Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence -- Brief analysis of family relationships

When William leaves the house to take a high-paying job in London, he is excited, but Mrs. Morel is grief-stricken over his parting. Being his mother, she should be proud of him, but she is not. Rather, she fears losing him and holds even more tightly onto her other son, Paul. This shows her inability to mother her sons correctly beyond their childhood. Instead of showing her love for William by letting him go proudly, she shows her insecurity and fear by coddling her other son more.
While at first, Mrs. Morel is intolerant of her husband's drinking and bad behavior, as she begins to disco…