In Sons and Lovers, comment on the relationship between Paul and his mother.
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In Freudian terms, one could argue that Paul's relationship with his mother has strongly Oedipal overtones. There's certainly something vaguely sexual about their relationship, some romantic element that transgresses the bounds of what most people would consider an appropriate relationship between a mother and her son.
Having said that, there's no suggestion of anything incestuous having taken place between them; that's largely because Paul manages to transfer his subconscious incestuous desires towards Miriam and Clara. Additionally, although Paul perfectly fits the Oedipal type with regard to his father—about whom he entertains murderous fantasies—he crucially breaks the mould by killing his mother instead—not out of hatred, however, but rather out of a genuine desire to end his...
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