Filhos e Amantes

This is simply one of the best books in the history of English literature and an excellent specimen of literary Modernism with a myriad of different traits and ideas to its credit. From psychology to socio-historical analysis, Literary genres, art's influence, and philosophical questions, the richness of the work is beyond satisfying! Sons and Lovers is a Bildungsroman, that is to say a literary work focusing on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from early years to adulthood. Some other examples of the genre include [a:Charles Dickens|239579|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387078070p2/239579.jpg]' [b:Great Expectations|2623|Great Expectations|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631687432l/2623._SY75_.jpg|2612809], [a:Charlotte Brontë|1036615|Charlotte Brontë|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1335001351p2/1036615.jpg]'s [b:Jane Eyre|10210|Jane Eyre|Charlotte Brontë|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557343311l/10210._SY75_.jpg|2977639], [a:James Joyce|5144|James Joyce|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1615569948p2/5144.jpg]'s [b:A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|7588|A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|James Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554800429l/7588._SY75_.jpg|3298883], and [a:Harper Lee|1825|Harper Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1593873322p2/1825.jpg]'s [b:To Kill a Mockingbird|2657|To Kill a Mockingbird|Harper Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553383690l/2657._SY75_.jpg|3275794]. The Modern Bildungsroman reflects the genre's ambitions of developing new ways of realistic representations of the world undreamt of even under the banner of Realism.The initial title of the book was Paul Morel. Lawrence had changed it later to Sons and Lovers as he realized that its sphere was much wider than just the life and progress of one character. For in addition to tracking Paul's progress, the novel covers the struggles of unhappy marriages, the complexity of relationships even between individuals from the same family, along with frustrated desires and conflicted drives. Modernity occupies an eminent part of the book which attempts to convey the manner in which individuals were entrapped within a given path fixed for them by the wheel of modernity. Lawrence's interest in psychology is evident through [a:Sigmund Freud|10017|Sigmund Freud|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1406688955p2/10017.jpg]'s influence over his characters, and more particularly in Paul's love for his mother which can be read as a manifestation of the Oedipus complex. Paul's attachment towards his mother is governed by intense and even erotic tendencies which prevent him from attaining emotional satisfaction with other women. At the same time, the character of Gertrude Morel is as interesting as that of her son. Frustrated with her marriage and crushed under its disappointments, she transfers her affection from husband to sons. In so doing, she unconsciously attempts to escape her confining existence by encouraging her sons to realize not only their dreams but also her own. Psychology was not Lawrence's sole focal point, however. The novel reflects his interest with Realism as well. The two spheres are closely intertwined in the text. While the former is explored through the behavior of the characters and the nature of their relationships, the latter can be seen in the author's attempts to capture life by infusing his characters with extremely sophisticated realistic traits. Alongside its absorption with psychological Realism, the novel also deals with social and economical issues. The realistic portrayal of the coal miners, of the long hours of their exhausting work, and of their money troubles reflects the circumstances of a whole class. At the same time the woman's question is included as well. The concept of the 'New Woman" is expanded upon through the character of Clara Dawes, who lived in defiance of the social norms of the day. On the one hand, she had maintained an intimate relationship with a man outside the ties of wedlock. On the other, her political interest and unconventional dressing code had marked her as a disreputable woman in the eyes of society. Apart from the concept of the New Woman, the role of women in society is further developed by means of Paul's passivity in regard to life. It is only with the help of the women in his own circle that he can reach psychological and moral maturity. Art in general and impressionism in particular are present in the novel through the sketches and art works of Paul, which is another Modernist trait in the book. Existentialism is also present in the work and marks its transformation from a bildungsroman to a Künstlerroman. The essence of Paul's life sums itself in his devotion to his mother and to his art. Therefore, when Gertrude dies, the balance and even the meaning of his life are lost. The only remaining solace is accordingly found in art, and it is at this time that the novel shifts to being a Künstlerroman focusing on the growth and maturity of Paul as an artist.