Lady Chatterley’s Lover

by D. H. Lawrence

Lady Chatterley’s Lover: Allegory 1 key example

Definition of Allegory

An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Garden of Eden:

The allegory of the Garden of Eden appears prominently in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, as the novel explores ideas of sexual development, the gap between social conventions and natural urges, and the consequences of desire in adult relationships.

In the Book of Genesis, the story of the first humans is told in the following way: Adam and Eve, the first humans, were created by God and allowed to live in a paradise called the Garden of Eden. The only condition of their living there was that they must refrain from eating the Fruit of Knowledge, which grew in the Garden. Eve—and then, subsequently, Adam—succumbed to temptation and disobeyed God by eating it. As a consequence of their actions, they were exiled from the garden forever. Lawrence makes several references in the novel that compare Mellors and Connie to Adam and Eve.