Themes In D. H. Lawrence's Sons And Lovers

D.H Lawrence was heavily influenced by his surroundings. This is pretty much evident in all his works. He talks about social religious and economic issues that prevailed in his times. He raises several questions regarding the social and moral values of the society he lived in. Not only does he raise the question but he also tries to explore its answer. His characters seem to be on a quest to free themselves from the social constraints.
All his works show these social forces working in the background but these are very prominent in his work, Sons and Lovers. In this novel the impact of class system, social division and industrialisation is very strong and realistic. These forces affect the lives of his characters, who fail to live by such conditions

However, there are many other important factors which account for the novel being considered a tragedy. One of the important aspects is the desire for social mobility. Every character is searching for a way to climb the ladder towards better living standards. Women try to raise their standards through their children. Gartrude in this case, puts all her expectations on her son’s shoulders. She wants from, them what she couldn’t have from her husband. This makes her a very demanding and possessive mother. She considers them her future, hence clings to them. She wants them to rise above their status but at the same time, also makes it difficult for them to do so.
Such expectations not only reside in Gertrude but other characters as well. Mothers in those days passed their essential values to their children. In doing so they also incorporated this desire for social mobility into their kids. In one way or the other, all want to rise above their current status. However, it was not so easy in the society they lived in. Harsh conditions of low class people never made them capable enough to acquire social mobility. As a result, they faced mental defeat also referred to as

For example the “gin pits” dotted landscape in Sons and Lovers presents a very ugly image of industrialization. “The Bottoms” reflect that the people living in these houses belong to the lowest social strata. These are the people who receive the least amount of privileges, yet get a fair share of suffering. For example Mrs. Morel suffers a lot in this environment. She is not even used to this. She and Mr. Morel belong to two different classes. And the union of these two classes did not work out for them as their marriage was a disaster. Mrs. Morel hates her life in the