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LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER
(D.H. LAWRENCE)
,.
“1925–30”
by Frank Kermode, in D.H. Lawrence (1973)
Introduction
Due to its sexually explicit scenes, vulgar language, and
depiction of a scandalous affair between an aristocratic lady
and a working class man who is her husband’s gamekeeper,
Lady Chatterley’s Lover was banned in the United States
and England and was not available legally in unabridged
form until 32 years after its initial printing in Florence, Italy.
As Frank Kermode indicates, Lawrence intended to shock
his audience with his exploration of these and other taboos.
However, according to Kermode, rather than merely seeking
to create a shocking piece of literature, Lawrence also crafted
an explicit critique of society in his novel, calling for “cultural
and economic reform.” For Kermode, rather than a prurient
work qualifying as pornography, Lady’s Chatterley’s Lover
presents the taboo within a highly moral framework.
f
Kermode, Frank. “1925–1930.” D.H. Lawrence. New York: Viking Press, 1973.
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