Dehumanization in D.H. Lawrence’s "Sons and Lovers"
- cleocuizon
- Jun 10
- 7 min read
Written by: Cleo Cuizon
Date Published: June 10, 2026
The modern world has established new possibilities for humanity to perceive outside the traditional beliefs of life. But as society progresses into a new order, the value of subjectivity slowly vanishes from the mindset, creating an outlook that deprives one's individuality. This idea defines the process of dehumanization. According to a source by Anisuka Luna, dehumanization consists of a “complex, relational, and subjective phenomenon,” that centralizes on forms of maltreatment altering humanity’s view of one another (18). The element’s influence also tackles literary perspectives, which D.H. Lawrence portrays through his works. One example is Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, which shares a story of the Morel family and their circumstances of poverty, love, hatred, and loss (Lawrence 2006). Amid their struggles, the characters portray dehumanizing aspects as certain events imply objectification in one’s existence. Through this idea, Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers explicate the concept of dehumanization through the experience of patriarchy, capitalism, and industrialization.
Patrarchy's Violent Dominance:
Patriarchy’s relevance to dehumanization exists through its principle of male supremacy. Lawrence’s idea of patriarchy involves a man’s “strong role [and] absolute power in society.” (Bo 1499). One example resonates within Walter and Gertrude’s relationship. Mr. and Mrs. Morel’s abusive marriage establishes patriarchal abuse through Walter’s erratic temper and alcoholic addiction. An example from the text includes their altercation through the children’s perspective:
Then he heard the booming shouts of his father, come home nearly drunk, then the sharp replies of his mother, then the bang, bang of his father’s fist on the table, and the nasty snarling shout as the man’s voice got higher. And then the whole was drowned in a piercing medley of shrieks and cries from the great, wind-swept ash-tree... He might hit their mother again. There was a feeling of horror, a kind of bristling in the darkness, and a sense of blood. (Lawrence, pt. 1, ch. 4)
A few elements to consider from this text involve the sensory details of Walter’s behavior. Lawrence offers various tones to a fight, where “booming shouts” or a “nasty snarling shout” diversifies the battle’s image from the children. A repetitive onomatopoeia through the “bang, bang” animates the sound of fists hitting against objects. The last few sentences signify patriarchal abuse, as a man objectifies his wife’s identity as a mere punching bag. This overall picture of domestic violence encapsulates dehumanization due to Gertrude falling victim to a man’s uncontrollable anger. Ting Bo emphasizes how the Victorian era influences this stereotypical mindset between genders, where men uphold the freedom to make decisions while the woman submits on this label of being “subordinate of men” (1500). Due to the lack of economic status, women like Mrs. Morel become victims of modern relationships and prisoners of a patriarchal culture (Bo 1501).
Aside from Mr. and Mrs. Morel, Paul and Miriam’s relationship presents a similar concept. One example includes Paul’s and Beatrice’s suggestive gestures. Despite Paul and Miriam’s apparent affair, Paul’s frustration over her conservative attitude desires revenge by showing her flirty gestures for Beatrice. Despite feeling guilty for his behavior, he explained how he mostly felt glad as “it served Miriam right.” (Lawrence, pt. 2, ch.8). This mindset embodies toxicity in patriarchy when Paul uses personal intuitions to justify his actions. On Miriam’s side, she submits to his behavior based on a similar reason to Mrs. Morel. She also felt bound to attach to Paul because of viewing herself as a self-sacrifice to his desire (Lawrence, pt. 2; ch.7). Dehumanization exists through Miriam due to the sacrificial acts diminishing the humanness of her identity, no matter how pure her intentions may show. Although there was no physical assault involved, Paul’s intent of emotional depravity manifests the concept as he uses Beatrice to prove the triviality of Miriam’s existence, while she endures pain through his actions (Bo 1501). Through this, the examples placed on both relationships show patriarchy’s relevance to dehumanization as its toxicity is deemed detrimental to society’s mindset.
Dehumanization's Confidant-Capitalism:
Another element that collaborates with the theme includes capitalism. The Marxist feature captures dehumanizing aspects within working environments, for it centralizes the “exploitation of workers [from] the owners [by] the means of productions.” (Albakrawi and Mahadeen, 60). One example occurs between Paul and Mr. Jordan. After Paul gets in trouble for not knowing fluent French, Mr. Jordan transfers him to another department. While Paul tries to adapt to the new environment, Mr. Jordan continues to torment him with condemnation in front of his peers, “Then all at once Mr. Jordan snatched away the invoice. “Make another! Are you going to send that to a gentleman?” And he tore up the blue form irritably… “Lads learn nothing nowadays, but how to recite poetry and play the fiddle.” (Lawrence, pt. 1, ch. 5). Even after Paul begins to progress through his job, Mr. Jordan continues to find other ways to criticize him, that putting a pen down was intolerable, “Put your pen in your ear, if you’re going to be a clerk. Pen in your ear!” (Lawrence, pt. 1, ch. 5). Such treatment towards Paul— knowing he was still new to the job— exemplifies dehumanization through Mr. Jordan’s brutal behavior. Lawrence’s presentation of the modern workforce offers how capitalism alienates the union of humanity and divides them into two sides, the elites and inferiors (Albakrawi and Mahadeen, 65). As society centralizes itself to materialism and social ranking, work environments use apathetic treatment to deprive the working class of the potential for individual expression.
Another presentation exists within the setting, where the factory’s imagery illustrates the extensive exertion towards workers,“Paul had made out the invoices. Now he had the packing up and addressing to do, then he had to weigh his stock of parcels on the scales. Everywhere voices were calling weights, there was the chink of metal, the rapid snapping of string, the hurrying to old Mr. Melling for stamps...The day in the factory was just twelve hours long.” (Lawrence, pt. 1; ch. 5). The description illustrates a hectic scenario in Paul’s shift, where there seems to be no room for rest until the end of his schedule. Sensory details of the workers and equipment share the working class’s routine of chaotic and strenuous labor. Such extremities for a day at work signify objectification based on Paul’s duty to withstand long hours of stressful procedures, only to use the other half of the day to rest, eat, and get ready for work again. Paul’s experience of capitalism is associated with dehumanization as people change “into either machine in the hands of the materialism or products stripped out of any individual characteristics.” (Albakrawi and Mahadeen, 65). Through his journey into the workforce, the dehumanizing aspect exposes maltreatment within humans as they enter a monotonous routine of agony.
Dehumanization's servants through Industrialism:
Besides capitalism, industrialism also contributes to the novel’s dehumanizing aspects. For instance, Walter’s relationship with Gertrude began in a typical romantic story, where adoration prevails despite a working-class and middle-class conflict. As they proceed towards marriage, Gertrude obtains disillusionment after discovering Walter’s unpaid expenses (Lawrence, pt.1 ch.1). Their relationship slowly worsens when Gertrude pressures Walter with expectations stemmed from her disappointment, “His nature was purely sensuous, and she strove to make him moral, religious. She tried to force him to face things. He could not endure it—it drove him out of his mind.” (Lawrence, pt. 1; ch. 1). Such authority could not only derive from Mrs. Morel’s unhappiness, but the expectations originated from her old life as a bourgeoise. A source from Dinesh Kumar states how the middle-class’s sophisticated values influence Gertrude to perceive the same in Walter, which ruins the love she had for her husband after his countless disappointments (768). Although Walter dehumanizes Mrs. Morel through physical abuse, he also experiences the same treatment through Kumar’s prospect. The modern culture pushes Gertrude to pursue higher standards of living, imposing her beliefs on Walter without considering his need for emotional support after days of hard work as a miner (Kumar 774). Thus, industrialization has an indirect effect on Morel’s relationship, as the wife rationalizes her view of marriage and emotionally destroys their bond in the process.
In another lens, Lawrence’s industrial imagery illustrates the dehumanization of Paul. At the end of the story, Paul dwells in despondence over his mother’s death. In fear of spiraling out of control, he dismisses this reflection and goes into the city, “But no, he would not give in. Turning sharply, he walked towards the city’s gold phosphorescence. His fists were shut, his mouth set fast. He would not take that direction, to the darkness, to follow her. He walked towards the faintly humming, glowing town, quickly.” (Lawrence, pt.2; ch.15). Paul’s actions imply how the industrial world disregards the value of sentimentality. Turning sharply towards the streets signifies Paul’s submission to its apathetic culture, where he imposes himself to move on and dismiss his emotions. His view of her mother as a path of darkness implies a similar pressure placed on Walter, that Paul willingly enters the city to escape her expectations, as it was his only choice. However, the setting’s imagery shares a place that does not welcome individualism. Society’s development towards modernized or industrialized goals “has taken away the freshness and enormity of family bondage”, based on Paul choosing the city’s glamour in the end (Chowdhury and Mahmud 216). Dehumanizing aspects exist through Paul’s body language, where it resembles a robot-like gesture after crying for his mother, thus enhancing his submission to industrialization (Lawrence, pt.2; ch.15). Both Paul and Walter shared similar experiences of slavery from industrialism, for their desire for individuality becomes an impossible feat. Through the relatable pressure of Mrs. Morel and industrial elements, dehumanization overpowers Paul and Walter to submit to the uncompromising world and change their being.
Conclusion:
Objectifying the humanness of others serves as a prominent aspect in Lawrence’s story, as literary elements show why dehumanization exists in Morel’s life. The concept of patriarchy shows how several features of masculinity may deprive others of their idea of dominance. Capitalism exemplifies the theme as Paul illustrates the physical and emotional torment of working-class individuals. Industrialism shows its fundamental role in Morel’s struggles against a life imposing the pressures of financial and social wealth. Such approaches in Lawrence’s narrative prove dehumanization and its impact on the human condition. The modernist elements convey their detrimental role, where the awareness of one’s shortcomings becomes a nuisance in modern society. Through this, the characters embodying this notion show how humanity’s continuous aspiration for development resulted in the abandonment of their utmost principle: the acknowledgment of being human.
Works Cited:
Albakrawi, Hussein T. and Mutasim Mahadeen. “Marxism and Sons and Lovers.” Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 3, no. 14, 2013, pp.60-66.
Bo, Ting. “An Ecofeminist Interpretation of Sons and Lovers.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 8, no. 11, 2018, pp. 1499-1503.
Chowdhury, Fariha Ishrat and Sohel Mahmud. “Industrialization and the Disintegration of Family Relationship in David Herbert Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers.” Language in India, vol. 11, 2011, pp. 210-218.
Kumar, Dinesh. “Dehumanization Due to Industrialization in D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers.” International Journal of Research, vol. 1, no.5, 2014, pp.766-793.
Lawrence, D.H. Sons and Lovers. Project Gutenberg, 16 Jan 2006, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/217/217-h/217-h.htm. Accessed 06 Jul. 2020.
Luna, Aniuska M. "The Components of Dehumanization." Peace and Conflict Studies, vol. 22, no. 1, 2015, pp. 18-33.
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