Lady Chatterley's Lover

Clifford and Connie go out onto the grounds of the estate together; Clifford is in his motorized wheelchair. As they walk, they talk about the possibility of the Tevershall miners going on strike; this turns into a broader discussion of power and social class. Clifford believes that strong class and social distinctions are necessary in order for society to function successfully. As Clifford and Connie approach a steep hill, Clifford’s electric wheelchair stops working. Connie tries to manually push the wheelchair up the hill, while Clifford stubbornly argues that the chair should be able to mount the hill.

Mellors happens upon the couple and offers to help; he pushes the wheelchair up the hill. Connie is annoyed because she can tell that Mellors is sick, and that it is hard work for him to push the chair. Later on, when she and Clifford are alone, she criticizes Clifford for his class snobbery and the way he treats working-class people. She finds herself frustrated with Clifford’s focus on intellectualism and thinks of him as a “dead fish of a gentleman, with his celluloid soul” (206). Connie slips out of the house to see Mellors.