Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Sympathetic, but Fair
We're the first to admit that Sons and Lovers has some less-than-admirable characters in it. But throughout the text, the narrator manages to present these characters with a sympathetic tone. This generosity is evident in the snippets we see of Walter Morel's perspective, even as his alcoholism and abusiveness turns his family against him:
Conversation was impossible between the father and any other member of the family. He was an outsider. He had denied the God in him. (4.77)
Almost makes you want to say, "Poor Walter," are we right? Even though you know this guy really hurts his family. So, as you can see, the book manages to sympathize with Morel's downfall without ever excusing the fact that he's a pretty bad husband and father.
For Lawrence, it's really important for modern folks to maintain their humanity. After all, in our contemporary world, bosses love to work their employees to the bone for no money. And this cruelty seems to infect all of society with a sense of emotional coldness.
But our trusty author wants us to learn how to approach one another with a steady sense of sympathy. It's okay to call Walter Morel a bad guy, but it's just as important to understand the reasons behind his behavior and to not indulge in feelings of moral superiority. We don't want to be just a bunch of heartless individuals in a dog-eat-dog modern world, now do we?