Will’s Hypocrisy
Of all the characters in the novel, Will is the most religiously devout. Yet, at the same time, he is violent, drinks heavily, and almost commits adultery. In this way, Lawrence is suggesting that one’s action and not just one’s faith determines how pious they are.
Will’s Infidelity
One night when his relationship to Anna is in a particularly bad state, Will goes to a dance in Nottingham. There he meets a woman whom he kisses, and unsuccessfully tries to seduce. When he returns home, Anna notices that his behavior has changed and that she immediately finds him more attractive. The incident rekindles the spark in their relationship. Ironically, it is Will’s infidelity that prompts them to become intimate with one another again.
Ursula’s Proposal
Ursula rejects several proposals from Anton before he leaves for India. Back in England, Ursula fears that she is pregnant and writes Anton a letter saying that she has changed her mind and agrees to marry him. Ironically, when she is finally desperate enough to marry him, she discovers that he has already married another woman.
Ursula’s Disciplining
While working at St. Phillips School, Ursula quickly loses the control and the respect of her classroom. Mr. Brunt encourages her to discipline her students as Mr. Harby seems ready to fire her for not doing so. Finally, she loses her patience and beats a student mercilessly. When the student’s mother complains, Mr. Harby is shocked and upset at what Ursula has done. The irony is that she has done nothing other than what he had previously demanded she do.
