Of Human Bondage

Immediately after his mother’s death, Philip goes to stay with his godmother, Miss Watkin. Eventually, his nurse, Emma, comes to take him back home. Philip is nine years old (the year is 1885), and he has a disability known as clubfoot: a congenital defect in which a foot is twisted, which typically impacts the person’s ability to walk and run.

Philip goes home, where he is greeted by his paternal uncle, Mr. Carey. Mr. Carey is a clergyman and is married to Philip’s Aunt Louisa. Philip’s father was a surgeon who died six months earlier; upon his death, it was found that he had left little money for his family. Philip is now an orphan and will be going to live with his aunt and uncle in the country village of Blackstable, England.

Philip and his uncle journey to Blackstable. Aunt Louisa attempts to be kind but is awkward with him because she is not accustomed to having children around.

Philip settles into life with his aunt and uncle. A short time after he arrives, Philip receives a packet of photographs of his mother; she had them taken professionally because she suspected she was going to die and wanted her son to have something to remember her. Mr. Carey is annoyed by the photos because he has always thought that Philip’s parents spent too much money and lived a lavish lifestyle.

Philip’s life in Blackstable is quiet and monotonous. His aunt and uncle lead a frugal and simple life. They have one household servant, a woman named Mary Ann.

Since Mr. Carey is a clergyman, Sundays are a busy day for him and his family. The description of the Sunday routine for the Carey family reveals that they lead a quiet and disciplined life. Although Mary Ann was initially annoyed by Philip’s presence, she quickly becomes fond of him.

Philip remains reserved and ill-at-ease with his aunt and uncle but begins to bond with Mary Ann. Mr. Carey wonders if Philip should be sent to school, but Aunt Louisa thinks that he is still too young.

One Sunday, Mr. Carey is annoyed when he catches Philip playing and rebukes him—Mr. Carey thinks that it is wrong to play on what he sees as a holy day. Philip’s feelings are hurt by being shamed by his uncle, and he later lashes out at his aunt. Aunt Louisa is hurt, but she and Philip gradually begin to bond.

Philip continues to be bored and unhappy on Sundays. Aunt Louisa is increasingly anxious, lamenting to her husband, “If we’d had children, we’d have known what to do” (30). Aunt Louisa suggests that Philip look at some of the pictures in books from Mr. Carey’s collection. Philip becomes intrigued and then also begins to read. From this point on, Philip becomes obsessed with reading as much as he can; this activity distracts him from his loneliness and sadness.

Several months after he comes to live with them, Mr. Carey and Aunt Louisa decide to send Philip to a well-reputed school in a town called Tercanbury. They both want Philip to eventually become a clergyman, and the school has a good reputation for preparing boys for professional careers in the Church. Philip is nervous about meeting the other boys at the school. They immediately notice his clubfoot, and Philip feels self-conscious and awkward.

During Philip’s first day at the school, his clubfoot continues to attract the attention and curiosity of the other boys. At night, in the dormitory, the other boys insist on seeing and touching Philip’s foot, and he is profoundly ashamed and unhappy.

Time passes at school. The other boys lose interest in Philip’s foot, but he remains isolated and awkward. Philip is sometimes bullied by the other boys, especially a bigger and older boy named Singer. Singer is embittered toward Philip after they are both supposed to be punished but the headmaster declines to beat Philip because of Philip’s disability. Philip often feels lonely and unhappy.

Two years pass; Philip is now nearly 12. He is quite successful in his studies but is shy and awkward and struggles to make friends. Philip sometimes experiments with manipulating the emotions of others in order to inspire pity; he also often feels guilty and confused about the ways in which he seems to be different from other people.

Although he has been living in a very devout and religious atmosphere, when he is 12, Philip becomes more personally curious about religion. After reading a Bible passage extolling the power of faith, Philip asks his uncle if he should take the passage literally. Mr. Carey tells him that he should, and Philip begins to pray that his foot will miraculously be healed.

Philip is initially very hopeful and sincere in his faith: “He prayed with all the power of his soul. No doubts assailed him. He was confident in the word of God” (49). However, when Philip finds that nothing has changed, he is saddened and disappointed. The only explanation he can arrive at is that he must not have sufficient faith.

The school Philip is attending is very traditional and conservative. However, shortly before Philip begins his studies, a new headmaster named Mr. Perkins takes over. Mr. Perkins comes from a much more middle-class background (his father owned a shop), and he has more modern and less traditional ideas about the kind of education the school should offer. Mr. Perkins is unsettling to many.

One of the teachers at the school, Mr. Gordon, is unhappy with the new systems that Mr. Perkins has instituted and takes his frustrations out on the boys that he teaches. Mr. Gordon grows particularly cruel, and one day he taunts and mocks Philip in front of the whole class. Mr. Perkins later notices that Philip is visibly distressed and shows kindness to the shy and awkward boy.

Another two years pass, and Philip continues to do well academically. Philip continues to have a close bond with Mr. Perkins since the headmaster is one of the only teachers who has been kind to him. As Philip is growing older, Mr. Perkins asks the boy about his career aspirations. Philip explains that his aunt and uncle want him to be ordained and work as a clergyman. Mr. Perkins approves of this career path. They discuss how Philip will have access to a modest inheritance once he turns 21, and since Philip is likely going to win a scholarship to university, he seems to be on a good path.

Mr. Perkins knows that Philip is self-conscious about his clubfoot and encourages the boy to see it as a potential blessing: “[I]f you looked upon it as a cross that was given you to bear only because your shoulders were strong enough to bear it, a sign of God’s favour, then it would be a source of happiness to you instead of misery” (66).

Philip strikes up a friendship with a boy named Rose. Since Philip is usually lonely and isolated, the friendship means a lot to him. After having gone home for Christmas vacation, Philip is eager to get back to Rose. He is hurt and disappointed when Rose forgets about their plan to meet at the train station. Philip ends up waiting alone for hours. However, Philip quickly forgives Rose because “he seem[s] so genuinely pleased to see Philip that Philip’s annoyance vanishe[s]” (70).

Philip’s intense attachment to Rose makes him jealous, possessive, and irritable, and the two boys often quarrel with one another. Philip falls sick and has to go home for an extended period; he assumes Rose will be eager to see him but is hurt and angry when Rose seems to have become close with another boy instead. Philip exacerbates their disagreement and breaks off the friendship: “He hated Rose now, he wanted to hurt him, he thought of biting things he might have said to him” (72). Philip starts to spend much more time with another boy named Sharp, even though he secretly despises him, and even rebuffs Rose when Rose eventually tries to reconcile.

After the collapse of his friendship with Rose, Philip loses interest in his studies. Mr. Perkins is concerned and tells Philip that his grades are declining; this jeopardizes Philip’s chance of getting a scholarship. Philip responds by stating that he’s no longer sure if he wants to go to university. Mr. Perkins is very surprised. A few days later, he eloquently tries to persuade Philip of how wonderful it would be to become a clergyman. Philip is torn because he wants to please Mr. Perkins, but when he imagines his life as a clergyman, it seems very dull and dreary.

Philip gets bad grades and broaches the subject of leaving school a year early and going to Germany. His aunt and uncle are startled to learn the Philip is no longer aspiring to get a scholarship, attend university, and become a clergyman. His uncle is adamant that Philip has to attend at least the next term, but Philip tries to negotiate to leave school at Christmas, midway through the school year. Mr. Carey is somewhat amenable to this idea. When Philip gets back to school, he is very angry to learn that his uncle has tried to consult with Mr. Perkins. Mr. Perkins does not think that Philip should leave school early or go to Germany.

Philip argues bitterly with both Mr. Carey and Mr. Perkins; he thinks he should have the agency to make up his own mind. Finally, Mr. Perkins proposes that Philip leave school after Easter. Philip is happy and begins to work much harder, getting better grades. When the time to leave comes closer, Mr. Perkins is surprised that Philip is still staying faithful to his plan. Mr. Perkins assumed that, once Philip’s grades improved, he would become more open to the idea of going to university. However, Philip does not want to change his plans. He concludes his studies, departing for Germany in early May.