Psychological Analysis of Sons and Lovers

zwwx@overseaen.comISSN 1009 -5039http://www.overseaen.comOverseas English 海处英谓Tel:+86- -551- -5690811 5690812Psychological Analysis of Sons and Lovers李翠肖(河北师范大学,河北石家庄050016)Abstract: This thesis gives a brief background ofD. H. Lawrence and his novel Sons and Lovers. Then it reveals the hero Paul's tragic fateand gives a simple analysis about the reasons. First this thesis dwells on the growth experience of the hero and the infuence for ltdte Paul. Itanalyzes the hero's "Oedipus Complex" and morbid psychology fom the psychological angle. It deeply reveals the family crisis and the so-cial roots, which cause Paul's "Oedipus Complex", fully relects the bad infuence of *the environment to the people s psychology.Key words: freud theory; oedipus complex; character defect中图分类号:I042文献标识码:A文章编号:1009 -5039(2011)03 -0162 -021 Introductiondentical part of parents into spiritual one in the development, andunder the control of spirit he lets the natural self meet the re-David Herbert Lawrence is a famous writer and poet ofquest of the moral conformity. People will be anxious if this pro-England in the early 20* century. During his whole life, he writescess fails.10 novels, more than 40 stories, almost one thousand poems and4 plays. Sons and Lovers, which is the landmark of Lawrence's3 Manifestation of "Oedipus Complex"creations, is an autobiographical psychoanalytic novel. ApplyingAccording to one idea of Freud, the thoughts and characterthe realistic skills, Lawrence describes the growth of a boy bormof an adult are due to his life experience to a great degree. So ifin Middle England, and reveals the tragic life of the miner's son.we want to understand a person's personality, we should know hisIt is a modermistic novel to reveal the psychological problem ofbackground.the protagonist, Paul. The whole. novel consists of two parts,From the theme of psychological exploration, we can seewhich vividly depicts the spiritual bewilderedness and the psy-that Paul obviously has the "Oedipus Complex". 'This is becausechological obstacle of Paul who was borm in Nottingham miningof his special family circumstance to a great degree.area in England. Paul is quiet, shy, reserved by nature but in.Paul's parents Walter Moral and Gertrude Moral are the firsttensely passionate and emotional. From his childhood, Paul has-generation in the novel. They happen to meet in a party and theyan unconventional love for his mother. The characteristic defectfall in love with each other at first sight. After the wedding, theyof Paul makes him incapable of the normal love between hishave some happy, sweet time. For the wife Gertrude, she is com-lovers. After Mrs. Morel's death, Paul suffers the great strikepletely satisfied for three months and happy for six months. Butmentally. He loses in hesitation and hopelesness and doesn'tthis two people have many diferences such as family backgroundknow what to do. At last, he decides to leave his hometown forand personality. Thus what they seek in spirit is different. Afterthe city.the short intense emotion, they begin to quarrel endlessly. The2 Psychological Exploration: "Oedipus Complex"husband ever drives his wife out of the gate. The couple in thenovel only has the physical relation, but not the link in sprit.In Freud's eyes, when people are in their childhood, thePaul grows up in that family environment. The feeling of de-phenomenon of being sentimentally attached to parents is one ofspair, dissatisfaction and hatred for her husband causes Mrs.the common characteristic existing in human beings. He consid-Morel to shift the emotion, love, and spirit to her sons, Paul isers that in the development of sex child wants to get sexual satis-weak and easy to get disease from childhood, so his mother pam-faction from the intimate parent of the opposite sex to meet hispers him very much.sexual request that is called "father fxation" or "mother fixation"During the period of escape, Paul has two loving expeni-by people. He borrows the name of king Oedipus in the ancientences. But because of his mother's interference and the influenceGreek myh to name this phenomenon, so it is also called "Oedi-of his "Oedipus Complex", these two loves all fail. Paul's innerpus Complex".world is often drawn by his mother's invisible spiritual shackles,The sexual partner he wants to pursuit of a boy in his earlyand feeles more painful.age is his mother. He always wants to occupy the position of hisPaul fels sad, melancholy and doesn't know what to do un-father and captures the love of his mother. This emotion cannotder the infuence of Mrs. Morel's abnormal state. Having hisre accepted by the social ethical moral, so it has been con-mother, Paul isn't capable of loving other woman. This "Oedipusstrained. The so-called "complex" is the unconscious form tookComplex" changes into solid love to a large extant, causing himshapes by the depressed desire, and a kind of psychological in-jury. The way to solve the problem is that child changes the iason and the balance of "中国煤化工TYRCNMHG收稿日期:2010-12-05修回日期:2011-01-03作者简介:李翠肖,河北师范大学08级研究生。162路中外文学文化研究5本栏目责任编辑:杨菲菲万万数据2011年3月Overseas English 淄外其语natural person" and "spiritual person". For this reason, his emo-Generally speaking, the young child's sexual appetite for thetion cannot develop, and his personality cannot improve. And allopposite sex can find a natural, healthy outlet from other child.that causes the pain and tragedy in his life.In that case, they are part of the game and prepare for the adult4 The Reason of Paul's "Oedipus Complex"behaviors like all the games. After his three or four year's days,child should have partners for both sexes in order to consider hisAs the result of the special family circumstance, Paul has adevelopment of sentiment. He should not only have his brothersdeep love for his mother. In the period of his gowing up, this eind sisters, but also have other companions at the same age. Un-motion gradually evolves the "Oedipus Complex". He utterly de-fortunately, Paul does not feel smooth at this age.tests his father and loves his mother. He cannot bear his love formother to be neglected. However, spmetimes mother's abnormal,5 Conclusionpossessive love lets him stifle. Then he begins to escape. DuringPaul is unlucky, his "Oedipus Complex" infuences histhat time, Paul falls in love twice. In his youth, Paul's loves aregrowth, makes him becoming a man with character defects. Infailures. The eritics mainly believe Paul's "Oedipus Complex" isorder to get rid of the abnormal love, he begins his love experi-the biggest reason for his failure in love. But his abnormal char-ences. But both of his lovers cannot provide a refuge for him. Heacter doesn't exist from his birth, and his "Oedipus Complex" iscannot find the harmony between the spirit and the flesh, At last,not formned without any social influence.is mother dies and lovers leave him, then he cannot find a di-Paul's "Oedipus Complex" doesn't exist from his birth.rection for the future. Through the reasons above, it is easy toMany aspects, such as himself, his mother, and the society, causefind that Paul's tragjic fate is inevitable, and we also don't knowit. We can see the fllowing reasons in the novel.whether or not his tragic fate can be ended.First, the closed living conditions. Paul's first object of sex-Sons and lovers is a moderm novel that rflects the disturbedual love is mother's breast. His mother arouses a series of hissexual consciousness of the young. This novel can be widelyphysical sensation, so she becomes the child's first seducer. Asspread, moreover analyzed and discussed by the critics from gen-the first and the strongest lover, his mother turns into originaleration to generation. That is not only because as a novel it hasshape to the love relationship between both sexes. Once it is es-the modem characteristic, it breaks the rules and regulations oftablished, it cannot be changed all one's life. Paul is brought upthe traditional novel of the 19th century, but also because it hasby his mother and he doesn't have much time passed with father.vivid and minute depict. Through the bhero, Paul's growing expe-In the first year of Paul's birth, the character of father is ignoredrience, the novel reveals his psychological problems, and is theas well as the subsidiary function of having a baby.fist English novel that talks about the Freud Theory. It vividlySecond, mother's son fixation caused by her character de-rllects a theme that the traditional novel doesn't show- "Oedipusfect. The mother over cares the son, which causes the son'sComplex", and the. morbid psychology. The novel's importantstrong dependence on her body. We can say that the mother'smeaning is not only in its real depict of Paul's psychologicalson fixatin causes the son's mother fixation. For Mrs. Morel, shechanges, but also sccessfully makes Freud criticism. And theloses her husband's love, so she devotes love to her elder son.modern psychological theory can be justified through the hero'sAfter William's death, she turms to Paul. Both of them are inti-life experience,mate. For Paul, he also loses the love of father. Two lonely spiritsReferences:are completely bound up with each other in the long hard timeand find the fragmentary love from each other. Paul becomes a[1] BoultonJames T D,Iawrence D H.Man of Learing[D]Bimn-ingham,1999.person of two-fld status: son and the spirtual lover of his moth-er. This situation causes the complicated love with his mother. So[2] Li Weiping,A History of the Atistic Development of the Eng-lish Novel[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language EducationPaul has an endless relationship with his mother in spirit.Press,2003.Third, the reason on Paul's self -growing development. Inadolescence, Paul lacks in courage to understand sexual knowl-[3] Liu Xianzhi,Lawrence D HA Critical Anthology[M].Shangha:Shanghai Friendship Publishing Houe,991.edge in the correet way. So he makes "Oedipus Complex" as an[4] Paul,Poplawski D H.Lawrence:A Reference Companion [M].easy-gain and acceptable sexual contact, sexual ilusion.Greenwood Press,1996.Fourth, the reason of the mother's character defect. Paul's5] Zhu Botong,Lawrence D H.Selected Literary Critiques [M].mother has some defects in character. She easily lets her son'sShanghai:Shanghai Foreign Education Press,2003.love for other sex concentrate on her. So the disastrous efct 0C-[6]赵炎秋.西方著名作家生活与创造[M].北京:新华出版社,curs. If Paul's mother satisfies with her sexual life, the result maynot happen. In that case, the mother will not take her child for[7]徐光兴.世界文学名著心理案例集[M].上海:上海教育出版the appearance of satisfying the sexual appetite, which can only社,2004.be sought for aduls. The pure impulse of parents is to take carethe child, not ask for love.中国煤化工MHCNMHG本栏目责任编辑:杨菲菲中外文学文化研究163