RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE
RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE RELATIONS OF DOMINANCE AND EQUALITY IN D. H. LAWRENCE
forced to admit his choice to belong to his mother as a lover who will never replace her with anybody else: "'No mother — I really don't love her. I talk to her, but I want to come home to you'" (p.261). The scene that follows is one of bitter revelation of Mrs Morel's total identification with Miriam. admits that she "'could let another woman — but not her. She She'd leave me no room, not a bit of room — '" (ibid). Moreover, she implicitly declares her love for Paul as one she would give to a husband: I've never — you know, Paul — I've never had a husband — not really — '" (p.262). I believe that this revelation makes Mrs Morel even worse than she has hitherto appeared and it seems that Lawrence here is not really setting out to deliberately show the mother's evil side. It just slips out of him. That night, when Paul and his mother give themselves to a set of declarations, the father comes home drunk and takes a piece of pork-pie which is destined for Paul. Mrs Morel mistreats Walter who starts arguing with the mother. Paul interferes and decides to fight with his father. Had Mrs Morel not had a faint (her health is declining), son and father would certainly hit each other. Paul's words to his mother as she recovers sound not like a son talking to a mother but like a lover who is extremely jealous of his sweetheart going to bed with a rival: 'Sleep with Annie, Mother, not with him.' 'No, I'll sleep in my own bed.' 'Don't sleep with him, Mother.' 'I'll sleep in my own bed.' (p.264) When Paul goes to his own bed, he is tormented: "He pressed his face upon the pillow in a fury of misery. And somewhere in his soul, he was at peace because he still loved his mother best. It was the bitter peace of resignation" (ibid). His feelings once
73 more are related to his impotence to 'save' his mother from her bitter life and 'rest' with her peacefully ever after somewhere in the world. It may be said that from this night on Mrs Morel has almost won the battle with her twin-rival, for Paul decides to break up with Miriam. with his mother. The girl wants his soul but his soul is already Miriam's mind is superimposed over her body and Paul can only feel her spirit. And for him to accept her body he must forget her spirit. It seems a nonsense however, because if he really loves Miriam as a spirit and wants her as a female, he should mix both things. True love means the reunion of spirit and flesh. One cannot love flesh in one woman/man and love the spirit of another if s/he really loves. that he misunderstands his own arguments. The problem for Paul is If he is soul he is only soul, if he is flesh he is only flesh. He himself (because of his mother) is not prepared to put these two halves together. In his life as in his love he is an extremist. (Here, the inner conflicts go back to the struggle of his parents1 marriage — the soul of the mother vs the body of the father). Because of this Paul is back to his mother: He had come back to his mother. Hers was also the strongest tie in his life. When he thought round, Miriam shrank away. There was a vague, unreal feel about her. And anybody else mattered. There was one place in the world that stood solid and did not melt into unreality: the place where his mother was. Everybody else could grow shadowy, almost non-existent to him, but she could not. It was as if the pivot and pole of his life, from which he could not escape, was his mother (pp.272-3). However, Miriam does not give in to the mother. The girl thinks that she still "held the key to his soul" (p.273). Meanwhile, another figure appears to disturb Paul's life
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73<br />
more are related to his impotence to 'save' his mother from her<br />
bitter life and 'rest' with her peacefully ever after somewhere<br />
in the world.<br />
It may be said that from this night on Mrs Morel has almost<br />
won the battle with her twin-rival, for Paul decides<br />
to break<br />
up with Miriam.<br />
with his mother.<br />
The girl wants his soul but his soul is already<br />
Miriam's mind is superimposed over her body and<br />
Paul can only feel her spirit.<br />
And for him to accept her body he<br />
must forget her spirit.<br />
It seems a nonsense however, because if<br />
he really loves Miriam as a spirit and wants her as a female, he<br />
should mix both things.<br />
True love means the reunion of spirit<br />
and flesh.<br />
One cannot love flesh in one woman/man and love the<br />
spirit of another if s/he really loves.<br />
that he misunderstands his own arguments.<br />
The problem for Paul is<br />
If he is soul he is<br />
only soul, if he is flesh he is only flesh.<br />
He himself (because<br />
of his mother) is not prepared to put these two halves together.<br />
In his life as in his love he is an extremist. (Here, the inner<br />
conflicts go back to the struggle of his parents1 marriage — the<br />
soul of the mother vs the body of the father).<br />
Because of this<br />
Paul is back to his mother:<br />
He had come back to his mother. Hers was also the<br />
strongest tie in his life. When he thought round,<br />
Miriam shrank away. There was a vague, unreal feel<br />
about her. And anybody else mattered. There was<br />
one place<br />
in the world that stood<br />
solid and did not melt into unreality: the place<br />
where his mother was. Everybody else could grow<br />
shadowy, almost non-existent to him, but she could<br />
not. It was as if the pivot and pole of his life,<br />
from which he could not escape, was his mother<br />
(pp.272-3).<br />
However, Miriam does not give in to the mother.<br />
The girl thinks<br />
that she still "held the key to his soul" (p.273).<br />
Meanwhile, another figure appears to disturb Paul's life
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