Lady Chatterley’s Lover is set in post-WWI England, an unprecedentedly tumultuous period of history marked by massive political and social shifts. Four years of war had left a deep scar on the United Kingdom, changing its cultural landscape forever. Economically, the country also faced new challenges, as the dissolution of its colonies began. This process was an important part of Britain's rapid decline in power and influence. Along with all of these changes, England's rigid class structure was beginning to blur, with increased upward mobility and diversity of employment becoming possible for working-class people.
Furthermore, the war brought about shifts in gender norms. World War I had a notable effect on the demographics of England’s gender divide. With a large portion of a generation of men lost in battle between 1914 and 1918, by 1921 there were 1.71 million more women in the country than men. The devastating flu epidemic that followed reduced the population even further. This led to a permanent shift in the workplace and in the home, as many women needed to find ways to support themselves outside of marriage. During the war, as a significant portion of the male population was absent, women took on roles traditionally reserved for men. They were encouraged to work in factories and offices in sectors they hadn't previously been able to enter. This newfound independence and the right to vote—granted in 1918 for certain women—led to changing perceptions about women's roles in society.
The remnants of Victorian England, characterized by strict conventions of behavior, morals, and hierarchy, began to face challenges from the more cosmopolitan postwar mindset. Wragby Hall, a lush country residence, is a site of both extreme opulence and total confinement. Despite its luxurious façade, it’s an emblem of a world bound by societal norms and traditions. Clifford Chatterley and men like him still dominated the country’s halls of power, and they held absolute dominion over their own estates. In contrast, the woods around Wragby and Mellors’s cottage feel like spaces of liberation. They are both more ancient and primal-feeling and more modern, as Connie is able to explore herself there in new ways. These natural settings collide with the rigidity of the manor house. The novel’s events also take its characters to Germany, Italy, other locations in England and the interiors of many different classes of dwelling, from small houses in tiny hamlets to enormous, imposing manors.
