Introduction
W Somerset Maughams 1915 masterpiece Of Human Bondage is a deeply semi autobiographical novel that explores the painful journey of a young mans search for freedom identity and meaning The story details how human desires and romantic obsessions can become a form of emotional slavery
The Early Years
Philip Carey is a sensitive orphan born with a clubfoot which makes him deeply self conscious and isolated throughout his childhood He is raised by a cold and religious uncle who sends him to a strict boarding school where Philip suffers from intense loneliness and bullying Philip eventually rejects his uncles plans for him to join the clergy or become an accountant deciding instead to travel to Europe to study art
The Paris Illusion
Philip moves to Paris to pursue his dream of becoming a painter He spends his time among Bohemian artists discussing philosophy and creative expression However after a couple of years of hard work Philip receives honest feedback from a respected teacher who tells him that he has technical skill but completely lacks original talent Facing reality Philip abandons art and moves back to London to study medicine
The Destructive Obsession
While studying medicine in London Philip meets Mildred Rogers an illiterate coarse and completely unsympathetic tea shop waitress Despite her cold demeanor and clear flaws Philip falls into a desperate obsessive love with her Mildred treats him with total contempt using him for money before running away with one of his friends Leaving Philip heartbroken and financially damaged she later returns pregnant and abandoned only for Philip to take her in out of pity
Ruined Dreams and Poverty
Mildred runs away a second time leaving Philip to care for her child which eventually dies When Mildred returns yet again she has turned to prostitution and when Philip finally rejects her romantic advances she destroys his apartment and possessions in a fit of rage Soon after Philip loses all his remaining money in a bad stock market investment forcing him to drop out of medical school and live in absolute poverty on the streets of London
The Path to Freedom
Philip is saved from starvation by Thorpe Athelny a warm and eccentric man whose large happy family welcomes Philip into their home Philip finds a job as a shop assistant and later manages to save enough money to finish his medical degree He accepts a temporary job as a doctor in a coastal village where he realizes that his lifelong obsession with achieving a grand dramatic destiny was an illusion
Conclusion
Philip falls in love with Sally Athelny Thorpes kind and stable daughter Realizing that true happiness lies in ordinary human relationships family and service rather than impossible artistic or romantic ideals Philip accepts her proposal of marriage Of Human Bondage ends with Philip finally breaking free from his emotional chains achieving peace and embracing a quiet normal life
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