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Similes
Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Inconstant Constance:
In choosing to name his female protagonist “Constance,” Lawrence introduces an element of situational irony into the novel that grows in complexity as the book progresses.
The name "Constance" is derived from the Latin "constantia," meaning “steadfastness.” Constance is not one of the official “virtue names” of the Victorian Period like "Hope," "Faith," or "Charity." However, like these names, it points to the idea that a child named "Constance" should embody steadiness, consistency, and loyalty. This immediately sets up an expectation for Connie's character. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, Lawrence’s reader discovers that Constance is not “constant” in almost anything, from her marriage to her views on sexuality, morality, and class.
While a reader might expect a person named Constance to be consistent in their affections, Lady Chatterley’s affections undergo several major shifts. She has numerous love affairs as a teenager and has extramarital sex with multiple men. She eventually leaves Clifford for Oliver Mellors, but not before they have undergone a huge amount of strife and indecision about the best course of action to pursue.
Secondly, the title "Lady Chatterley" positions Constance within a particular social rank. Being “Lady Constance Chatterley”—the wife of an influential conservative aristocrat—carries with it certain expectations regarding behavior, decorum, and responsibility. Yet, her actions, particularly her relationship with Mellors, soon begin to totally subvert these expectations. She grows more and more unhappy and “restless” in her marriage, and in her life as a country manor’s lady. She doesn't behave in a stereotypically "ladylike" fashion consistently at all.
Thirdly, it seems particularly situationally ironic that this character is named “Constance” when the other two protagonists are far more “constant” than she is. Although Mellors and Clifford do undergo some changes as the novel progresses, their central character traits and motivations remain primarily unchanged. “Constance,” however, changes so much by the end of the novel that she is practically unrecognizable to her first husband and to her sister.
Related Themes:
Chapter 14
Explanation and Analysis—No Balls:
As he explains his perception of Clifford to Connie, Mellors uses the idiom "no balls" to describe Lord Chatterley’s perceived lack of manliness. This leads to a funny exchange filled with situational irony. When Connie asks him to explain the “balls” comment, Mellors says:
“You say a man’s got no brain, when he’s a fool: and no heart, when he’s mean; and no stomach when he’s a funker. And when he’s got none of that spunky wild bit of a man in him, you say he’s got no balls. When he’s a sort of tame.”
She pondered this.
“And is Clifford tame?” she asked.
“Tame, and nasty with it: like most such fellows, when you come up against ’em.”
In this passage, Mellors talks about how he perceives Clifford’s masculinity. As is typical of this novel, he explains a psychological characteristic through language that involves the body. When Connie doesn’t understand what the reference to testicles means, Mellors explains by drawing parallels with other bodily idioms. He explains that just as one might say a fool has "no brain" or a coward has "no stomach," to say a man has "no balls" indicates a deficiency in his masculinity. Mellors thinks that Clifford is unmanly because he is “tame” and lacking that “wild” bit of manliness that he possesses himself.
The situation is dripping with situational irony because of the actual status of Lord Chatterley’s testicles. While Mellors uses the phrase “no balls” metaphorically, Clifford is in reality physically infertile due to his war injury. Although it’s unclear how damaged his lower body actually is, the reader knows that Clifford can neither walk nor sire children. Mellors's blunt assessment of Clifford as "tame" yet "nasty" emphasizes the difference in the two men’s characters. By saying the other man has “no balls,” Mellors is also saying that he himself does possess that “spunky wild bit of a man in him.”
Related Themes:
