Lady Chatterley’s Lover: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

As time passes, Connie begins to feel increasingly restless, though she will not admit this feeling even to herself. Sometimes she goes to the woods just to get out of Wragby, though she feels “no connection” with nature—or with anything, for that matter. Concerned, Sir Malcolm suggests that Connie should take a lover.

That winter, a young Irishman named Michaelis comes to stay at Wragby. Michaelis is a playwright, acclaimed across the U.K. and the U.S. for his satirical plays, most of which poke fun at rich people. Because of this subject matter, London’s high society refuses to engage with Michaelis. Still, his work has made him wealthy (he has an impressive house and great clothes)—and for men like Clifford, a friendship with Michaelis might be helpful publicity. Connie is impressed with Clifford’s strategic thinking, though she resents his obsession with “the bitch-goddess” of success.

Clifford turns his nose up at Michaelis, who is clearly an outsider in proper society. But Connie finds herself drawn to him, with his strange mix of disillusionment and a childlike desire to fit in. Sometimes, Connie even finds Michaelis handsome, comparing his face to the “timelessness which the Buddha aims at, and which negros express sometimes” as a result of “race destiny.” Michaelis senses Connie’s attraction—and he has had affairs with Englishwomen before.

One day, Connie invites a bored Michaelis up to her sitting-room. The two sit by the fire, discussing their families and Michaelis’s status as a “lonely bird.” Again, Connie is struck by how the man can at once see “everything” and seem so much like an infant; she feels her attraction for Michaelis in her “womb.”

Michaelis asks to hold Connie’s hand, and she gives in, moved by his almost hypnotic power. Soon, the two are having sex. Afterwards, Michaelis is convinced that Connie will “hate” him, while Connie feels no remorse; her only concern is keeping the affair from Clifford. Connie assures Michaelis that she thinks he is “nice,” and this cheers him greatly.

At lunch, Clifford is critical of Michaelis. Privately, Connie respects that Michaelis is unscrupulous about pursuing success, whereas Clifford is so timid. When Michaelis appears, holding flowers and looking sad, Connie reflects that she is in love with him. With her lover nearby, it takes all her energy just to stay focused on her embroidery. Later that evening, Connie promises to meet Michaelis again in his room.

Michaelis looks especially childlike when he is naked and excited during sex; he always orgasms first, leaving Connie unsatisfied. Fortunately, Connie soon learns to use Michaelis’s still-erect penis to have her own orgasm, even after he has finished. When Michaelis leaves Wragby, the affair continues via letters and occasional meetups in London. Back at Wragby, Connie is more cheerful than ever, and her new demeanor fills Clifford with joy.