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Fiction

Notes realizes that his mother is ill. They discover that she has a tumor, and Paul goes to see her
doctor in Nottingham. He agrees to come to Sheffield, looks at the tumor, and says that he
may be able to cure it. Mrs. Morel stays in Sheffield for two months, and then the family hires
a motor-car to drive her home, at which she is very glad.

Analysis

In this chapter Paul admits that his mother does not share in all aspects of his life: his sex life
is separate from her. He evidently feels that the incident with Dawes in the bar belongs to this
life, because he feels mortified at the thought of telling her about it. However, he does not like
having to conceal anything from his mother.
We can see, however, that his mother is still the most important to him through his thoughts
as he tries to make his way home after his fight with Dawes: he thinks over and over again
that he must make it home to his mother.
Paul’s reflections on love recall his older brother William’s complaints when he was engaged.
Paul thinks that he loves Clara when he is with her, is indifferent toward her when not with
her, and often tunes her out when she talks to him.

Chapter 14: The Release

Summary
Dr. Ansell tells Paul that Baxter Dawes is in the fever hospital in Sheffield, and Paul decides
to visit him. Paul tells Dawes that he can recommend him a convalescent home in Seathorpe.
He tells Clara that he has been to visit Dawes in the hospital, and she becomes upset and
realizes that she has treated her husband badly. She goes to see him to try to make amends,
but at first they do not get on well. Paul also visits Dawes a few times, and the two men begin
to develop a sort of friendship.
Paul does not spend much time with Clara now, because he is occupied with his mother’s
illness. Mrs. Morel gets gradually worse, and Paul spends much time caring for her. When
Clara reminds him that it is her birthday, he takes her to the seashore, but spends most of the
time talking about his mother and how he wishes that she would die.
The next time he sees Dawes, Paul mentions that he has been with Clara, and this is the first
mention the two men make of Clara. He tells Dawes that he will go abroad after his mother
dies.

Time passes, and Mrs. Morel stays the same. Miriam writes to Paul and he visits her. She
kisses him, believing he will be comforted, but he does not want that kind of comfort from her
and finally manages to get away. Paul and Annie share the nursing of their mother. They
begin to feel as if they can no longer go on, and Paul decides to give her an overdose of
morphia to put an end to all their suffering. He crushes all the pills they have into his mother’
milk and she drinks it obediently, believing it to be a new sleeping draught. She lasts through
the night and finally dies the next morning.
Dawes is now in a convalescent home, and Paul goes to see him again and suggests that he
has plenty of life left in him and that he should try to get Clara back so that he can regain
something of his former life. The next day, he and Clara bring Dawes to his lodging and Paul
leaves them together.

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