Sons And Lovers : Mrs.Morel's Inflence

D.H. Lawrence 's novel Sons and Lovers explores the significant family and companionate relationships of early adulthood. Unfortunately, and possibly unbeknownst to Lawrence himself, the relationships in the novel are often abusive, triangulated, and otherwise inappropriate. Many of these distorted connections may stem from the unconscious and cyclical perceptions of love by the characters. In D.H. Lawrence 's novel, Sons and Lovers, each character 's view of love is shaped by observing his parents ' relationship, causing Mrs. Morel and her sons to perceive love as domination over another person.

Gertrude 's ill-treatment of her husband and intense passion for her children originate from observing her own parent 's relationship. Even though Gertrude "resembled her mother in her small build," and "hated her father 's overbearing manner towards her gentle, humorous, kindly-souled mother," she still retains her father 's temper and need to dominate. Furthermore, during her first relationship with the prospective businessman John Field, Gertrude declares " 'If I were a man, nothing would stop me '", alluding to her temperament and what attitudes she most likely picked up from her father. The brief descriptions of Gertrude 's family life suggest that her father, George Coppard, aggressively controlled her mother. From Gertrude 's later actions, it seems that she subconsciously learned through observation that love meant having power over another person, an idea that pervades the treatment of her husband and sons in the novel Sons and Lovers.

Gertrude 's belief that love equates to power is most evident in her relationship with her husband, Morel. In this relationship, Gertrude unconsciously assumes the role of her father. When Gertrude and Morel first meet, she is attracted to how Morel differs from her father, describing Morel as "soft, non-intellectual, warm, a kind of gamboling" as opposed to George, "proud in his bearing…and rather bitter…who ignored all