Sons and Lovers 4 5 by D H Lawrence 6

Penguin Readers Factsheets l e v e l E

T e a c h e r’s n o t e s 1

3 Sons and Lovers 4 5 by D H Lawrence 6

UPPER S U M M A R Y INTERMEDIATE

ons and Lovers is one of the most famous English Lawrence’s health was bad and he had to give up S novels of the twentieth century. Published in 1913, teaching. In 1912 he met a German woman, Frieda it tells the story of the Morel family, and in particular, Weekley, who left her husband and three children to live of Paul Morel. with him. During the First World War, Lawrence formed Gertrude Morel and Walter Morel live in a village in the many important friendships in artistic and literary circles. north of England. Gertrude is clever and competent. He was unable to fight, due to ill health. Walter, her husband, an uneducated coalminer, drinks his Lawrence published his third novel, The Rainbow, in money away and is often violent. Divided by class, the two 1915. It was declared obscene and suppressed. He do not understand each other, and Gertrude is bitterly completed Women in Love in 1916 but could not find a unhappy. She pours all her love and ambition into her four publisher until 1920, when it was published privately in children, and in particular, her oldest child, William. William New York. However, in 1920, his novel, The Lost Girl, won pre p a r es to marry a very superficial girl, against his the James Tait Memorial Prize. After the war, Lawrence mother’s wishes. Then tragedy occurs; he falls ill and dies. travelled constantly, all over the world. He wrote poetry, With William gone, Gertude’s love and hopes are pinned short stories, essays, travel books, as well as the following on Paul, who is talented and artistic. novels: The Lost Girl, Aaron’s Rod, Kangaroo and The At fourteen Paul finds a job in nearby Nottingham. He Plumed Serpent. The novelist’s health was very poor and makes friends with a highminded girl called Miriam. From he was constantly in need of money; his relationship with now on the story concerns Paul’s conflict between his love Frieda was stormy. Yet he continued to pour out work at an for his mother and his need to grow up and have sexual astonishing rate. In 1925 Lawrence returned to England. experience. Gertrude is jealous of Miriam and a tug-of-war He was dying of tuberculosis, yet he worked hard to starts for Paul’s love. Time passes. He longs to leave home produce his last novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It was but feels he cannot leave his mother. Eventually he sleeps privately printed in Italy in 1928. Lawrence died in the with Miriam but the relationship is unsuccessful. Paul south of France at the age of forty-four. embarks on another relationship with a more eart h y woman called Clara. With her he discovers ‘the enormous BACKGROUND AND THEMES power of passion’. But Paul realises that Clara is not his soulmate. Meanwhile, Gertrude dies of cancer. With his D. H. Lawrence was a rebel. He felt that society made mother gone, Paul, now twenty-three, is griefstricken. He people lifeless and unreal, and that the class system was feels a strong pull towards death. But the life urge in him pernicious. Lawrence believed in the ‘life force’, in Nature, proves stronger, and he sets off towards the ‘golden lights its beauty and its power. He also believed passionately in of the city’, to begin life anew. man’s natural instincts; he believed that sexual feeling between a man and woman was natural and should be celebrated. He was the first novelist in western culture to ABOUT D H LAWRENCE attempt to explore sexuality seriously and frankly. Because Sons and Lovers is highly autobiographical. Like Paul of this, several of his novels were refused publication and Morel, Lawrence was the younger son of a mining family. declared obscene. Lady Chatterley’s Lover, completed in He and his mother, Lydia, were very close, and his father 1928, was only published in its complete form in 1960. was violent. Lydia married beneath her and the marriage Lawrence’s writing was also revolutionary in that it was unhappy. At sixteen Lawrence met a girl called Jessie s t ressed the importance of feelings. The plot was Chambers, who was the model for Miriam. Like Paul, important for the light that it threw on the inner events in a Lawrence worked in a surgical goods factory. He then character. Lawrence’s novel style is often highly poetic. In trained to be a schoolteacher. Like Paul, Lawrence left a sense, Lawrence was a kind of mystic; he worshipped home at twenty-three. His first novel, The White Peacock, ‘life itself’ and attempted to convey his feelings and pass was published in 1911; his mother died of cancer in 1910. on his beliefs in his novels. To some extent he succeeded; With her death, the parallels end. in the west, the twentieth century has been an era of greater openness, particularly in the area of feelings.

All the themes described above are strongly present in Write your advice down. Sons and Lovers, Lawrence’s greatest novel. But it is perhaps most illuminating to read what Lawrence himself Chapters 4–6 wrote about the book: Put students into pairs. They discuss the following questions. ’A woman of character and refinement goes into the lower Do you think that Sons and Lovers, so far, is a realistic class and has no satisfaction in her own life...... As her book? Do you think it shows how life was in a coalminer’s sons grow up, she selects them as lovers - first the eldest, family in the early twentieth century? Do you like the book then the second...... But when they come to manhood, so far? Say why/why not. they can’t love, because their mother is the strongest power in their lives, and holds them ...... As soon as the young Chapters 7–9 men come into contact with women there is a split. William Put students into pairs. They answer the following gives himself to a superficial woman and his mother holds question.Then have a whole class discussion on the his soul. But the split kills him because he doesn’t know subject. where he is. (Paul) gets a woman who fights for his soul (a) What qualities should a good mother have? (Miriam) - fights his mother. The son loves the mother - all (b) Do you think Mrs Morel is a good mother? Say why/why the sons hate and are jealous of the father...... The son not. decides to leave his soul in his mother’s hands, and like his Chapters 10–12 elder brother, go for passion (Clara). Then the split begins to In pairs, students answer the following questions. Then tell again. But almost unconsciously, the mother realises have a whole class discussion. what is the matter and begins to die. The son leaves his (a) What kind of woman do you think would be the best mistress, attends to his mother dying. He is left in the end partner for Paul? Write a description of her. naked of everything, with the drift towards death. ‘ (b) Do you think Mrs Morel would like this woman? Say Finally, it is worth pointing out that when Lawrence says why/why not. Mrs Morel selects her sons ‘as lovers’, he does not mean Chapters 13–15 literally. He is not writing about incest, but about a powerful emotional connection. And although Lawrence talks about In pairs, students discuss the following questions. ‘the drift towards death’ the novel ends with Paul’s (a) How do you feel about the death of Mrs Morel? Can you affirmation of ‘life’ - which was Lawrence’s creed. explain your feelings? (b) What kind of life do you think Paul will go on to have? Do you think he will find the right woman for him? Communicative activities ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK In pairs, students discuss the following questions. The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections Imagine that Mrs Morel had not died. What would happen of text as the exercises at the back of the reader, and to Paul, do you think? Do you think his life would be very supplement those exercises. For supplementary exercises different? Give reasons for your opinion. covering shorter sections of the book see the photocopiable Student’s Activities pages of this Factsheet. These ar e primarily for use with class Readers but, with the exception of discussion and pair/groupwork questions, can also be G l o s s a r y used by students working alone in a self-access centre. It will be useful for your students to know the following new words. They ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK are practised in the Before You Read sections of exercises at the back of the book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman Dictionary Read the information about Sons and Lovers in the of Contemporary English.) Introduction. Give each student in the class a different Chapters 4–6 sentence from the second and third paragraphs (’Gertrude appliance (n) a piece of equipment such as a washing machine or Morel is poor ...... Miriam and Clara.’) Ask students to cooker memorise their fact and then put their strip of paper away. candle (n) a round stick of wax which is burned to provide light Students then have ten minutes to collect and write down coffin (n) a long box in which a dead person is buried or burnt sentences from other students. They do this by asking each elastic stocking (n) a stocking made of a type of rubber material other what their facts are. Then, in pairs or groups, they try engaged (n) having agreed to get married and piece together the sentences, if possible, in the right Chapters 7–9 order. exhibition (n) a public show where you put things so that people can go to see them ACTIVITIES WHILE READING A SECTION passionate (adj) having or involving very strong feelings of sexual love Chapters 1–3 swing (n) a seat hanging from ropes or chains for children to play on Chapters 10-12 Put students into pairs. They discuss the following cherry (n) a small black or red round fruit questions. impress (adj) if someone impresses you, you admire them How do you feel as you read about the problems in the lace (n) a fine cloth made with patterns of many very small holes Morel’s marriage? How do you feel towards Walter Morel? Chapters 13–15 How do you feel towards Gertrude Morel? What advice cancer (n) a very serious disease in which cells start to grow in a way would you give to them both? that is not normal divorce (n) the legal ending of a marriage

Published and distributed by Pearson Education Factsheet written by W S Fowler © Pearson Education 2000 Factsheet series developed by Louise James Penguin Readers Factsheets l e v e l

Student’s activities 1 Sons and Lovers 2 3

Photocopiable 4 These activities can be done alone or with one or more other students. Pair/group-only activities are marked. 5

Activities before reading the book 6

Work in pairs. Read the information about Sons and CHAPTER 4 Lovers in the Introduction. What do you think it is like, UPPER when all our mother’s ‘love and attention’ is directed 1 Answer these questions. INTERMEDIATE towards you? What are the good things about this? What (a) Why does everyone keep quiet when Morel are the bad things? comes home? (b) Why does Paul stay at home on Friday nights? Activities while reading the book (c) Why is the family so poor that autumn? (d) Why are there such special preparations for CHAPTER 1 Christmas? 1 Answer these questions. (e) Why is everyone in the family mad with (a) Describe Mrs Morel. happiness? (b) Describe Walter Morel. (f) Why is Mrs Morel ‘robbed of all feeling for days’? (c) Why are they so attracted to each other at first? 2 In what ways does Morel become an ‘outsider’ to his (d) Why does Mrs Morel become so disappointed family? How does this make him feel? and unhappy with Walter? CHAPTER 5 (e) Describe two events involving Morel that especially upset Gertrude. 1 Choose the correct answer. (f) How does Morel feel about his wife, do you (a) Morel goes to hospital because think? (i) he hurts his head. (ii) he breaks his leg. (g) How many children do the Morels have? (b) Mrs Morel feels that William is 2 Why do you think Morel cuts off William’s hair? And (i) losing himself. (ii) managing his life well. why is his wife so upset? (c) Paul finds a job in a factory making CHAPTER 2 (i) elastic stockings. (ii) socks. (d) The man who interviews Paul is called 1 Write an imaginary letter from Mrs Morel to a friend. In it, she tells her friend about her problems with Morel. (i) Mr Pappleworth. (ii) Mr Jordan. In particular she writes about: (e) Paul’s day at the factory is - her feelings towards their third child. (i) ten hours long. (ii) twelve hours long. - Morel’s attitude towards the third child. 2 Describe Paul’s relationship with his mother. Find two - the time when he throws the kitchen drawer at her. phrases in the chapter that show how close they are. - the time when he pretends to leave home. 3 What do you think will happen to William in the next 2 Would you describe Walter Morel as a bad man? Say chapters? why/why not. CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 3 1 Answer these questions. 1 Correct these sentences. (a) Why does Arthur leave home? (a) Morel becomes the most important thing in Mrs (b) What is Annie’s job? Morel’s life. (c) Describe Gyp. (b) Paul loves his father and follows him everywhere. (d) What does Mrs Morel think of Gyp and William’s (c) Arthur, the oldest child, hates his father. engagement to her? (d) William is stupid and untalented. (e) Where do Paul and his mother go one Monday afternoon and why do they enjoy it so much? (e) William gets a job in London at thirty shillings a week. (f) Describe William’s illness. (f) Mrs Morel is delighted that William is going to (g) Why do you think Paul gets so ill? And why does London. he recover? 2 Who do you think William resembles most, his father 2 Explain this sentence: ‘Mrs Morel’s life now fixed itself or his mother? Say why you think this. Why do you on Paul.’ Do you think it is good that Mrs Morel does think William does so well at everything? this?

CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 12 1 Work in pairs. 1 Who says these things? Who to? Explain the Student A: You are Paul. Describe Miriam to your situation. friend and tell your friend how you feel about her. Also (a) ‘You don’t expect to like her.’ talk about your problems with your mother. (b) ‘I hope you don’t mind my coming.’ Student B: You are a friend of Paul’s. Listen to Paul (c) ‘Thank you but I can’t say when.’ and tell him what you think. (d) But you’ll get tired of her my son, you know you 2 Do you think Paul and Miriam are suited to each will.’ other? Say why/why not. How do you think their 2 Do you think Mrs Morel is right? Will Paul ‘get tired’ of relationship will develop? Clara, do you think? Say why/why not.

CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 13 1 Put these events in the right order. __ 1 Answer these questions. (a) Paul and his father almost fight. __ (a) Why does Paul find Clara so attractive at the (b) Paul takes Miriam home. __ theatre? (c) Paul meets Clara Dawes. __ (b) Why does Baxter Dawes insult Paul in a pub? (d) Paul’s words upset his mother. __ (c) Why does Clara advise Paul to carry a gun? (e) Pauls paintings win first prize at the Castle (d) Why does Paul lose interest in Clara? Museum. __ (e) Why does Baxter attack Paul? (f) Mrs Morel faints. __ (f) Why is Paul’s mother ‘as pale as death’? (g) Paul burns the bread. __ 2 How do you think the story will end? 2 Answer these questions. (a) How is Clara Dawes different from Miriam? CHAPTER 14 (b) What does Mrs Morel say that shows she is 1 Correct these sentences and explain the situation. jealous of Miriam? (a) Mrs Morel becomes ill at her home. (c) Why is this chapter called ‘The Battle of Love’? (b) Mrs Morel is ill with a heart problem. CHAPTER 9 (c) Mrs Morel dies in Sheffield. (d) Paul goes to visit his mother in a rest home near 1 Complete these sentences. Sheffield. (a) ‘It’s not ...... , our relationship. Let’s end it.’ (e) Mrs Morel dies entirely naturally. (b) He had come back to his ...... Hers was (f) At his mother’s funeral, Paul feels very the strongest ...... in his life.’ sympathetic towards his father. (c) Suddenly, without realising, Paul was dropping a 2 How do you feel about Paul helping his mother to handful of ...... over her hair and neck. die? Do you think it was right? (d) Paul dreamed of following ...... and ...... Yet home for him was beside his CHAPTER 15 ...... 1 What do you understand by these sentences? (e) For Miriam’s twenty-first birthday, Paul ...... her a long rather philosophical ...... , which (a) ‘Paul’s life had fallen to pieces.’ more or less brought their ...... to an end. (b) ‘He would not take that direction, to the 2 What advice would you give Paul? Write one or two darkness, to follow her.’ paragraphs about this. 2 Why doesn’t Paul stay with Miriam? CHAPTER 10 1 Explain how these things or people are connected. Activities after reading the book (a) Paul/first prize 1 Compare Miriam and Clara. How are they similar? (b) Arthur/responsibility How are they different. Write two to three paragraphs (c) Clara/Jordan’s. on the subject. (d) Miriam/Paul’s soul 2 What are your feelings about Paul? do you like him or 2 Describe Clara and her relationship with Paul. admire him? Give reasons for your opinion. CHAPTER 11 3 Sons and Lovers was first published in 1913. It is Why does Paul leave Miriam? Do you think he is cruel to thought to be a ‘great’ book. Do you agree with this her? Give reasons. opinion? Say why/why not.

Published and distributed by Pearson Education Factsheet written by W S Fowler © Pearson Education 2000 Factsheet series developed by Louise James