A young man with artistic talent who lives in a close-knit, English coal-mining town during the early 20th century finds himself inhibited by his emotionally manipulative, domineering mother — a literary, psychological interpretation of the Oedipus story.
Gertrude Morel, miserable in her marriage, puts her hope into her son, Paul. In seeking to maintain her involvement in and influence over Paul's life, she jealously attempts to prevent Paul from having a relationship with the girl he is seeing, Miriam. Miriam too suffers from a maternal influence - her mother has imbued in her a distaste for sex. Paul drops Miriam but becomes enchanted with self-actualized and "liberated" feminist co-worker, Mrs. Clara Dawes, who is married, though separated. Paul and Clara become involved sexually and Clara realizes that Paul's emotional attachment, as with her own, lies with another person — in Paul's case, his mother.
Gertrude learns of Paul's involvement with Clara, and slips into a morose depression and, later, serious physical sickness. Clara rejects Paul for his lack of emotional connection to her and her continuing feelings for her husband. Paul flees to his terminally ill mother, to care for her and sit by her side. After his mother's death, Paul meets again the girlfriend of his youth, Miriam, and rejects her proposal of marriage, telling her that he intends to live the rest of his life without any serious relationship with another woman.
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