Sons and Lovers

To what extent can the relationship between Gertrude and Paul be considered an example of the Oedipus complex? To what extent does their relationship diverge from an Oedipal dynamic?

Select two characters and analyze how their understandings of The Role of Women in society overlap and diverge. What do these different understandings say about the generational, social, and personal differences between the characters?

How does William’s death change the relationship between Paul and Gertrude? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

How does Paul’s relationship with Miriam reflect their differing ideas of marriage? Develop your response with quotations from the text.

In what ways does the mine represent the class struggle in English society? To what extent is Walter a product of his socioeconomic circumstance, and to what extent are his actions a matter of personal agency?

How does Paul use flowers to symbolize his love? How does Clara change his conception of flowers, and what does this reveal about the nature of their relationship?

Trace the appearance of or references to art over the course of the novel. Why is art significant? What role does art play in the lives of the characters?

How does the death of Gertrude change Paul’s perspective on life? What is the significance of the fact that even after Gertrude’s death, Paul ends up with neither Miriam nor Clara?