Matt Ravaioli ENGL 494.01/Spring 2002 March 7, 2002 “Victory Over the Limits” There is no doubt that DH Lawrence’s limits of expression are far different than many successful writers before him. These limits were not etched in stone, but writers knew that there were certain boundaries that should not be crossed. Lawrence chooses a number of ways to push these boundaries, and is extremely successful in doing so. His dedication to use the strongest possible language and expressions to describe sexual encounters forced his novel to come under wraps. Each of the main characters contributes to the challenge Lawrence gives to the limits of expression. Their actions as well as their language confirms the challenge Lawrence makes towards these limits. Lady Chatterley’s Lover is in itself a statement to the literary world, that the limits of expression need to be challenged, and will be.
Lady Constance Chatterley is one of the main characters of the novel and a very controversial figure. She is a perfect example of how the questions of social class are raised. Her existence on the country estate limits her connections with the outside world, causing strong conflict within her. The fact that her husband is paralyzed and impotent begins to wear on her, and her attitude takes a dramatic turn. Her character is a challenge to the limits of expression because of her sexual desires. Although her first affair with Michaelis did not satisfy her needs, it showed her readiness to rebel against the norm. Her second affair is the one that raises the eyebrows of anyone who reads the novel.
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Mellors was a man of less stature than Connie, which was another example of her rebellious nature. It also developed into much more than a harmless rendezvous. The explicit description of their sexual encounters was enough to stir up controversy. “Oh, don’t tease him”, said Connie, crawling on her knees on the bed towards him… her hanging swinging breasts touched the tip of the stirring, erect phallus, and caught the drop of moisture. She held the man fast.
Lie down he said. Lie down! Let me come”(LCL 226-227).
That excerpt is enough to prove that DH Lawrence was ready for controversy. The fact that he places a woman in this situation shows that any one of the characters is capable of anything. Mellors is the character that takes all the limits of expression to the most extreme level. His relationship with Connie takes over the plot of the novel, bringing this gamekeeper to the forefront. Since his social status is so low, the tight bond these two form is another way tom that Lawrence strays from the norm.
As the man of the relationship Mellors is given more freedom of expression by Lawrence. He is capable of explicitly describing every one of the couple’s sexual encounters, through the character of Mellors. Lawrence makes a very bold move by allowing Mellors to be as graphic as he is. “I believe especially in being warm-hearted in love, in fucking with a warm heart. I believe if men could fuck with warm hearts, and the women take it warm-heartedly, everything would come all right. It’s all this cold-hearted fucking that is death and idiocy”(LCL 222).
This statement made by mellors, to his lover, shows how far Lawrence pushes the limits.
This is also a great example of the author using obscene language to get a point across. At the time Lady Chatterley’s Lover was published, these words were considered offensive. This passage is a perfect example of why the book faced so much controversy. It also shows how succesful Lawrence was in challenging the limits of expression. The way Lawrence depicts sex in this scene is different than most authors before him. The language he chooses forces the book to be more explicit, causing outrage over the text. Mixing together men and women from different social classes can sometimes cause problems within a text. DH Lawrence uses this question of class to his advantage.
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The way Mellors and Connie meet secretly and continue to see each other are a way out of the traps of class. Showing a woman like Lady Chatterley fall for a man with Mellors’ stature is another knock by Lawrence towards the limits of expression. Towards the end of the novel Connie believes she has discovered a way to be with Mellors. The deceptive nature of her idea shows that Lawrence is willing to let the women of this novel be free. “We will see if Duncan will consent to figure as co-respondent: then we must get Clifford to divorce Connie: and you must go on with your divorce, and you must both keep apart till you are free”(LCL 310).
Connie is the advocate to seeing these plans through.
Mellors has more reservations than she does, displaying the freedom given to her by Lawrence. DH Lawrence uses a number of different literary devices to challenge the limits of expression in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The role that Connie plays is a challenge in itself, as women are not prone to act as she did. Her sexual nature mixed with her willingness to deceive paints a far different picture that what readers were used to. The character of Mellors also plays a huge role in Lawrence’s stand. As a lower class citizen his affair, coupled with his explicit language use, make him a significant player in the novel’s stance.
In writing Lady Chatterley’s Lover DH Lawrence shows blatant disregard for the limits of expression that existed. Instead he chose to be more descriptive and more extravagant, in writing a better novel..
