Relationship and Class in Sons and Lovers

Abstract No r eading of Sons and Lovers can neglect the explanation Lawrence himself offered for it in a letter to Edward Garnett,his literary mentor, on 19 November 1912, the day after he had sent the completed manuscript of the novel to the London publisher Duckworth, for whom Garnett was a reader. This was the fourth manuscript version of the novel (Lawrence was still referring to it as ‘Paul Morel’, after its hero, although he had first suggested ‘Sons and Lovers’ in October), and Lawrence, writing from Italy, wanted to ensure in advance of his responding to the manuscript that Garnett understood what he was trying to achieve. He also needed to reassure Garnett that the latest version addressed the older man’s criticisms of earlier drafts: ‘I want to defend it, quick. I wrote it again, pruning it and shaping it and filling it in.