Lady Chatterley's Lover

Clifford comes from an aristocratic family who has lived on the same land for generations. How does his heritage impact his connection to Wragby Hall and the estate? How is the aristocracy and its values portrayed in the novel more generally?

Connie has an extramarital affair before she meets Mellors. Why is it significant that her relationship with Mellors is not her first adulterous relationship? Compare and contrast Mellors and Michaelis. How are they different, and how are they similar?

What impact does Mrs. Bolton have on the plot and on the development of Connie’s character? What does Mrs. Bolton add to the novel’s exploration of the roles of being a wife and mother? How does she impact the wider exploration of class and gender dynamics?

How is sexuality depicted in the novel? What is the connection between emotional and sexual intimacy, both within the relationship between Connie and Mellors and between the other characters?

What are the class dynamics in the novel, and how are class differences depicted? Do Connie and Mellors ultimately manage to overcome class differences? Why or why not?

What role does Bertha Mellors play in the novel? How does her characterization and narrative arc compare to Connie’s? How does the marriage between Mellors and Bertha compare to the marriage between Connie and Clifford?

Most of the novel takes place within the confines of the Wragby Hall estate, but the final section includes a number of other settings, such as Paris, Venice, and London. What is the impact of introducing these new settings? Do characters behave differently in different settings? If so, how and why?

Analyze the role of World War I and its impact in the novel. How is wartime trauma depicted in the novel? How do characters differ in their coping mechanisms? What connections, if any, exist between the war and the experience of modernity?