Lawrence has a way of brilliantly building up to a moment - sometimes just a normal moment - in which there are expectations on the part of one of the characters, and then the hopes or aspirations come crashing down in brutal ways. For example Hermione Roddice, one of the bridesmaids, the "most remarkable women in the Midlands" (Lawrence, 28)
The author is sadistic in this regard, but it is done for a purpose. Indeed, Lawrence's book is overflowing with "physical and mental violence" and the characters exhibit "both masochistic and sadistic qualities" (Howe, 2002)