Throughout D.H. Lawrence's novel, Sons and Lovers, his main character, Paul Morel, matures from a little boy into an experienced man. This transformation is due to the three women in Paul's life: Gertrude Morel, Miriam Leivers, and Clara Dawes. Paul carries out an affair with each of these women, but in the end he is left alone. Each of Paul's loves is significant in itself; each contributes something essential to his development, yet finally proves destructive and inadequate. Oedipal, spiritual, and possessive are the three loves Paul encounters throughout Sons and Lovers, and the women that represent these loves help Paul mold himself into the man he will eventually become.

Gertrude Morel's oedipal love is the first type of love Paul faces in Sons and Lovers. With the passing of her first son William, Gertrude becomes depressed and upset. It is the sickness of her second son, Paul, which helps to pull her out of depression. William was "like her knight who wore her favor in the battle," yet after losing him, Paul takes his place and becomes her substitute for love. Both live for each other and are inseparable. What begins as a motherly relationship turns into a passionate affa

Paul's character experiences more types of love and losses in a period of ten years, than most people experience in a lifetime. He is young when everything begins to change in his life and he must grow quickly. This story can be compared to that of Frank McCourt's memoir, Angela's Ashes. Both Paul and Frank share similar lives. Like Paul, Frank grew up in the slums, was raised mostly by his mother, had a distant relationship with his father and to compensate for the love not given by the father, Frank's mother, Angela, like Gertrude, found fulfillment in her many children. Both novels are similar in many ways and can be compared on many levels, Frank even falls in love with a girl and then ends up losing her to a sickness, a situation in which Paul has experienced in Sons and Lovers.

The second relationship Paul experiences is the one he shares with Miriam. Their love is a spiritual one. Paul goes through stages of loving her and not loving her. He constantly compares her to religious or spiritual things: "the virgin mother," a "virginal nun," and compares their relationship to a "mystic monk to a holy nun." Miriam deeply loves Paul and Paul loves her as well, however, it is his mother's disapproval of the relationship that causes Paul to have second thoughts about Miriam.

When the friendship between the young couple wanes, Paul resigns himself to the old love for his mother. Yet, giving it one last attempt, he returns to Miriam for another try at sensual love. He seeks "the great hunger and impersonality of passion" with her. Here the religious notions arise again because even though Miriam has agreed to have sex with Paul, she feels she is sacrificing herself. This relationship continues for a while longer, but Paul decides to call things off with her, and he returns back to his mother. This is the second love Pa

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1245
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)