Mariam vs. Clara

I could not help but to instantly like Mariam upon first meeting her. There was something endearing about her, and genuine, as well as a goodness and an honest that gave her charm and made my heart go out to her, made me root for her. I believe she held a very deep love for Paul and that he was meant for her they had a deep and soulful connection, and I think it was the deepness of it, and perhaps the power of it, which scared him and caused him to start to rile against her. He had a fear of commitment so he turned from her for the sake of something lesser then what they share, that was not as daunting to him.

Clara I could not help but a sort of instinctual dislike of, to me she is a fraud and that is the thing of which most irritated me about her, is that she is not true to herself, she tried to pass herself in the guise of a strong woman, but as her char develops more, it seems she is in fact really rather weak and only pretending to be something she is not. For all her talk and pomp, she did not take very long to submit to Paul despite her previous railing against men.

I also think it is quite cruel the way Paul's family treated Mariam while they took Clara in with warm embrace, though I think this has a lot to do with the fact that Mrs. Morel does not see Clara as a threat, she knows that Paul's relationship with Clara is fickle, based purely upon the physical, so while Clara can have his body, she will still keep her sons soul and heart to herself, and this is why she was set against Mariam, because Mariam's relationship with Paul was more true and so she would take his soul and heart fully, and Mrs. Morel feared greatly to have to let her son go, so she set to drive Mraiam off, and would settle to see him in a shallow relationship so she can still keep him to herself.

Considering the way Clara so no problem and was so quick to move in on Paul I think it was quite cruel and petty of her, particularly being a woman whom is supposed to be pro suffrage and woman's rights, to have gossiped in such a way against Maraim behind her back to Mrs. Morel, because she thinks that now that Paul is with her, he ought to cast Maraim off completely despite her own flirtations with him while he was still involved with Mariam, and I think Paul ought to have spoken up in defense of Maraim when he had caught them in their act.

Dark Muse, there is a discussion of Sons and Lovers going on right now. It is here: http://www.online-literature.com/for...500#post472500.

Perhaps moderators, you can combine this thread and the other one started by Dark Muse, titled "Paul" and merge them into the Sons and Lovers thread going on right now.

Thank you, I just joined yesturday, so I did not know