Oedipus Complex in Sons and Lovers

Sigmund Freud introduced 2 theories, one is Oedipus complex and other is Electra complex. Sigmund Freuds theory, the Oedipus complex takes its name from the Greek play Oedipus Rex. In the play Oedipus is prophesied to carrying out his father, sweep up his induce and gull sex with her and he does this unwittingly. The strong attraction of a child to the p atomic number 18nt of the opposite sex and envy or grabby feelings toward the parent of the same sex that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved. This attraction in a boy for mother is called Oedipus complex and The female version is called the Electra complex.D. H Lawrence was easy aware of Freuds theory. In Sons and Lovers, D. H Lawrence uses the Oedipus complex as its base for exploring capital of Minnesotas relationship with his mother. capital of Minnesota is in like manner frequently attracted to his mother and their love often borders on romantic desire. D. H Lawrence writes many times in the nov el about their relation and they go beyond the limit of conventional mother son love. Paul hates his father and often fantasizes about his death and loves her mother and in this way he completes the Oedipus equation in the novel. D. H.Lawrences Sons and Lovers is the most reliable and remarkable example of Freuds Oedipus complex in ripe literature. Hu Junjie, a Freudian psychologist writes that Lawrence is one of the most original, realist and controversial English writers of the modern literature and twentieth century. The main theme of his writing was relationship between man and woman. His work Lady Chatterleys Lover was rejected by his contemporary English society and it was ground on theme if pornographic nature. However, in D. H Lawrences Sons and Lovers Oedipus complex is the dominant theme.The complex here chiefly moves round protagonist Paul and his mothers dealings or relation. The Oedipus complex begins to appear in William and Paul is examplified in the relationship between their parents. The boys witness an goalless & abusive marriage in which Walter Morel often comes home drunk afterwards wasting the familys income on gambling. He does not like meals in the bearing of family. He abuses his Mrs. Boys notice all this and they begin to hate their father and be sympathetic and protective towards their mother. The children see their mother good and pure.She keeps her sons all to herself and sheltered from their father. In this way Gertrude Morel is unconsciously molding her sons into her desires, so with the passage of time they can take the place of her husband. No doubt their marriage was their own choice save now she is clearly unhappy in her marriage and now she tries to live vicariously through her sons. This is the basic motivation that allows the oedipal fastening to form in the two boys. William is the oldest and the mothers favorite son. He does everything for her mothers pleasure. He buys two egg cups from the fair for his mother.Sib ling rivalry exists in the two brothers, William and Paul, as they fence for their mothers love. Mrs. Morel does not like his female companions and becomes avaricious and he finally moves to London. Williams this action of moving to London was his unconscious way of exhausting to break free from the oedipal attachment to his mother. In London, Mr. William meets a beautiful girl named Lily. They become closer friends but Mr. William is not happy and he has a misogynistic status towards her. It is very clear that Lily does not have the good qualities he sees in his mother and it angers and frustrates him.William shows classic symptoms of dissatisfaction. When Mr. William voices his dissatisfaction with Lily and his mother asks him to reconsider marrying her. He replies, Oh well, Ive gone too far to break it off now. All these conflicted moments and feelings that William is experiencing are a sign of his apparent struggle to get rid himself of the oedipal complex then William lastly gets sick and dies. After Williams death, Paul takes his place and becomes mothers favorite. This action compels to think a person that she may thought of him as a suitor.This is proved when she accepts a bottle of perfume from him. She said Pretty in an odd tone or in a curios way, Lawrence says, Of a woman pass judgment a love-token. When Paul reaches at the age of sixteen to twenty (adulthood), it is clear the Oedipus complex has taken him over (chapter 3). His relationship with his father is deformed and he becomes jealous of him. He hates his father too much and He even asks his mother not to sleep with the father anymore. Young Paul meets Miriam Leivers, he likes her and he is repeat the same misogynistic behavior like his brother William did with Lily.He thinks that he would be betraying his mother by loving her. But the idea that Paul is interested in soul other than his mother shows an attempt to break the oedipal complex he has. But the mother foils this attempt by mak ing him feel guilty for wanting to be with miss Miriam. She says, I cannot bear it, I could let another woman, but not her. Shed leave me no room, not a bit of room. And Ive never you know Paul, Ive never had a husband, not really. The mother exhibited the same behavior with William by world jealous of his female companions and is now being imposed on Paul.Gertrude Morel reinforces the Oedipus complex within Paul by suffocating him and in a elusive way asking him to replace her husband. Paul and Mariams relation now reduced to friendship. Paul has to repress his romantic feelings that he might have for her, so she will not replace his mothers place. Later in the novel we come across that Paul does become physically intimate with Miriam but it is short-lived because Paul will not marry her. It also shows that Paul suffers from a fear of closeness and affair as he continues to remain emotionally detached from Miriam.Paul, once again gives in to the oedipal attachment for his mother. Paul does have an affair with a married but separated woman named of Clara Dawes. In relation to Clara Paul allows himself to have this relationship because he is well aware that realistically this relationship can never go anywhere. Clara would never be divorced her husband. Thats why Clara is not a threat to Pauls oedipal complex to his mother. There is no threat of her taking his mothers place. Gertrude morel now becomes ill, she feels pain and Paul gives her morphine.But in the end he measuredly overdoses of morphine to her, which leads to her death and reduced her sufferings. This is a case of euthanasia, this action of killing his mother was a conscious way to reduce her sufferings but unconsciously he releases himself Oedipus complex once and for all. Paul, after her mothers death, is devastated and alone. Much time has passed and Miriam politic wants to be with Paul but he refuses. It means that even after his mothers death he is still not free from his attachment to her mother because he chooses to be alone.The unpleasant relationship with his mother is still present in Pauls life. Conclusion No doubt in the history of psychology a large number of thinkers are influenced by Freuds view of sexuality. to some extend Some of his followers seem to create their work behind the establishment of Freudian sex theories. But these theories have been losing their appeal along with modernization of psychology. Joseph Jastrow a follower of Freud says that Freuds Oedipus complex is an indecent and inadequate concept. Its impossible to find any origin or root of this claim.After constant study we are able merely to know that it is nothing but a consequence of Freuds imaginative psychoanalysis based on his personal supposition that lacks evidence. But we cannot put it aside that it is a biographical novel. D. H Lawrence loves her mother but not his father. If we come to the conclusion of Pauls case, we find that his Oedipus complex and its causes are already clear to us. Paul grows in a bitter surround and he has not become a normal adult by getting over some problems. That is not only because of his mothers abnormal maternity.There are many other dry land some problems with the parents, some with himself, some with his brothers, even some from the society and the mechanical civilization, all these lead to the family tragedy and distortion of personality and devastate peoples healthy development on spirits. Now we can realize and recognize that Paul relation with mother is the outcome of many unusual and abnormal causes which are partial, exceptional and individual rather than universal. We can say that it is not usual or natural for the people living in a healthy family and environment to have such anomalous and complex emotional problems.