RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE

69
to go out of it and he has on one side his mother and, on the
other, Miriam.
Both women manage to pull Paul out of the
quicksand but they are on different sides.
Therefore, instead
of being saved, Paul is being destroyed by both women.
He loves
both, he wants to be helped, but he cannot be saved, unless they
allow him.
Neither Miriam nor his mother will allow him to try
by himself. They will always interfere in his life. They will
not admit defeat. They will never give in. The two women will
then be in a position of self-sacrifice for their own sakes, not
for Paul's.
I think that if it were not for Mrs Morel's malicious
comment, Paul would never become so troubled over his relationship
with Miriam.
Mrs Morel is jealous of her son with the girl and.
she cannot stand the idea of Paul and Miriam together without
judging them as if they were courting.
Boys and girls together
mean love affair.
between the two.
She cannot accept the idea of pure friendship
Thus, she is the one who throws the seeds of
sin into Paul's ear:
'You know, whoever you went with I should say it
was too far for you to go trailing, late at night,
when you've been to .Nottingham. Besides' — her
voice suddenly flashed into anger and contempt —
'it's disgusting bits of lads and girls courting'
(p.200 - My underlining).
The jealous mother does not accept Paul's reply — " 'you vaauldn't
say anything if I went with Edgar'"(ibid).
Mrs Morel thinks she
is the owner of the truth.
Her son senses that this happens
because he is involved in the matter.
When he refers to his
sister Annie, his mother's answer comes straightfoward to the
purpose: " 'Our Annie's not one Of the deep sort111 (ibid. - My
underlining). Annie is an ordinary girl. Miriam belongs to the
same root that has given life to Mrs Morel.
The 'deep sort'