How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"One was less in love with the boy afterwards, and a little inclined to hate him, as if he had trespassed on one's privacy and inner freedom. For, of course, being a girl, one's whole dignity and meaning in life consisted in the achievement of an absolute, a perfect, a pure and noble freedom" (1.13)
A girl just needs to be free—or at least, she does until she meets Mellors. Virginity is important to Connie because it represents freedom.
Quote #2
His importance as son of Sir Geoffrey, and child of Wragby, was so ingrained in him, he could never escape it. (1.34)
Clifford is trapped by his family's dignity, and he likes it. He's not interested in backpacking through South Asia to find himself. All he wants to do is live up to his family's name.
Quote #3
"That's why having a son helps; one is only a link in a chain," he said. Connie was not keen on chains, but she said nothing. (5.29-30)
Connie doesn't want to be just a womb to gestate Wragby's heir; Clifford wants her to be exactly that. No wonder they're so miserable together.
Quote #4
"A woman has to live her life, or live to repent not having lived it. Believe me!" And she took another sip of brandy, which maybe was her form of repentance. (7.29)
Clifford's Aunt Eva advises Connie to live her life freely. This is a case of "do-as-I-say," since the implication here is that Aunt Eva uses brandy to drown her sorrows at not having lived.
Quote #5
She was not even free, for Clifford must have her there. (10.5)
Clifford has trapped Connie at Wragby just like some fairy-tale ogre. He freaks out if she leaves—not because he actually needs her for anything, but more because he wants to feel like he's in control. (He's not.)
Quote #6
"But Clifford, you make eternity sound like a lid or a long, long chain that trailed after one, no matter how far one went." (11.140)
Yeah, "until death do us part" is a long time—too long for Connie. It's almost as though she shouldn't break up with Clifford just to jump into another relationship…
Quote #7
"They built their own Tevershall, that's part of their display of freedom. They built themselves their pretty Tevershall, and they live their own pretty lives. I can't live their lives for them. Every beetle must live its own life." (13.55)
Clifford is no compassionate conservative. For him, freedom means "freedom to hang"—that is, people are free to do whatever they want, including live in ignorance, starve in their ugly villages, and die in penury.
Quote #8
"It's obvious I'm at everybody's mercy!" said Clifford. He was yellow with anger.(13.185)
Confinement may be fine for Connie, but it's no good for Clifford. Trapped in his chair, he lashes out at Mellors and Connie—although he's the one who insisted on taking his wheelchair off-road.
Quote #9
"I don't know. She sort of kept her will ready against me, always, always: her ghastly female will: her freedom! A woman's ghastly freedom that ends in the most beastly bullying! Oh, she always kept her freedom against me, like vitriol in my face."(18.150)
There's nothing worse than a woman with a mind of her own when she should be in bed or in the kitchen where she belongs. Ooh, Mellors is just so sexy.