Use of Symbols in Sons and Lovers

D.H. Lawrence makes an extensive use of symbols in his Sons and Lovers. Symbolism means
investing a remark or a situation or an incident or an object or even a person with a double
significance or a two-fold meaning. One meaning lies on the very surface and is easily
understood by the reader. The other or symbolic meaning is hidden in the writing and becomes
known to the reader only after a good deal of thought. D.H. Lawrence probes deep into the
consciousness of his characters with a clever use of symbols. A proper understanding of these
symbols leads to a better understanding of the novel and arises appreciation from the reader.
Symbolism is an essential feature of Lawrence’s art, because a symbol “is the expression of a
thing not to be characterized in any other better way.” Thus, in order to clearly describe the
hidden and the concealed, Lawrence makes use of symbols which in their turn also increase the
expressiveness of his language.

There is an abundance of symbols in Sons and Lovers; and practically all the symbolism here
has consciously been introduced by the author. Now let’s turn to some of the symbols used by
D. H. Lawrence.

The symbol of the Ash-Tree

The ash-tree has been effectively used by Lawrence to describe the sinister and dark aspects of
life. It is symbolic of the dark, mysterious forces of nature which are the foreboders of tragedy in
human-life. It is symbolic of the disharmony that exists between the husband and wife in the
Morel family. The persistent bickering of the parents becomes a terror for the children, who lying
awake upstairs are unable to coherently apprehend as to what would happen ultimately. The
tree becomes a symbol of the inner terror of children who strike and moan inwardly. It also
prophesies the future doom which is to beset the Morel family.

The Symbol of the Coal-pits

The entire life of the mining community depicted in the novel depends upon the coal-pits which
stand on the horizon. The coat-pits are not indispensable for a better understanding of the novel
but they are symbolic of a particular attitude towards life. Walter Morel with his irrational life
principle has a close association with them. The descent and ascent of the coal pits is a symbol
of the sexual rhythm or a rhythm of sleep and awakening. The naturalness of the coal pits stand
in contrast against the artificial way of life of the sophisticated people.

The symbol of the Swing

The Swing at Willey Farm is symbolic of the love-hate relation that is characteristic of Paul-
Miriam relationship. Similar to the background and forward movement of the swing, Paul loves
Miriam for one thing but suddenly hates her for another. Though, his hatred for her is also
transitory and is soon replaced with love. Hence, the movement of the swing symbolizes, the
two extremes of their attitude towards each other i.e. love for one moment and hate the other
moment. It is also expressive of their inability to hold on to each other for a very long time.

Miriam’s inability to attain a certain height on the swing as Paul does is significant of her sexual
frigidity. As on the swing she fails to attain the sexual heights in her physical relationship with
Paul and performs it as a religious duty. Thus, she fails to provide Paul with the physical
fulfillment that he is desirous of.

The symbol of the Hens

The symbolic pecking of the hens at the hands of Paul and Miriam stands in juxtaposition to the
sexuality thwarted relationship that Miriam is going to have with Paul in the later part of the
novel. Miriam’s sexual inhibition is emphasized here; in spite of Paul’s persistence that it does
not hurt it only nips, Miriam is afraid to let the hen peck at her hand. This scene symbolically
forecasts the disastrous failure that Miriam is going to face in attaining sexual fulfillment with
Paul.

The Symbol of the blood tie between Paul and Mrs Morel

In the very beginning of the novel when Mrs. Morel has a quarrel with her husband, in an
outrage of anger she is hit with a drawer which is flung at her. The wound bleeds profusely and
two drops of blood fall on the hair of Paul who is in the hands of Mrs.Morel at the moment. The
blood is not cleared away but it gets soaked in to the scalp of Paul. This small incident is
symbolic of the disillusioned and tattering relationship of the husband and wife and the
subsequent reversal of attitude of Mrs Morel towards her husband and the ultimate substitution
of her sons in place of her husband. The scene is also symbolic of the contract of soul between
the mother and son which is sealed with a blood tie.

The symbol of the Orange Moon

The emotional lives of the characters of Lawrence are much influenced by the active
participation of nature. Walking together one evening Paul and Miriam witness a large orange
moon staring at them. The passion in Paul is aroused by the sight of the moon. Though Miriam
is also deeply moved but Paul fails to get across to her. Violent sexual passion is aroused in
Paul, thus the orange moon becomes a symbol of the aroused passion in Paul.

Nature’s Benediction

Lawrence makes nature send its benediction on his characters who wish to live willfully or upon
those who wish to attain happiness through their vital instinct. Before the birth of Paul, Mrs
Morel is once shut out of the house after a quarrel, by her husband into the garden, here she
feels the presence of nature under the “blinding” August moon. She is expecting Paul and she
feels herself melting away I the moon light along with the child. Later when she is allowed into
the house by Morel, she smiles upon herself seeking her face smeared with the pollen dust of
lilies. The yellow dust is symbolic of the kiss of benediction for both the mother and hild and it
also confirms their vitality.

Similarly on another occasion when Paul rises after making love to Clara on the bank of the
river. There lie on the ground many scarlet, carnation petals like splashed drops of blood, and
red small splashes fall from her bosom, streaming down her dress to her feet. This is again
symbolic of the benediction of flowers showered upon them for their perfect union. In still
another occasion, the rose bush is used as a symbol of the witness to the spiritual communion
of Paul and Miriam which they achieve while watching the rose bush together in perfect
harmony.

Symbol of Eggcups

Firstly, consider the egg cups that William wins at the fair and then gives to his mother. The egg
cups are clearly a symbol of William's love and affection for his mother, and they show the very
close bond that lies between these two characters. Here, the relationship between Mrs. Morel
and William verges on romantic love; William wins her the egg-cups much as a lover proudly
wins his girlfriend a prize at a fair, and he cannot enjoy himself once she leaves. Mrs. Morel,
too, has projected the disappointment from her marriage into excessive love for her children,
especially William. Lawrence uses several psychological symbols to demonstrate the complex
relationships. Morel, threatened by his wife's love for their son, cuts off William's curly hair in a
symbolic castration. Lawrence describes the act as "the spear through the side of her love for
Morel." His metaphor suggests malevolent phallic imagery.

Symbols of Flowers

The most important of the flower symbols are presented in the scene where Clara has just been
introduced to Paul by Miriam. All three of them walk in an open field with its many “clusters of
strong flowers” they begin to pick flowers. Though, there is natural beauty in flowers that Paul
picks, yet he picks them scientifically. He has a spontaneous and direct contact with the flowers.
Miriam, though she picks the flowers lovingly and reverentially yet she seems to derive the life
out of them. Her bunches lack elegance. But Clara does not pick them at all, defiantly asserting
that flowers should not be picked because it kills them.

Thus, on a closer reading of these floral symbols one feels, that it depicts the attitude of various
characters towards life. Mrs. Morel has a vital and healthy attitude towards flowers. The scenes
where Paul brings her flowers are warm and gay. Since the love of Paul and Miriam develops in
the midst of natural surroundings, the flower is symbolic of its freshness and innocence. They
also symbolize the beauty ad youth of Miriam.

Darkness
Darkness represents hidden or unconscious desire in the novel. When Miriam and Paul have
sex for the first time, Paul leads Miriam into a dark place among some fir trees and says that he
“wishes the darkness were thicker.” This suggests that, although Paul wants to love Miriam, his
true intentions and feelings towards her are unclear to him and he is ashamed of his attraction
to her or is ashamed of the way he treats her (as he fails to commit to her on several
occasions). Similarly, when Paul brings Clara home to meet his family, he walks her to the train
in the dark and is suddenly overcome with rage when she tells him she wants to go home. This
suggests that he privately wants to dominate Clara but is not comfortable with this side of
himself and will not force her to stay with him. Baxter Dawes hides in the dark when he waits to
attack Paul and the fight brings an element of relief to Paul and ends the tension between the
two men. The fight, which takes place in the dark, suggests that the men secretly wanted to
fight, even though they do not acknowledge this, because fighting allows them to express their
emotions and feel release. Finally, at the end of the novel, Paul wishes to die himself after Mrs.
Morel’s death. Although he is aware of his destructive tendencies, he is not explicitly aware that
he wants to kill himself and, instead, walks into the dark, unsure what he plans to do. He
ultimately rejects darkness to follow the light back to the town, which suggests that he rejects
death and chooses to live instead.

There are various other symbols of the burned potatoes symbolizing Miriam’s total absorption in
Paul. On the other had the charred bread symbolizes Paul’s total absorption in Miriam. Hope
and optimism are symbolized at the end of the novel with the help of the gold phosphorescence
of the city. Hence, the symbolism uses in Sons and Lovers is quite simple and easy to
understand. They are in no way complex but rather help to a better understanding of the novel.

Uses of Motifs in Sons and Lovers

Nature
For the most part, characters in Sons and Lovers are happiest when communing with nature.
After a vicious fight with her husband, Mrs. Morel feels a sense of communion with the moon
while locked out of the house. She smells the pollen of the white lilies in the moonlight and feels
"dizzy" as she loses herself, and her anger, in their beauty. Similarly, the negative feelings Mrs.
Morel has for the infant Paul disappear in the beautiful light of sunset: as she communes with
nature, she is filled with passionate love for her baby. At the same time, Lawrence uses the
natural world to represent the character's emotions. The ash tree at the Morels' new house
entertains Mr. Morel but frightens the children, symbolizing discord in the family despite their
new start together. Similarly, the orange moon Paul and Miriam admire arouses sexual passion
in Paul but only spiritual appreciation from Miriam.

Paul bonds with both Miriam and Clara while outside, as the natural beauty of the world washes
away their confusion or fear, allowing the young couples to spiritually embrace. In this way
nature becomes a sexual language for their passion. This passion is best symbolized in the
burning rose bush, which Clara brings Paul to see as a sign of her desire for him. Similarly, after
Paul and Clara have sex on the riverbank, her breasts are speckled with crimson carnation
petals. The red of the carnation symbolizes both the passion of their union and the scarlet mark
of their adultery. In another scene, Miriam, who timidly refrains from having sex with Paul
despite loving him, fondles and caresses daffodils "with her mouth and cheeks and brow." In
contrast, Paul, who wishes he could sleep with Miriam and Clara without consequence, picks
flowers at random simply because he wants them and there are "plenty of them."

Landscape
Just as Lawrence uses the natural world to strengthen themes in Sons and Lovers, he also uses
landscape. Almost all the members of the Morel family feel trapped: either in marriage,
job/marriage prospects, gender roles, the army, or oedipal relationships. Lawrence uses the
setting of a coal mine to highlight their bondage. The pits are dark, dirty, small confines in which
men work to extract natural resources from the earth for human consumption. The men who
work there make little money, are angry and violent, and are in constant danger of injury. They
drink to numb themselves to the misery of their lives. This is contrasted with the beautiful, open
pastoral setting of the farm. Here, Paul breathes fresh air, both physically and spiritually, in his
communion with Miriam. Similarly, Mrs. Morel feels fresh, calm, and wholesome while in nature.
Under the moonlight, or while lazing among the flowers, the world is open and anything is
possible.

The landscape of London also serves to contrast the confines of Bestwood and the coal pits.
Mrs. Morel encourages her sons to pursue their educations rather than joining their father in the
mines. Literacy gives them the opportunity to travel out of their tiny village to the big cities of
Nottingham and London. These moves provide the boys opportunity to shake off the bondage of
the working class. Both boys earn attention from middle-class girls, although William dies before
he can truly change his social status, and Paul decides he prefers to wallow in the working class
with his mother than to leave her behind.