# Baxter Dawes — Sons and Lovers character guide

> Baxter Dawes in Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Baxter Dawes, Dawes, Baxter, XIII Baxter Dawes

**First appearance:** 0009-part-ii-x-clara

## Snapshot

A handsome, dissolute blacksmith with cowed defiance in his bearing, he is Clara's estranged husband and the man Paul instinctively dislikes.

## Who they are

Baxter Dawes works as smith for the factory that employs Paul, making irons for cripple instruments, and he moves through the same working world with a dangerous, self-loathing edge. He shares his wife Clara's white skin and golden coloring, but where she has taken up Women's Rights, he carries a sensual mouth and quick-shifting eyes that seem half hate. His instant hostility toward Paul plants a rivalry that simmers beneath the surface of Paul's relationship with Clara, threatening to erupt.

## In the story

### [XIII: Baxter Dawes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sons_and_lovers_se/chapters/part-ii-xiii-baxter-dawes)

Appears worn and desperate; publicly insults Paul about his evening with Clara; engages in a physical altercation with Paul at the pub.

### [XIV: The Release](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sons_and_lovers_se/chapters/part-ii-xiv-the-release)

Recovering from his illness, Dawes depends on Paul and seeks reconciliation with Clara, showing humility and a beaten spirit.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sons_and_lovers_se/characters/baxter_dawes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sons_and_lovers_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sons_and_lovers_se/characters