书中的母亲原是一个有文化修养的女子，却嫁给了一个文化水平低下的矿工。沉重的劳动使丈夫经常酗酒，性情变得暴躁，致使夫妻长期不和。母亲便把全部感情倾注在儿子身上，尤其是次子保罗，为了弥补在没有爱情的情况下把他带到世上的过失，她竭尽全力，以自己全部的爱把他抚养成人。畸形的母爱使保罗在与其他女人的关系中无法摆脱感情的困惑。无论是青梅竹马的米丽安，还是后来的有夫之妇克莱拉，他都无法敞开心扉真正去爱，直到母亲去世，他才真正长大成人。（The mother in the book, an educated lady, was married to a mine worker with little education. Because of heavy work, the husband became alcohol-addicted and his temper was very bad. The spouse relations were poor for a long time. So the mother gave all her love to his son and second son Paul. To make up for bringing him to the world without love, she tried her best to raise him with greatest love. The abnormal maternal love made the mother puzzled deeply when facing Paul's love of other women. When in love with Miriam and the married lady Clara, he was not able to love them completely. And he opened his mind and grew up only when his mother was deceased. ）