It’s Friday and the end of Week 4! Of Human Bondage has been surprisingly easy to read. Such memorable characters. Especially that Mildred. Ugh!
By now, you should have read the following:
This Week’s reading:
Chapters LXIX-LXXII / 69-72 (26 pp.)
Chapters LXXIII-LXXVIII / 73-78 (37 pp.)
Chapters LXXIX-LXXXVI / 79-86 (45 pp.)
Chapters LXXXVII-LXXXIX / 87-89 (19 pp.)
Chapters XC-XCVII / 90-97 (49 pp.)
Discuss/Read the above by 10/25 (176 pages total)
Week 4 – Oh boy!
Mildred returns. Drats. And she’s in quite a state. Unable to care for herself, dumped. Once again Philip feels pity for her situation.
Then there’s Norah and the way she plays Philip. As calculating as Mildred is, Norah is not much better. It puts Philip in a very bad mood. Under the advice of Griffiths, he tells Norah it’s over. She refuses to believe it until he admits that Mildred is back in the picture.
The next bit is a spoiler if you haven’t finished the reading so look away…
Mildred, pregnant, without prospects is a ghastly thing. More ghastly is when the baby is born. She has no real plan. The baby, all throughout this week’s reading doesn’t even have a name. The baby feels temporary, unfortunately. Or perhaps a pawn to get what she wants.
During all of this drama, Philip is attending medical school. Trying to. It’s incredibly hard to focus when Mildred is constantly on his mind. She has disappointed him time and time again and continues to do so. So much so, that after another setback for Mildred, he has fallen out of love with her.
Philip befriends Athelny and his family. Athelny was a patient of Philip’s but has proven to provide the camaraderie Philip so desperately desires. The enjoyable Sunday meals are quite welcomed as well because money is once again an issue. Athelny’s family adores Philip too. He is their “Uncle” Philip.
However, as Mildred says, Philip is a gentleman in every sense of the word and offers Mildred lodging and food in exchange for housemaid duties. You see, she was on the street, selling herself as a last resort. She accepts his offer and her and the baby move in with Philip.
Philip, feeling comfortable now that Mildred is around and that his fondness for another man’s child grows on him, decides to have his foot operated on. To recover, Mildred, Philip and the baby have a little seaside holiday.
Bad decision. Very bad. All of it.
Things to ponder:
What does the title of the book mean to you?
Why does Mildred have such control over Philip? What does she represent?
The baby doesn’t have a name. There is also one line in the book where Mildred asks Philip if he sees a resemblance. Is Maugham hinting here that the baby is Philip’s?
What is really significant in Of Human Bondage is that it touches almost all the complexities of human life: these are upbringing and education issues, place of religion and morality, difficulties in finding an occupation, and the obstacles which are faced when having some inability. Is it too much? Should Maugham have narrowed the focus a bit?
The title. Philip holds himself prisoner. He is his own worst enemy. True, Mildred is horrid but what Philip does to himself, is hard to watch. In relation to the Mildred / Norah story line, “He would rather have misery with one than happiness with the other.” Not a great way to live.
Time and time again we question Philip’s judgment when it comes to Mildred. She’s not described as particularly attractive. That green pallor, her slight frame from not eating well, and even hints at poor hygiene. Yet, Philip has a hard time not feeling pity for the woman. Especially where the baby is concerned.
I will say this about Mildred, she is a survivor. She does what she needs to do to survive and unfortunately for our friend Philip, that’s use him until he’s lost his last penny. What does she represent? I thought it was what Philip couldn’t have but honestly, towards the end of the book I got the feeling that she is a gauge for humanity and how much of it he has left.
The nameless baby. Really, what is up with the kid? Is she Philip’s? Mildred asks him if he sees a resemblance and in Maugham’s style of writing this could very well be a “tell” of some sort. The baby doesn’t appear to be all that important to Mildred, I mean, the child’s name is never mentioned but Philip adores the child. Her presence allows us to see a different side to Philip. Could he one day be a family man?
Of Human Bondage covers a host of topics: education, religion, morality, happiness. Is it too much? I don’t think so at all! I think Maugham teases out just enough to pull the reader in and I can’t help but wonder how this will all turn out for Philip.
Interesting note:
Maugham actually obtained a medical degree but chose to be a writer instead. This book is somewhat autobiographical. He also suffered from a stutter and was bullied relentlessly. However, he was married for twelve years and had a daughter, but his principal companion was another man.
Your turn! What did you think of this week’s reading? Also, we are entering our last and final week of the read-along! It’s been delightful.
Book Chatter 