Abstract

Although many researchers have already done a large number of researches on the novel Sons and Lovers, some controversies remain unsettled, such as whether Paul is deeply affected by the Oedipus complex, and what plays the crucial role in Paul’s personality development. Moreover, there are relatively few studies which focus on the discussion of the elements which influence the formation of Paul’s personality. The fact that personality is able to affect one’s entire life is so evident both in Paul’s case and in many people who live in reality. Therefore, it is of great importance to explore what elements play the important role in shaping Paul’s personality formation. It is argued by thesis that Paul’s personality is mostly influenced by Paul’s inner world which interacts with other factors including family and society.

The main body of this thesis consists of three parts. The first part introduces theories of psychologists such as Freud and Erikson which help to understand and analyze factors affecting Paul’s personality. The second part is a detailed analysis of the characteristics of Paul’s personality and the causes for its formation. In this part, the features of Paul’s typical personality are revealed respectively and factors which trigger and form the personality are indicated internally and externally. Eventually, as the reflection of society, Paul’s case is combined to analyze certain groups of people with psychological problems and come up with solutions for treating the illnesses. With theories such as stages of personality development raised by Sigmund Freud, theories of psychoanalysis and Erick H. Erikson’s theory of eight stages of life, it is easy to come up with a conclusion that Paul’s personality is formed by various factors including Paul’s inner world which is counted as the most influential one and several external factors such as family and society. The paper ends with solutions for people with psychological illnesses.

Key words: Sons and Lovers, personality formation, Oedipus complex, psychological illnesses