Discuss the symbolic use of ‘Coal-Pits’ in “Sons and Lovers.”

Answer

Discuss the symbolic use of ‘Coal-Pits’ in “Sons and Lovers.” [NU: 2018, 21] ★★★

In “Sons and Lovers” (1913), D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) uses the coal-pits as a strong symbol. The novel is set in Bestwood. It is a mining village. The pits are more than a workplace. They stand for poverty, struggle, death, and broken family bonds.

Symbol of Poverty and Struggle: The coal-pits show the hard life of the working class. Walter Morel works with his body in the dark mine. His life is shaped by dust, sweat, and danger. The pits take all his energy. He comes home tired, quarrelsome, and distant. The pits symbolize the trap of poverty. So, Lawrence says,

“There was a feeling of misery over all the house.”

They keep the Morel family tied to hardship. Their house is filled with misery because of the pit’s demands.

Symbol of Division in the Family: The pits also show division. Walter Morel belongs to the pit, but Gertrude Morel hates this life. She is refined, thoughtful, and seeks culture. The pit becomes the wall between husband and wife. The narrator says:

“Each forgot everything save the hatred of the other.”

Gertrude turns her love to her children instead. So the pit symbolizes the loss of love, the quarrels, and the breaking of a marriage. It divides the family instead of supporting it.

Symbol of Death and Fate: The pit stands for death. The miners risk their lives every day. It takes life slowly through tiredness and drink. It also takes life suddenly in accidents. For Walter, it becomes a symbol of fate. For Paul, it is the shadow he wishes to escape. The pit is dark, endless, and crushing. It symbolizes the death of joy in the Morel family.

Thus, the coal-pits are more than mines. They symbolize poverty, division, and death. They destroy Walter’s life and Gertrude’s marriage. They shape the fate of the children. In “Sons and Lovers”, the coal-pits stand