Walter’s temper and alcoholism, and there are several incidents in the book where Gertrude is hurt. They remain together however- at least in terms of proximity- with the ‘incidents’ continuing to occur.

They have three sons but it is Paul whom the book focuses on, the other two becoming minor characters especially when one of them, William, passes away. This leaves Mrs Morel to cling to Paul whom she seeks comfort from, relying on him and not her abusive husband.

The rather too-close bond between mother and son is soon disturbed by the arrival of a girl in Paul’s life, Miriam. Unfortunately the clashing needs of Paul and Miriam lead to a break-up fuelled by Mrs Morel’s dislike of her.

The reader soon realises that Paul will never be happy. He is a confused person who is trying to make sense of new emotions, a new relationship - his first - and his incestuous feelings towards his mother. Paul finds himself amidst a battle between his mother and Miriam.

One of the reasons this book works so well is because of a certain universality of ideas as there is an exploration of the Oedipus complex. At one point I considered whether D. H. Lawrence was borrowing the idea from Shakespeare’s Hamlet .
There are definite links between Sons and Lovers and Hamlet , in terms of relationship between mother and son.

The Oedipus complex is significant in Sons and Lovers and is one of the causes of the breakdown of Paul and Miriam’s relationship. In Hamlet where the Oedipus complex is more implicit than here, the reader may note that Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia failed as his faith in women deteriorated- “Frailty thy name is woman”- especially due his mother’s betrayal of her former husband and in effect betrayal towards Hamlet also.

There are obvious similarities between the two protagonists, Paul and Hamlet. Neither had long-lasting relationships due to feelings towards their mothers, and neither of their mothers were able to remain in a solid relationship with the father of her child (or children in Mrs Morel’s case). In Sons and Lovers , Mrs morel drew away from her husband and closer to Paul. In Hamlet's case, his mother found a replacement husband, which Hamlet perceived as a personal betrayal.

The mother’s choices of a second ‘lover’ were the pivotal factors in causing Hamlet’s hatred towards his mother and tremendous respect for his father, and Paul’s closeness towards his mother and hatred towards his father. These characters give excellent examples of how the Oedipus complex, in different eras, has affected people in opposite ways.

Although there is definitely a similarity between the two texts, this is more than likely to be accidental. We know that much of D. H. Lawrence’s life comes into the novel and that he had a relationship with his own mother that was not dissimilar to that of Mrs. Morel’s and Paul’s.
It can also be said that every novel is at least in part autobiographical, i believe that this idea is more than accurate here.

The imagery - for example that in chapter one, when Mrs. Morel is in the garden - and the symbolism in this novel are excellent indications of
D. H. Lawrence’s talent. Coupled with his personal philosophies, this book is bursting at the seams with interesting ideas.

Themes include love in marriage, spiritual love versus desire, and the blurring of the line between platonic love and more.

The title gives core information to the reader from the outset: this is a book about sons and lovers...and the incompatibility of the two.