Sons and Lovers

by

D. H. Lawrence

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Miriam Leivers Character Analysis

Miriam is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leivers and the long-term girlfriend of Paul Morel. Paul meets Miriam when she is fourteen and continues to spend time with her into her early twenties. Miriam is a deeply self-conscious and spiritual girl. She is extremely religious, loves to feel pure, and is afraid of physical sensation and experience. Her emotions tend to be very extreme and close to the surface and she has trouble making light of situations and being friendly and familiar with people. She reads a lot and resents her life on the farm. She wants to have an education and has an extremely romantic view of herself as a literary heroine who has been trapped in a life of manual labor. She and Paul have a deep intellectual connection and spend many hours together discussing books, art, and religion. Although she is in love with Paul, Miriam despises sexual contact and disapproves of physical love outside of marriage, which she is afraid of and feels too young for. She views sex as a “sacrifice” and is willing to sacrifice herself for Paul, in order to give him pleasure. Throughout her relationship with Paul, Miriam is convinced that Paul is the best and most soulful version of himself when he is with her. She feels confident that, in the end, Paul will choose her over the other women who compete for his affections: his mother and, later, Clara Dawes. At times, Miriam tries to manipulate Paul into staying with her, but generally she is confused by his erratic behavior towards her and is hurt by his frequent rejections. Despite this, Miriam is stronger than Paul and often dislikes him because he is so easily swayed by his mother’s opinion. Miriam, on the other hand, genuinely thinks for herself. She is hated by Mrs. Morel, who feels that she would “suck the soul” from her son, and by Annie and Clara, who find her insipid and needy.

Miriam Leivers Quotes in Sons and Lovers

The Sons and Lovers quotes below are all either spoken by Miriam Leivers or refer to Miriam Leivers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family, Psychology, and the Oedipus Complex Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

He waited grimly, and watched. At last Miriam let the bird peck from her hand. She gave a little cry, fear, and pain because of fear, rather pathetic. But she had done it, and she did it again.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

They were both brown-eyed and inclined to be mystical, such women as treasure religion inside them, breathe it in their nostrils, and see the whole of life in a mist thereof. So, to Miriam Christ and God made one great figure, which she loved tremblingly and passionately when a tremendous sunset burned out the western sky; and Ediths and Lucys and Rowenas, Brian de Bois Guilberts, Rob Roys and Guy Mannerings rustled the sunny leaves in the morning, or sat in her bedroom, aloft, alone, when it snowed. That was life to her.

Related Characters: Miriam Leivers, Mrs. Leivers
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 173
Explanation and Analysis:

She wanted to show him a certain wild-rose bush she had discovered. She knew it was wonderful. And yet, till he had seen it, she felt it had not come into her soul. Only he could make it her own, immortal … By the time they came to the pine-trees Miriam was getting very eager, and very tense. Her bush might be gone. She might not be able to find it. And she wanted it so much. Almost passionately, she wanted to be with him when she stood before the flowers. They were going to have a communion together, something that thrilled her, something holy.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Related Symbols: Flowers
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

Spring was the worst time. He was changeable and intense and cruel. So he decided to stay away from her. Then came the hours when he knew Miriam was expecting him. His mother watched him growing restless. He could not go on with his work. He could do nothing. It was as if something were drawing his soul out, towards Willey Farm. Then he put on his hat and went, saying nothing. And his mother knew he was gone. And as soon as he was on the way, he sighed with relief. And when he was with her, he was cruel again.

Related Characters: Mrs. Gertrude Morel, Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Page Number: 231
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

Her big brown eyes were watching him, still and resigned and loving; she lay as if she had given herself up to sacrifice: there was her body for him; but the look at the back of her eyes, like a creature awaiting immolation, arrested him, and all his blood fell back … She was very quiet, very calm. She only realized that she was doing something for him. He could hardly bear it. She lay to be sacrificed for him, because she loved him so much. And he had to sacrifice her. For a second, he wished he were sex-less, or dead. Then he shut his eyes again to her, and his blood beat back again.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Related Symbols: Darkness
Page Number: 333-334
Explanation and Analysis:
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Miriam Leivers Quotes in Sons and Lovers

The Sons and Lovers quotes below are all either spoken by Miriam Leivers or refer to Miriam Leivers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family, Psychology, and the Oedipus Complex Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

He waited grimly, and watched. At last Miriam let the bird peck from her hand. She gave a little cry, fear, and pain because of fear, rather pathetic. But she had done it, and she did it again.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

They were both brown-eyed and inclined to be mystical, such women as treasure religion inside them, breathe it in their nostrils, and see the whole of life in a mist thereof. So, to Miriam Christ and God made one great figure, which she loved tremblingly and passionately when a tremendous sunset burned out the western sky; and Ediths and Lucys and Rowenas, Brian de Bois Guilberts, Rob Roys and Guy Mannerings rustled the sunny leaves in the morning, or sat in her bedroom, aloft, alone, when it snowed. That was life to her.

Related Characters: Miriam Leivers, Mrs. Leivers
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 173
Explanation and Analysis:

She wanted to show him a certain wild-rose bush she had discovered. She knew it was wonderful. And yet, till he had seen it, she felt it had not come into her soul. Only he could make it her own, immortal … By the time they came to the pine-trees Miriam was getting very eager, and very tense. Her bush might be gone. She might not be able to find it. And she wanted it so much. Almost passionately, she wanted to be with him when she stood before the flowers. They were going to have a communion together, something that thrilled her, something holy.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Related Symbols: Flowers
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

Spring was the worst time. He was changeable and intense and cruel. So he decided to stay away from her. Then came the hours when he knew Miriam was expecting him. His mother watched him growing restless. He could not go on with his work. He could do nothing. It was as if something were drawing his soul out, towards Willey Farm. Then he put on his hat and went, saying nothing. And his mother knew he was gone. And as soon as he was on the way, he sighed with relief. And when he was with her, he was cruel again.

Related Characters: Mrs. Gertrude Morel, Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Page Number: 231
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

Her big brown eyes were watching him, still and resigned and loving; she lay as if she had given herself up to sacrifice: there was her body for him; but the look at the back of her eyes, like a creature awaiting immolation, arrested him, and all his blood fell back … She was very quiet, very calm. She only realized that she was doing something for him. He could hardly bear it. She lay to be sacrificed for him, because she loved him so much. And he had to sacrifice her. For a second, he wished he were sex-less, or dead. Then he shut his eyes again to her, and his blood beat back again.

Related Characters: Paul Morel, Miriam Leivers
Related Symbols: Darkness
Page Number: 333-334
Explanation and Analysis: