Hey, the book's called Sons and Lovers. So it's about family alright. Especially the weird webs of love and hate that form between people who've known each other their entire lives. Whether he's discussing the Morel family's united resentment for their father, or Mrs. Morel's unhealthy attachment to her son(s), Lawrence uses this novel to throw a pretty huge wrench into any idealistic ideas we might have about family bonds and unconditional love. Watch out.
Questions About Family
- Do you think Lawrence's depiction of family life is realistic? What aspects of the Morels' relationships are the most realistic? The least realistic? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.
- Why does Lawrence frequently compare Paul Morel and his mother to romantic lovers? Do you think Paul has an unconscious attraction to his mother, or is there something else Lawrence is trying to get at in these moments?
- Why does Lawrence devote pages to developing the lesser-known members of the Morel family, like Annie and Arthur? What do their roles add to the text?
- In your opinion, how self-aware is Mrs. Morel about her possessiveness toward her children?
- Does this possessiveness apply to all of her children the same way, or is it stronger toward some than others? Why?
Chew on This
In Sons and Lovers, Lawrence shows that mothers like Mrs. Morel can experience sexual jealousy when their male children fall in love with other women.
Walter Morel could have avoided his family's downfall if he hadn't been so stubborn—if he had only learned to apologize for all the terrible things he'd done.